The San Francisco call., 1896-11-29
Fat Positions Given to Relatives
of the Empress Through
Transfers.
Owing to the Harsh Laws Of the
.. Fatherland the Dock Laborers
Will Lose the Strike

Berlin as the aQYlceS winch are DelnS re-
ceived from ST. Petersburg announcing
the action of the Czar in seizing lnde-
pendent control of both the internal and
external policies of Russia, since the re-
turn of his Majesty from his tour of the
Continent. Whether he has been inspired
by the example set by the Emperor of
Germany beginning with the dismissal OF
. Prince: Bismarck from the Imperial Chan
cellorship, or whether he is striking out
on his own line, it is hard to say; but the
ohe thing certain is that he has initiated
an entire change in the administration of
affairs .of the Russian empire, and the
3 officials whose functions are usurped oy
their imperial master, and whose infu-
ence, consequently, appears to be
on the vane, are aghast at the
innovation. Every day the Car
receives reports. directly from the
foreign and other departments and die
tates his replies thereto without consulting
any one except the subordinate officials of
those departments to whom he listens
but whose opinions he does not ask.
Neither does his Majesty solicit the
opinions of NJ. Nelidoff, Russian Embas-
sador TO Constantinople (who is now in st.
Petersburg), Count Vorontzoff Dashkoff,
NJ. Shishkine or any other OF the compet-
itors for the succession to the late Prince
Lobanoff-Rostovsky in the Office of MIN
lister of Foreign Affairs.
Indeed, the Emperor's sole conidant
seems to be his granduncle, the Grand
Duke Michael. the last surviving son of
the great Emperor Nicholas L, the present
Cars great-grandfather. In accordance
with the suggestion of the Grand Duke
Michael, who is aid-de-cam p-general to
the Car ana president of the Council of
the Empire, as the German embassy at
st. Petersburg learns the whole Russian
administration Is to be reformed. In
carrying out the reorganization the Grand
Duke Michael proposes himself to resign
his position as president of the Council OF
the Empire in favor OF the Grand Duke
Vladimir, who will relinquish his COM
mand of the Imperial Guards. The Grand
Duke Sergius is to be transferred from the
ogovernorship of Moscow TO the command
OF the guards in the place of his brother,
the Grand Duke Vladimir, the appoint
meht being attributed to the influence of
the CZarina, whose sister is the wife of the
Grand Duke Sergius.
% lnaddition 20 these changes the brother
in-Iaw, Grand Duke Alexander Michae,o-
witch, is TO be appointed to an important
naval command. Among the changes out
side OF the iE2 perlai family General Kur-
opatky Is mentioned for the command of
the imperial troops in the Caucasus and
General DragomiroH IN command at Kieff,
. for transfer to Warsaw as military Gov
ernor Of lat department. NJ. Deiyanoff
is also to retire from the head of the MIN
Istry of Public Instruction and will he
succeeded by NJ. de Sabler who until re-
GENTLY has been acting as secretary TO M.
Pobienostzfa, the procurator of the Holy
Synod.
In regard to the leading Ministry OF the
Russian empire, the Imperial Chancellor
ship, Minister OF Finance, Minister of For
eign Affairs and the others il does not mat
ter whether they are filled by NJ. Nelidoff,
Count VorontZoff-Dashko koff or any other
of the shining lights of Russian politics and
. statecraft, for the Gar will be practically
his own Minister and the others merely
such in name. This upheaval in the Rus
sian administration excites the greatest
interest here and has absolute apprecia-
ton in court quarters.
The strike OF the dock Iaborers in Ham
burg is interesting the German public
much less than it interests the people OF
foreign countries. This feeling Is largely
due to the knowledge of the home public
that strike agitations are futile in the face
OF the legislative restrictions, as under the
law OF Germany an international fedora
tion of workingmen is illegal, and the DO
lice are empowered to seize circulars and
dissolve meetings and also to summarlly
expel foreigners concerned in such agi-
tation.
The demands which are being made by
some OF the English papers for recogni-
ton OF claims for indemnity on the part
OF Tom Mann, the English labor agitator,
on account of his expulsion from Ham
burg the other day, are sheer nonsense
The expulsion of Ben Tillet an English
laborer, some time ago, was made the
subject of English diplomatic protest,
although the English papers nave asserted
that it was not. The London Foreign Of
tlce knew better than to give the matter
official notice.
The German shippers are taking the
strike very quietly and are confide Mt that
1T will not materially injure the flow of
trade. A special Bourse committee has
been appointed to watch the operations OF
the new bourse laws limiting time deals,
etc. The Agrarians are finding that the
laws restricting deals in grain are affect
ing Agrarian interests injuriously, and
Count Won Arnim, at the head of a repre-
sentative deputation of Agrarians, met
the special BourSe committee few days
ago to discuss the situation in regard to
operations in grain on the Bourse. In the
course of the confere nee Count von Arnim
became involved in a severe alteration
with the committee, which resented the
1HteIiereuce OF Tue ASrarlanS Win the
course of business on the Bourse.
The producers OF raw sugar in Hanover
are initiating movement contemplating
the formation of syndicate which shall
operate throughout Germany in favor of
the abolition of sugar bounties and the re-
duction of the tax on sugar for home con-
sumption.
An Anglo-American golf tournament
was concluded here on Wednesday, in
which c. A. Springg-R Rice, one of the sec-
retaries OF the British embassy, won the
cup in playing off tie with H. g. Squires,
second secretary of the United States en-
bassy, who won diamond scarfpin.
The New York Lie Insurance Com pany,
having compiled with the requirements of
Prussian laws governing foreign insurance
companies doing business in Prussia, is
about TO receive permission to resume
business in Berlin.
NO USE FOE DEFA ULTERS.