Smyrna times., 1892-01-13
Russia 5 Condition.
HOW 1T IS DESCRIBED BY A PROMINENT
OFFICIAL OF THAT EMPIRE.

In an interview on the famine with
an eminent Russian official Of the
most rtmarEable men in The Empire.
he SAID, after Pledging the correspond-
enI to secrecy regarding his name
ne present famine is not bolt from
the blue, single phenomenon that
mas come suddenly and will as sud.
denly depart. It is the natural conse-
quence OF thirty years bad manage
ment and will become chronic IF If
had not occurred this year it would
have occurred some other wear II ia
an inevitable result of series of
causes. The peasants may be relieved.
we may buy corn for them and feed
them. but how are we to give them
pack their horses and cattle? They
have already killed half of them This
Is one consideration. There is still an.
other. Those sixteen or seventeen
provinces which are now SUFFERING
from want are not the only ones which
WI be IN need OF help next spring.
FIily not sixteen, provinces will be in
state Of starvation. Those govern
ments which have had good harvests
are not the self-supporting ones. They
nave generally to import corn in the
winter and early spring for themselves
This year their state is much worse
seeing that they have exported all the
corn they could spare to the famine.
stricken districts What their condition
Will oe IN The spring you may imagine.
he state OF the peaaantry is extremely
unsatisfactory. They are at once
apdtheuc and desperate. They are
PROSTATE in the face of the terrible
calamity that has befallen them. Rnt
their apathy cannot lose. Risinos
may be expected. The peasants be-
ieve 1t to be the Cars duty to feed
them. | have heard them talk The
Car must feed US and if he doesn't we
must choose another" What has So
clety to do in the face ofsuch feelinc2
How are we to prevent a cataclysm d?
The little influence and energy which
our society possesses the government
endeavors to take from it. There are
only two forces which keep the state
tOgetheT-the church and the army
and the present regiment has made for
Itself enemies in both; not small insig-
nlhcant enemies, but powerful and in
Huentlal ones. | will not mention
names, for fear of drawing attention to
them, but | think it is very improba-
BILE that the soldiers and their COM
rades, if called on from the Polish from
tier should be denuded of troops and
the country be generally disturbed.
cannot conceive that Austria and Ger
many would look on quietly and not
make an effort to render harmless for a
time the power which they have
learned to regard as their greatest and
most dangerous foe.
I'VE have made enemies, not only
amongst our neighbOrs, but in our own
house. The inh abitants of the Baltic
provinces, once our most loyal subjects,
are now our enemies. We have now
not only German question there :; we
are creating an Esthonian, a Lithuan-
ian, Lettish, a number of questions.
We find we have also stirred IN
against us, but not content with these
achievements, are now celebrating
Tartar and an Armenian question.
"Of Poland l need not speak. You
have heard how the peasantry regard
the Gar. They have no notion of
legitimacy one Gar is as good as
another. They obey the institution
they do not understand the legitimacy
OF the succession. As it happens, the
present government has had the mis-
fortune to make an enemy who may
become very useful in the hands of
agitators. l mean the young Grand
Duke Michael Michaelovick. He is
very popular.
I'VE are living in terrible times.
Our society is sunk in materialism and
cares for nothing but their enjoyment,
and the peasant has ceased to be the
thoughtless Czar-wOrshipper of the
past. Besides there appears to be
party at the head of affairs which is
composed of Nihilites in disguise.