Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY. MARCH 19 1917 RED RUSSIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 March 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY. MARCH 19 1917 RED RUSSIA.

The present revolution in Russia is not in any way allied with the revolutiontary spirit that has for so long been believed to pervade Russia, The revolution is intimately connected with the war, with an entirely united spirit on the part of the revolutionaries, to see the war throngb. The Duma haa saved Russia from herself. But fcr the Duma, Russia as directed would have drifted on, quite incapable of playing her real part in the war. Though the revolution has come suddenly, there were portends which disclosed the spirit abroad and events enough to justify the aotion which led finally to culmination. About a year ago Russia was on the eve of making » premature peace with Germany, not by will or desire of the people, bat by virtue of the handiwork of the proGerman influence in the Government. Since then there has been distrust among the people in regard to the political leadership, and the course of events but tended to the final overthrow of the conetitutional authority, In the recent upheaval the President of the Duma, M. Rodzianko, has pUyed the part of the patriot, and in company with other statesmen, no less patriotic, has helped to shape, if not actually directing, a result which frees Russia of the intrigue which has been going on, and leaves the nation with a cleaned slate in which to restart the business of the war. This ifl a gigantic operation, and the murvcl is that it has been accomplished with comparative tranquility. Russia has resources powerful enough to influence the whole course of the war, and if there be organised aDd co-ordi-nated as (bey should be, it is posaiblo for great developments to come to pass along the whole eastern front of this war. Britain canuot be without knowledge of the real position in Russia. Apart from her official representatives in that quarter, Lord Milner of the War Cabinet, has onld lately returned from that country, any he must have obtained quite a lot of first hand information of internal matters with our great ally. That the revolution was precipitated by tbe inactivity of the Government in provisioning the capital, by the outbreak of food riots and strikes and then by the cart refusal of the Government to accept the representations of the Duma on the subject is plain from the reports. The struggle between Go

vernmout and Dnma has bien in progress for a year, and the prelude to the revolution was the downfall of three administrations as the result of the Duma’s determination to procure re' forms. These political changes proved' the growing power of the representstive assembly, but the roaoiiona: 'B', SHcnie in the knowledge of thoir influence with the Czar were able to replace a defeated administration by a Government as little in touch with the Duma aud the prople as was its predecessor. The failure of tho popular leaders to get rid of Pro'opopoff, io spite of the charges, was clearly exasperating them, and it is p'aiti that ihe final upheaval came as the result of the Government’s decision to prorogue the Assembly. The Duma, unable to overcome by constitutional means the anti-Russian and reactionary influences of the Administration, and the populace of Potrograd, driven to violenae by hanger, joined in revolt, and now the affairs of Russia are in the hands of a new Administration, set up by the Duma, with the support of peiple a id A r my If this is the true explanation of the revolution a new Russia will emerge stronger and more efficiently administered than was the old, purged of the enemy influences that were choking its spirit and paralysing its limbs.