The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-04-12
THE CZAR AND HIS FOES,

st, Louis Globe Democrat
by one Of the !ronies of politics the
most humane and progressive monarch
who has been on The Russian throne in
many wears is being beset by more
formidable combination Of enemies al
home and abroad than has ever men,
aced a member of his house in the past
half-cenury, The Manchur.an issue has
aroused ;he enmity not only Of Chinahut
ot Japan and England. and has excited
the distrust OF Germany, and, To some
extent, ot the United States, At the
present moment the outlook as regards
Russias relations TO Jaran is warljke.
Japan is the one power in the world
whica would be most formidable as an
enemy of Russia, Japan has been jeal-
ous of Russia for many years. It was
Russia which stepped in at the close Of
the war between Japan and China in
1894 and deprived Japan Of the fruits
Of her victory. Some OF the other ma
tions, especially France. were with Rus
sia in that episode. but Russia was the
directing spirit of the demonstration.
BUT the enemies which he has at home
are the real foes which the car has TO
fear. The demonstration Of the stu
dents the other day has aroused SYM
pathy among other classes Of the Rus
sian population. and has revealed a
weakness in the Russian political sys-
TEN which has been kept concealed
from the people Of the outside world
A revolutionary agitation IS under way
Poland which may prove a
factor in Russian politics
should the situation in Manchuria IN
crease in gravity. 4 war with Japan
would undoubtedly have the effect Of
melting riots in Poland. AMI perhaps in
Finland. for the abolition OF Finlands |
autonomy in the past year by the czar
has aroused the hostility OF that prov |
ince. and has sent tens Of thousands |
Of its people to the United States. Can |
ada and other parts Of the world |
Stories of plots against the cars life |
come from ST. Petersburg with start /
ing frequency and circumstantality |
these days. The precautions which !
are being taken against assassins re-
mind the wbrld Of the days when Alex
ander Ill. the present rulers father,
and predecessor was hunted and
loundei like an ordinary malefactor
Alexander H., the emancipation Of the
a 100000 serfs. and the most liberal
Russia ever had. unless an ex-
.eption be made in favor Of the present
'uler. was assassinated by a NihHist
'ew lays more than twenty years ago
me reforms which that car granted
II mis- quarter of a century Of power
ook a wide range. but they necessarily
stopped short II the wishes Of the more
intelligent ingredient Of the population.
who compose the class from which the
evolutionists ara recruited. No car
an at one time or in one reign. bring
he sweeping transformation in the pol
tics OF Russia which The agitators want,
md which will have to come. though
he movement be gradual. before there
AN be internal peace in Russia. The
lristocrats are against any change
which would give political power to the
over or midlle classes. This upper
,aste and not the monarch himself
s probably the real enemy Of the men
who are demanding a constitution. and
who compose he class who menace
he car. Thus Nicholas II. providing
he is as humane and progressive as
the world supposes him to he. is a VIC
i'm II circumstances which he. though
technically an autocrat. cannot control,
and may at any moment feel the doom
which his reactonary father escaped,
out which was met by his benevolent
and enlightened grandfather, the eman-
,ipator.