RUSSIA'S FUTURE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1639, 4 January 1913, Page 13

RUSSIA'S FUTURE.

HER PREMIER'B VIEWS. RAPID RECOVERY AFTER THE WAR. At the present moment, when so many peoplo aro anxiously scanning tho horizon in tho direction of St. Petersburg in tho foar that an international "stbtnv may come from that quarter; particular interest attaches to tne remarks with which M. Kokovtseff • opens thti November, number of "Nord und Sud." The Russian Minister-President's contribution takes tho form of an open letter to the editor of the magazine, Professor Ludwig Stein, and, aa its title, "Economic Optimism," suggests, is-a sanguine expression of confidence '.in- tho" future of the Muscovite Eniplro. ■ The author bases his conclusions on a • comparison of: the eoonomio condition of his country six years ago with what it is to-day, and jioints out that in place of the exhaustion following tho war, internal disorders, commercial depression, dislocation of the railway and postal services, and financial chaos, Russia now has a rapidly expanding revenue, a foreign trade: that is increasing by leaps and bounds; both in imports and exports,' and 0\ flourishing domestio industry which is prevented from taking full advantage' of its opportunities by tho momentary impossibility of supplying it with the full measure of 'its requirements of raw materials. ■ ■■ Economio Optimism. Special stress is laid on the work of tho State Land 'Bonk, through whose' agency the aggregate area' of peasants' holdings has boen increased' since- 1008' by some twelve million acres, of which half was formerly in the hands of big estate' owners. In conclusion, the Minister considers in the following pascago'the causes of this change: '•■."'■' In my'firni there has been only one causei-'Riissia h'astl6s million efficient; and' industrious inhabitants; she has every.: variety of climate, from the Arctic to the sub-tropical; her natural resources are' immeasurable, and jast as Immeasurable are-her population's capacity for work and its .incontestable skill. In these circumstances lies the, key to J an apparently insoluble puszle. If peace, both foreign and'domestic, -is assured, if tho population ' is afforded an' opportunity of exploiting to powers of labour tranquillity and independence, if if is thorobv assisted by. information and a good administration, my view will assuredly bo accepted;,that everyone who loves Russia and believes in her future must, like mrsclf, be' a convinced advocate "ol "economic optimism." '•' Tho number-of "Nord nnd Sud" in which these remarks'are printed is devoted exclusively to Russia, and contains contributions by Count; Wftte,' M. • Davidoff, and other-personages prpm)ntDt':>;a tho public life of tho Empire^ 1 Last Juno the editor of "Nord. nnd Sud" had a conversation\witb. Count Witle,'the substance Df which is now reproduced under tho title''of-''.'The, Logic of History." Period of .Transition. Russia, Count Witte says, is now in a period of, transition, the country I having neither perfect Constitutionalism nor a puTely absolutist regime.. Neither Liberals nor Conservatives were comnletely satisfied with the- Imperial -manifesto announcingt.he introdnctionof the new Constitution. The' Liberals at first strove after a form' of Parliament~which was notcontemplated by the October manifesto, forgetting that history, like nature, doc 3 not work by leaps'and'bounds.. The €on-servatives-cherished the illusion that they could secure the'withdrawal of the'manlfcsto, forgetting ,that-it was.an-unshak-able act proceeding from tho'wili''"ofvthe. Monarch. These'-two,.'opposing"'current3 naturally brought about,;.'a 'chaotlo sitila-' tion. At the present moment'chaps is being transformed into a cosmos, i Tho 'right road,'corresponding to the logio, of history/ has not yet'been found, but' there is justification'for the hope, based upon tho logical - course of history, that Russia is now on the way to the develop-, roimt of a .Conservative Constitutionalism. '■''! /'■■-.■•■;-■; ■■''."C-: '':" ,