The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
Ore of Russias Great Mn
 Discrsdis ZenstVOs
WAR THE GREAT QUESTION
On It's Termination Depends the Fu- ture of Russla--No Remedy in the Plan Proposed by
 the Zemstvos.

St. Petersburg. November 27.-one of the most commanding figures and far-seeing statesmen of the empire, whose opinion is of the highest value, but who has de- clined to permit the use of his name, in conversation with the Associated Press today. expressed the distinct conviction that nothing in the nature of a radical change In the existing order of things would resul. from the zemstvo congress- This statesman, 1t can be stated, Is firm believer in the principle of autocracy as the best system of government for the realization of the greater part of the Slav race, but he has himself in fact ia vored liberal policy, and he Is now too practical minded. not to appreciate the factors which threaten to change the present regime. Still, he does not believe that anything like a crisis confronts the government. In his opinion, everything depends upon the war.
 War Is the Question.
 "The war the statesman said, is a big interrogation point for Russia. Her future at home and abroad is involved in the issue. The internal situation Is very complicated. The action of the zemstvo representatives is a symptom of the dis ease from which Russia suffers; but these few men have not necessarily made a correct diagnosis or offered the true rem edy This Is in no sense the verdict of the people, but only the opinion of a class. The real representatives of the Russian people, could they assemble, and hax xUould Droha hIU pntInrf- ate a programme quite as repugnant to the zemstvos as to the supporters of the present programme. The men who as- sembed here last week do not propose true representative government.
 They would really substitute the rule of class autocracy to imperial authority. The Russian peasant who represents four-ifths of the population, with his in-born sense of devotion to the emperor would doubtless prefer the latter to the former. Were 1 a minister and working for the good of the country, I should pre- fer to obey the mandates of the emperor to those of a bogus parliament protesting to speak by authority of the people. If zemstvo- elected representatives should sit in the council of the empire they would be equally as spurious as repre- sentatives of the people.
 Not Yet Prepared.
 
 Neither the country nor the people are prepared Tor true representative govern ment. Anarchy would take the place of government, and the empire would crum- ble to pieces. So far as the programme of the zemstvoists is concerned, am sure neither the emperor nor the government believes in it. but that does not mean that liberalism is to end The policy represented by von Plehye, in my opin- ion, can never return. Prince Sviatopolk- Mirsky is courageous, sincere man, and stands for a broad and liberal policy, but a constitution now is out of the ques- tion.
 T will not discuss what may occur in the future, but I repeat, everything de- bends on che war. Its outcome will de- termine whether there will be crisis, and its character. Japan I believe, would now welcome peace, and so would Rus sia also, but I cannot see how 1t is pos sible for them to come to terms. There fore the war must go on. When 1t ends an answer to all these questions will | come"