RED RUSSIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1917, Page 3

RED RUSSIA.

Development of the Crisis. The Cloven Hoof of Germany. Recent cable messages from Russia indicated that the nation was in a state of political unrest, and that the Czar was supporting a reactionary regime which was setting itself against the popular will, and leading itself to pto-German intrigue. Tbe trend of events which culmin-

ated in the dramatic denouement announced by tha cables was outlined in an article from tbe pea of Isaac Don Levine in “ Current History ” for January. Iu the course of this the writer states that indications pointed to tbe victory of tha democracy over the bureaucracy in one of the greatest struggles in the history of Russia. The crisis reached a climax at the opening of the Imperial Duma and Council on November 14tb, and was the outcome of events instigated by Boris Sturmer, tha deposed Prime Minister. This man, a reactionary of the deepest dye, waa responsible for a state of affairs which brought Russia to the brink of revolution.

Staraer w‘s appointed to the Premierehip in Fcbrtuiy, 1916, r»nd began h's Ministerial career with a drive sgau.zt ihe popular fore'’.*'? making headway in Russia. He inaugurated! first of all, a new eiuaade agamet the alreadv-muzz'ed press. The military censorship grew in rigidity steadily and expensively during h ; s administiatiop. The curbing of public opinion was not however, ihe only step taken by the Premier in hi<* campaign to deprive Russian democracy of (lie power it bad already won in the direction of the nation’s fortune?. . . His bureaucrats demonstrated (heir defects so promptly that their dismissal soon became a necessity. A* a result of this, some Ministers changed hands thiee or four times in the course of 1915. These Ministerial changes provoked much feeling in the popular ranks, for they couUl brieg nothing bat, harm to the interests of the nation, as they were impeding the Government's activities. STAB AT NATION’S VITALS. Another seriouß cause of unrest was the Government’s encroachment upon the prerogatives of the Dume. 'J here is an article in the constitution of tbo Russian Parliament, known as Article 87, which permits the Government to

enact laws without the help of the Duma, The Government has always made much nse of this article, but never so much as in the last few mouths. Srurmer took advantage of the long in'ef’mi-s'on in ibe session of the Dams to pass t.smi veiy obnoxious ami resoltiug measures. Oao of these w.i‘i '"tors than a mere blow at daruf'crac;' ; it was a ding rms stab at the vi’sl o’ the Russian n .tion.

What is the most vital thing in

Russian nat’.ooai ’i*e el t * ; s inomJit? It is tl e lesohre and unvihnuas intent to prosecute ;ha war to a euccsssful issue. Russian democracy patiently stood the suffering inflicted upon it by the bureaucrats for the saka of unity and victory. For it is in viciory tnat th 9 people of Russia see the promise of a new, regenerated country. The fight for internal political reformation has been postponed by all the radical elements in the Empire in order to win the war. But the Gov&rnmeot proved itaFlf not very eager to labour for this object. The actions of Stnrmer showed that the bureaucracy was more interested in losing than in winning the war. The Russian people have not depended on their Government to win the war. After the collapse that followed the invasion of Poland and Lithuania by the Teuton", Russian democracy x’oae to the succour of the army tfiat had failed because of the Government’s incompetence, Vast organisations have been created. The All-Russian Zemstvo Union, the Union of Municipalities, the War Industries Committee, and many other popular bodies are helping the War Ministry in its work of equipping, supplying, and oaring for the army.

THE PEOPLE'S RAGE,

Russia was filled with rage and rebellion at the blow struck by the Premier at its vital orgacH. It -was at these vital organs that Premier Stnrmer struck a blow which filled Russia with rage and rebellion. In April the Cabinet announced its decision to forbid national conferences and conventions of the various social organisations. The pretext for this decision was that these bodies were engaged -in revolutionary activities, Prince Lvaff, the head of the All-Rus-sian Zemstvo Union, thereupon addressed a protest to General Shuvayeff, War Minister, who was known to be in sympathy wi;h the popular organisations.

But the War Minister could not revoke the Cabinet’s order. He could only refer the protests for the consideration of the Cabinet, which he did. It was the answer of the Cabinet to these protests that made Russia stand aghast, fall of indignation. A ciroular was issued by the Government on October 4th which put all meetings, councils, and conferences held by social bodies under the supervision of the police. No other construction could have been put on this act of Stunner than a desire to hamper the progress made by the people toward the winning of the war. In any event, this was the way Russia interpreted the Premier’s act. Had this been the sole movement in the direction of contradicting the popular will and state of mind, events might have shaped themselves quite differently. But Sturmcr already had to bis credit at least three major deeds that served to enhance the suspicion with which bis attitude toward the war and its objects was regarded throughout Russia. The writer goes on to state that the resignation of Sazanoff as Foreign Minister was a deep wound to the Russian people. The portfolio was taken by Sturmer. This Russia could not bear calmly. Sturmer is a descendant of Baltic Germans. Soon after he took office reports of a separate peace between Russia and the Central Powers were circulated throughout the world. The fact that there is known to exist a certain group in the Russian Court favonring the conclusion of snoh a peace was never lost sight of by those who guard and lead the various forces of popular Russia. THE PROTOPOPOFF REGIME And then something happened that made the possibility look like a probability. This was tho appointment of A. D. Protopopoff as Minister of the Interior. Protopopoff, a wealthy landlord and manufacturer, associated with certain Petrograd banks, was never a political leader in the Russian sense of the word’ He is a politician in the American interpretation of the word, i.e., a man of ambitiori, a builder of a career, a seeker of the spectacular and vainglorious. Thanks to his shrewdness and affability he managed to become a member of the Duma and ouß of its vice-presidents. It was on his way home, while in Stockholm, that A. D. Protopopoff met in conference an attache of the German Legation there. When this

fact leaked out it created a sensation in Russio. True, Protopopoff apparently proved that, the conference tock place at the initiative of tha German Ambassador in Sweden. But the faot of the conference was in itself an indictment, At least the Society of 1914. which aims to destroy all German influence and activity io Russia, and which includes among its members Russia’s leading men, so regarded it.

This aooiety maintains an open black list. The name of ftDy public man found guilty of relations wi<b Germany is recorded there, The Propaganda and Commerce Committees of the society took up the charge of Germanophilism male in the press against Protopopoff, investigated them, and recommended the blacklisting of Protopopoff to the Executive Council. At this juncture, to the profound astonishment of the nation, Protopopoff was appointed Minister of the Interior. It was a perplexing, confusing, mysterious move on the part of Sturmer. No more eurpcising appoiatmaiit was ever made by the Czar. THE BLACK LIST. Protopopoff followed in the footsteps cf Sturmer, and the society of 1914 was recommended to blacklist him on account of his reactionary actsAt that time the three most important posts of the Empire, the Premiership and the Ministeries of the Interior and of Foreign Affairs, were held by two men suspected of pro-Germanism. The effect of the recommendation by the executive council of the society of 1914 to blacklist Protopopoff was tremendous. THE POLISH PROBLEM. In addition to the Sazoooff and Protopopoff factors there arose one more condition of a nature to provoke the nation. This was the Government’s attitude toward the Polish problem. When Germany and Austria jointly announced, early in November, the creation of a Polish Kingdom, the effect on Russia was enormous. The opposition to the Government gained powerful impetus. On top of all this, an economic condition arose that carried more danger with it to the Government than all the political factors oqmbined. This was the chaos in the food supply organisation of the country. Russia has been suffering from the high cost of living more than any other country in the world. Prices of some articles reached fabulous proportions. But whoa leather was selling at premiums the Russian turned to rage and wooden sandals to protect his feet. When kerosene was selling at prohibitive prices, tallow candles again became popular. Sugar was dispensed with by a large part of the population. THE NATION BREADLESS, But the time came when the country suddenly found itself without bread. A famine was threatening the nation in the fall, and this in spite of the fact that Russia had hundreds of millions of surplus bushels of grain! Where was that vast surplus ? It was not for sdl9. The peasants, the landlords, and especially speculators held it back. What waß the reason for this? It was a clumsy attempt made by the Government to solve the bread problem by fixing prices. The prices fixed by the Government were too low. The owners of the bread would not sell it. Meanwhile starvation was staring into the eyes of the DatioD. When the state of mind throns'hont the country reached a menacing degree, when the cry for a solution of the bread problem was raised from all the corners of the Empire, the Government lost its head completely. The Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of the Interior were fighting for control of the food situation. It was at this stage that the Government’s incompeteno3 reached a revolting point, for the Cabinet could not make up its mind what to do with the food supply question. Vacillation from one plan to another consumed days and weeks, The exasperation of the nation knew no boundsDark rumours of revolt began to fill the country, Only the fact that the Duma was to meet on November 14lb, and that the leaders everywhere counselled patience till the Duma’s meeting controlled the passions of the excited nation.