Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-01
Discomfort IN RUSSIA
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONDI-
TToNS IN REALM OF CAR.
Tyranny Of the Governing Class
Law and Justice I'm
known.

George KEENAN,. in the Outlook.
In its possible influence upon the outcome
of long war with Japan the social and
political condition of Russia is hardly less
important than her financial and economic
status. The burdens imposed by modern
warfare are so heavy, and the sacrifices
that it demands are so great, that unless
the population which furnishes the troops
and pays the expenses is loyal, patriotic
and united in it's support of the government
and the war, there is great danger of in
ternal disorder serious enough to weaken
the national power, If not completely to
break down the prestige and undermine the
authority of the ruling class.
The autocratic form Of Russia's admins
tration makes her government less depend
ent upon the people than are the govern
ments of constitutional and parliamentary
countries; but on the other hand, the
bureaucracy. which practically rules Rus
STA, has to deal with a strong popular feel
ing of discomfort and hostility which does
not exist elsewhere, and which war Is al
most certain to intensity. In some parts Of
western Europe an unpopular and long
continued war might cause great national
satisfaction, and might possibly give rise
to dangerous revolutionary movement;
but such conditions would be consequences
of the war and would not precede 1t. In
Russia, however, the ant-government feel
ing Is of long standing; 1t has already men,
aced the authority Of the ruling class, If
not the very existence of the state In its
present form: and It will develop and grow
more threatening as war adds new causes
OF discomfort to those already present. and
gives fresh intensity to the long smoldering
fire OF revolutionary activity.
Popular Dissatisfaction.
Popular dissatisfaction In Russia Is based
upon a great variety and an immense num-
Der of grievances, most of which are little
known to the American reading public.
Some of these grievances affect particular
nationalities or racial components of the
population, such as the Firms. the Armeni-
ans, the Poles and the Jews: some bear
most heavily upon particular social classes
or groups, such as the peasants. the uni
YerSity students the factory operatives the
Journalists and the members of the zemst-
vos while some are directly related to the
welfare and the happiness Of the popula-
ton as whole. Anything like an adequate
presentation of these grievances would fill
a dozen numbers of the Outlook, If not a
whole volume; but brief reference to a few
OF them may serve to show what reasons
the Russian people have for discomfort and
disloyalty
Take first, for example, the matter of
personal security. 1t Is the primary duty
of every government to protect the persons
ana the property OF It's citizens. If it does
not give them some assurance that they
shall not be arrested, imprisoned, logged
or deprived Of their properly without due
PiOScoo VI law II IdliS IN The most I'M
portant and most fundamental of it's obi
gat1ons To large class of its people
the russian government does not give such
protection, and never has given It. Now,
as in the past, its politically untr,lst-
worthy subjects may be arrested without
a warrant. imprisoned without a trial de-
pr1ved or property without judicial nro-
cedure ana banished to remote parts of the
country without even so much as hearing
No Personal Security.
This lack of personal security is felt as
deeply in Russia as it would be in the
United States. If the Secretary of the In
terror In Washington, by and with the con-
sent OF the President. should suddenly sup
press the New York Evening Post hecauSa
he disapproyed of it's political Tendency
the owners or stockholders of that ne,-iod
lcal would certainly think that they had a |
ance; and yet that has happened in Russia
OF late years to the Golos, the NedieIia |
the Otechestvennia ZapfsId. the Mos
kofsk Telegraf and twenty-one other |
there have been Inflicted on other
periodicals 5S1 administrative punish |
ments less severe than absolute suppres-
son, lnciuolng suspensions that amount in |
the aggregate to forty-nine years and four
months If the newspapers of the United |
States had been punished 5S1 times with |
prohibition of street sales, deprivation of |
the right to print advertisements etc and |
had been enthusiastically held up by the |
Secretary OF the Interior for periods that |
amounted In the aggregate to nearly half a |
century. the government certainly could |
not count on very enthusiastic support fror
the press either In an aggressive foreign |
war or In local disturbances to which such |
a war might give RISE
II, to take another Illustration, Secretary 4
hitchcock. by and with the consent Of |
President Roosevelt, should suddenly notify !
w. D. Howells. Richard Watson Glider. |
George H Putnam. Horace White John B. |
McMaster, Prof. Van Dyke. John Burroughs |