ALARMED AUTOCRAT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 May 1909, Page 7

ALARMED AUTOCRAT.

TSAR'S VETO. WANTS NO NAVAL GENERAL STAFF. - WITTE V. STOLYPIN. (ni TELEQBAPH— I'BESS ASSOCIATION—COrTMGHT.) (Keo. May 11, 11.20 p.m.) St. Petersburg, May 11. Tho Tsar has vetoed a Bill creating a Naval General Staff after it had passed both tho Duma and tho Council of tho Empire. Tho Stolypin Government introduced tho Bill, with the Tear's consent, but subsequently tiie reactionaries, led by Count Witte (formerly President of tho Ministry) and M. Durnovo, persuaded tho Tsar that tho Bill was an attempt to undermine tho autooraoy.

Count Witto's real object is to secure tho resignation of the Premier, M. Stolypin, but the Tsar has refused to accept this. TSAR, SHAH, AND SULTAN. THE FALL OF COUNT WITTB IN 1806. The signs of the times are full of warning for nntooraoy. It was cabled sofrio days ago that the Shah (who. has since re-assumed the garb of a constitutional ruler) was. deeply impressed by tho dethronement of Abdul Hamid; The Tsar is no doubt equally interested in Turkish and Persian events.: At Constantinople the navy took charge of the Bosphorus in the jcanse of the, Constitutionalist.-.forces, and pointed its guns at Tildiz Palace. , In utilising the prevailing atmosphere in order to influence the Tsar against a naval general staff and if possible Against tho Premier who supports it, Count Witte is endeavouring to;recovcr the power whioh he lost in 1908. The advent of the Duma caused his dismissal from the'Presidenoy of the Ministry, so Count Witte personally owes nothing to constitutionalism. Disotissing the position in 190S prior to the meeting'of the Duma, the "Spectator" wrote i "First. , and foremost; the Tsar had toshow that he trusted the Assembly he had summoned, and that he stood loyally by his promises. The. dismissal of Count witto was inevitable before the Duma could meet. That remarkable man Iliad for long played a difficult game; Misreading the signs of. the:.tiiries, he thought by administrative dexterity to reestablish that autocracy of which he had been so long a pillar. Ho had influence with the Tsar, who believed, him ..to be trusted by the people: ho liad some influence with the more moderate of tho popular leaders, sinco they believed him to bo trusted by the Tsar. Gradually it'dawned upon'both-Tsar and people that Count Witte wastrusted by nobody. His proseneo in .the Government, so far from being a sop to popular discontent, was an incentive to.it, and,, his last card being played, he went into retirement. M. Durnovo followed him, and Russia breathed freely." .;.-■'■