THE RUSSIAN UPHEAVAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 272, 4 May 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE RUSSIAN UPHEAVAL.

DUMA'S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.

HOW PRO-GERMANS WERE BEATEN.

Though written some .time before the present crisis in Russia had reached its cHmax, an artielo in Current llietory, by Isaac Don Levi no, displays rcmarkablo foresignt into the trend of events there. The writer deals with Russian politics in the early stages of the war and points out how the peoplo's wm-the-wa'r policy was hindered at all points by tne proGerman bureaucracy. He also describes how more than once the pro-Ger-man bureaucratic Government court ed peace with Germany, and once was almost on tho brink of withdrawing from the war. Fortunately tne people's representatives in the Duma, who have now taken control, defeated the move.

RUSSIA is at present emerging from ono of the most vital crises in her tempestuous nistory. The long and bitter struggle between Russian bureaucracy and democracy is at a stage where all indications point to the latter's triumph. Indeed, the victories already attained by tho peoplo through their chosen representative —the Duma —and the definite consequences of these victories are absolutely witliout parallel in tho annals of modern Russian political history. Tho crisis in Russian national life was tho result of a series of events tliat occurred in tho Slavic empire in recent months. Tho chef perpetrator of theise events was Boris Sturmer, the deposed Prime Minister. A reactionary of the strongest dyo, ho brought Russia to tho brink of revolution through his internal and foreign policies. Sturmer, appointed to the Premiership in February, 1916, begun his Ministerial career witn a drivo 'against, the popular forces making headway in Russia. He inaugurated, first of all, a new crusade against the already muzzled press. The military censorship grew in rigidity steadily and extensively during h's administration. Tho curbing of public opinion was noji, however, the only stop taken by the Premer in his campaign to deprive Russian democracy of tho power it had already won in tho direction of the nation's fortunes. Thus tho appointment of extreme reactionaries to Cabinet posts was a policy of Sturmer calculated to have the same effect as th© heavy press censorship. But, deplorable jus these appointments were, they would not have resulted in profound dissatisfaction had they proved stable. But this they could not be. For tho bureaucracy of Russia constituted ill ordinary times a class of ignorant and inept telnnovn'ks. When Sturmer attempted to return this class to its role of yore in the most critical period of human history he could but fail miserably. For Ins bureaucrats demonstrated their defects so promptly that their dismissal soon became a necessity. As ar. suit of this, some Ministries changed heads three or four times in the course of 1915.

These Ministerial changes provoked much feeling in tiie popular ranks, for they could bring nothing hut harm to the interests of the nation, as they wero impod'ng the Govornnient'a activities.

DUMA'S PREROGATIVES THREATENED.

Another serious cause of unrest was the Government's encroachment upon tho prerogatives of the Duma. Thorp is an article in the constitution of tho Russian Parliament, known as Article 87, which permits tho Government to enact laws without the help of the Duma. Tho Government has always made uso of this article, but never as much as in the last few months. Sturmer took advantage of the long intermisson in the session of the Duma to pa/is some very obnoxious and revolting measures. One of these was more than a mere blow at democracy; it wn.s a dangerous stab at the vitals of tho Russian Nation.

The Russian people have not depended 011 their Government to w'u tho war. After tho collapse that followed tho invasion of Poland and Luhuma by the Teutons, Russian democracy rose to the succour oi tlie. army tliat- I lad failed lxs cau.se of the Government's incompetence. \ ast organisations have Uen created. Tno Au-lti.s-, an Zemstvo I'nion, the Union oi Municipalities, tho War Industries Committee, and many otner popular bodies are iicip'ng tlio War Ministry in its work of equipping, supplying, and caring lor (lie army. Ii was at these vital organs that Premier Stunner struck a lilow which hiled Ru.-sia with rage and rebellion. In April the Cabinet announced its decision to forbid national conferences and conventions of the various social organisations. Tho pretext for tins decision was unit thesj bodies were engaged ill re vol utio nary act lv i ties. A oireular was issued by tho Government on October -I which put all meetings, coini' ils, (wnfeniiats Sield by special Ixxlies under the supervision of tho poiicc. When one resnenibers that the budget of tlx* Ail-Russian Zemstvo I'n'ou alone had reached the colossal sum of two and i. halt' billions in the first two years of its activities, and that the other organisations are also performing vast operations, frequently of a confidential character, one can well imagine wlmt it means to have the intricate and immense machinery of the social bod'es under the constant supervision of the Russian police, which '•.•ail interfere with, or entirely interrupt, its movement.

FACED BY STARVATION 7

No other ((iiirjlrueton could have Von put on this art of Stunner than a desire to hamper the progress made hy the people to,lard tho winning of the war. 11l any event. tliis was the wiv I!us-i.t 'litu-preted the I'mn'er's ;;et. Hid this heen the ?ole movement in the dire: Lii in "it con! radi't iig thd jHipular will and sl-:>.in of mind events might, have shaped t.hejiiM-Ive- quite differently. I?iit, Sturmei' already had to his credit at lea-1 t''rev major deeds that, served to eiihiWf e th-» > .isp:eii n with vv 11:<• 1 1 his attitude t<r.\ >rd the war and its oh;e: t was re-ranle i t'iroiighout l!u-,-

RKSHiXATIOX OK SAZA N(>l-1

Tin first of these : nf«s ■ factors was the resii»nati< n oi SixanotT as- Foreign Minister. This was forced hv Stu;nier, and it provoked :i storm of indignation. For, in far as th<> d- termination of Russia t'i stick to the Alio- rind prosecute tlv 1 war to the end <;(>;>', Sazanoll'

had the fullest confidence of all classes of tho people. A staunch friend of England, Sazanoff was to the Russ'an people tho only member in the Government in whose presence they saw the coming triumph of democracy in their own country. His retirement was, therefore, a deep wound to the Russian people. But it was the consequence of his retirement that reverberated most profoundly in the Russian heart. For the portfolio of Foreign Minister was taken over by Premier Sturmer. Thi« Russia could not bear calmly. The fact that Sturmer was a descendant of the Baltic Germans was in itself responsible for many disquieting reports. The fact that soon alter Stunner assumed office rumours of a separate peace between Russia and tho Central Powers began to fill tho world was portentious enough. Tho fact that there is known to exist a certain group in the Russian Court favouring the conclusion of such a peace was never last, sight of by those who guard and lead tho various forces of popular Russia. But it was necessary to witness such an act as the assumption of tho office of Minister for Foreign Affairs by Stunner in order to give form and substance to the wave of nervousness that seized the nation when it was faced by tho possibility of a separate peace.

APPOINTMENT Of PROTOPOPOFF.

And then something happened that nin.do the possibility look like a probability. This was the .appointment of A. D. Proti>poj>off as Minister of tlie Interior. He got into the limelight only last Summer, when lie headed the Russian Parliamentary Delegation to Western Europe. It was on his way home, wh'lo in Stockholm, that Protopopoff met in conference inn attatche of th,e German Legation tfiero. When this f;;ct leaked out it created a sensation in Russia. True, Protopopoff apparently proved that the conference t<,ok place at the initiative oh the German Ambassador in Sweden. But the tact of the conference was in itself an indictment. At least tno Society of 1914, which aims to destroy all German influence and activity in Riws'a, and which includes among its members Russia's leading public men, so regarded it.

Those who interpreted Protojxipoff's entrance into the Cabinet ns signifying change for tlio better were *oon to be disillusioned. H<> announced his programme as that of Sturmer. Ho donned a gendarmcrv uniform which no Minister had worn, not even the arch-reac-tionaries Durnovo and Stolypin, since the days of von Plochve, who wins assassinated in 1904. ProtopopgfT turned away from the. principles of the Progressive Bloc to which he belonged. He be.-amo an object of derision through thifvn act-!. He also became an object of suspvion when the Executive Council of tiie Society of IHI4 decided at it, mating of October 3, soon after Protopopoff'is high appointment, to present before the general meeting of the society the recommendation to blacklist him. The effect of this decision on the nation wis tremendous. The three most important posts in the Empire, the Premiership and the iMinistorien of'tho Interior and of Foreign attars, were held by two men susjx'c tod of pro-German-ism.

On top of all this, an economic condotion arose that carried more danger with it to the Government than all the political factors combined. This was the chaos in tlio food supply organisation of the country. ilus.sia 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 when leather w;j« selling at premiums the Russian turned to rags and wooden sandalfj to protect his feet. \\ hen kerosene wins selling at prohibitive prices, tallow again became popular. Sugar was.dispensed with by a large part of the population.

Bat ;i time on mo when t!io country suddenly found itsi lt without bread. A himino was threatening tho nation in tlio Fall, ::ud tiiis in spite of tlio fact Russia had hundreds of million* of .surplus bushels of grain! It was at this stage that the Government's incompetence 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 v.eeks. The cx;\sj>er;ition of the nation knew no bounds.

Dark rumours of revolt l>egan to fill the country. Only the fiact that tlio Duma was to meet < n November 14, and that the leaders everywhere counselled j atiewv till the Duma's meeting, controlled the passions of the excit/.xl nation.

Sivh was the state of affairs in Russia at t!:o opening of tl;o Duma. The. politic.il and economic conditions furnished the basis for the most concerted attack ever made in Russia ajza'nfit the Government. All factions and groii|»s j< incd in it. Socialist ."lid •extreme reactionary uri'ted in denoiiiK'ing the Government. I!y lar the most reniarki.bV phase of tlio crisis was this unpiecodonii'd union. The lilack Hundreds. who wem iiisln.nn'ntal in the ( ruination of pogroms and nia-ssacivs a shor:. time ago; tlio reactionary bandit,rds and capitalists of the conservative parties, tae moderate Oetobrists, the I'boral ( onstit lit on:; I ?)< inooMiis, the radical Labour I'arty, and tho Sooiali.sts, all presented one solid wall of opp: s'.tj'il.

Tlio President of tho Duma, M. Rodanko, a moderate progressive, ma.d«

THE DUMA'S GREAT VICTORY

DARDANELLES TO BE RtSSIAN

tho first speech at tiie opening session. Tho speaker expos, d tho most important 01 all tl.o Government's faults, making tho striving fcr a separate peace li"s subject. H's allusions to it were accompanied by tnunderous outbursts of applause. Tho Premier and tho Cabinet left tho Duma after Rodzianko's diplomatic utterance lacked the bluntness and directness of the attacks that were to follow. Tho declaration of tuo Progressive Bloc, which consists of a majority of members, briefly touched upon all tho misfortunes that have befallen Russia in the course of tho Sturmer administration, and concluded with tne statement: "In tho interests of victory the. present Government must give place to men united by a single mind and ready to i'ct with tho support of the Duma and to carry out tiie Duma's programme. At tne following session of the Duma Paul Miliukox, the leader of the Constitutional IX'inocrats, in a brilliant speech indicted the Government for seeking a separate pence with Germany. Tho text of his speecn, and of many others, has not been allowed to be published by the censorship. A scathing arraignment ot the Government was also niado by Shulgin, an eminent Conservative. In all the utterances made in the Dunui one note was ever present: Tho necessity of tho resignation of Sturmer. Another demand was tho creation of a Cabinet having tho confidence of the Duma, i.e., the setting up of a responsible Ministry. With tneso two demands the Duma l>egan a demonstration against the Government that was to kst as long as it was in powfcr. The fight between bureaucracy r-nd democracy had thus narrowed down to a most spectacular contest lvetwcon Duma. oi|d the Prime Minister. While the Duma protested ,the Government suppressed for publication most of what was said in tho Duma. But there was one thing it could not suppress. Tnat was the blank spa-'cs created in tho newspapers through tho original suppressions. And these blank spaces told the nation " in will to and black," as tho Petrograd l)y,en said, what was occurring in the capital. The third day of the Duma's attack 011 tho Government found Russia in suspense. Sturmer threatened to dissolve tho Pal''amcnt. A united nlatiion, strained to tho utmost, watched with alarm for the next move. It came from an unexpected quarter, in an unexpected manner, dramatically sealing the fate of Sturmer rs Premier.

On November 27 there suddenly appeared in the Duma the Ministers of War and Marine, General Shuvayeff and Admiral Grigorovitch. They announced that they had a statement to make. The War Minister said in part: •' . . . Each day brings our perfidious enemy nearer defeat. And to what change do we owe this? To the tact that the war is waged not only by the army, but by the entire nation. This realisation i.s daily permeating more and more the ni'nds of the nation." After illustrating with figures tlui accomplishments of the national efforts in the interests of the larmy, the speaker said : "That is what our common and co-operative effort gave us. Allow me to hope and a.sk for your help in the future iiTthls common work for the equipment of our v.alinnt army. "As the President of the Duma has said, we must win at all costs and risks. Tins is the demand of our country's welfare ,to which everything else is subordinate. As an old soldier I express my fullest conviction that we shall win. There is no power on earth tliat could vaiiuqish the Russian Empire.'' The Minister of Marine briefly stated to the Duma tiiat lie >.lllllO there to support tho War Minister in hj* declaration that "'the nation's defence demanded our united and co-operative effort." The Duma never witnessed such a scene as that winch followed the Ministers' speeches. A tremendous demonstration occurred.

The chief result of this historic moment in tlie life ot KitfjSia was tliat tlio army, hitherto the support of the bureaucracy, openly declared 1 through its representatives its union with and support of tlio democracy. lhe Government \v;us paralysed. Jt was helpless without tlio army. The only thing to do was to give in. Stunner resigned.

"The Dunru has won the lirst victory, said M. Adjemov, a leading Deputy. "It is a far cry to the satisfaction of all our demands; but it is the lirst time in tiie history ot Rutssia s Parliament that Government heads have openly given to it their moral support. ' The Duma, therefore, caused tlio fall of the Prime Minister. Tins was the lirst case of 'tfj kind. I3ut tlio Duma was not satisfied. It wanted a "responsible Ministry,'' one having the confidence ot the people. It was therefore rather disappointed when Alexander Feodorovitch Trepoff, Minister of Communications, was promoted by the Czar to the post held by Stunner. IVepoff is a man of much broader vision than his predecessor. The fust thing he did was to unmuzzle the Press. In his declaration in the Duma he definitely .ind firmly declared tho Government's resoluton to continue the war t-o the end.

I'ndoubtedlv, to allay the passions of the nation. Trojx)ff announc#d that by an agreement, concluded m P.*L>, and subsequently adhered to by Italy, the .Allies definitely ostabl'shedi Russia's right to Con.stant'noplo and tlio Dardanelles. He .ilso announced Russia's decision to grant lull autonomy to Greater Poland.

The food crisis, the aruto internal and foreign ]k»l 'ti«-a 1 <p;Ostion«. all that which was chiefly responsible for the politval upheaval that shook Russia to it-i foundat ; ons. war< settled for the time being by the appointment of Trcpoff. Huti"theVri-is i* not yet. pp*t. A groat political principle, aroinx: which Russia, rallied m the critical d ivs is not yet no!th>d. The issue :;s to whether Russia is to have a Ministry responsible to to Duma, i.e.. who?.her Russ'ri. will hecome a true (onstit utional --wintry with parliamentary t< rm of Government, is ■•till at stake.