The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-11-18

Jecr, even people % Wealih ahu i'ost
ton.
"rhere Is 30 trace Of pro-Japanese
feeling in Russia, but they realize that
the country's great need is for internal
reform from top to bottom and that
defeats in the field will bring this fact
home TO the government The objects
which the war is to achieve are re.
earded as Of no Importance, Even the
press has echoed these sentiments aud
has sometimes dared to say things
which in other circumstances would
have met with severe punishment.
"These ideas are still more strongly
expressed in private conversation, and
II Is not uncommon to find people Sc
cretly exultng over defeats, as being
more likely to bring about internal
changes.
AThe present situation N Russia
bears considerable resemblance to the
state Of affairs at the time Of aud aft
or the Crimean war. Before that event.
under the iron rule Of the Car Nich-
olas l.. Russia had been enduring for
a long period the regime Of strong RE-
action which followed on the milder
rule of Alexander But, although
every one felt the weight Of police
government and groaned under IT
there was a universal feeling that by
that means alone could the oyerwheim'
ing and invincible military power o.
Russia be maintained
Hence the oppression was borne IN
compIainlngly. But when the Crimear
war opened peoples eyes to the faci
| that the much Wanted military powel
of the empire was delusion the De
mand for reforms became imperative
The reforms of Alexander II. wer'
Tie outcome Of the disasters of tn
CrImean war, because the former re
gime had become impossible.
even the railways owe their exist
ence to the same events. To-day sim
4 liar change of feeling is taking place
Before this war the great majority 9
educated Russians justified the reat
tionary methods Of the government III
der Alexander III. and Nicholas I
primarily On military grounds. Bu
now that the war has disclosed the u
ter rottenness of every department 2
! the public service and has shown thu
even the great Russian army and nav
are not capable Of coping with tnos
! OF d despised oriental race the q
!. question Of 1856 has cropped up again
} "Unon the working classes the wi
! "a nroaucing effects not less marke
] than upon the 'intellectuais. AZ frs
e indeed the great majority Of the lowe
Z classes seemed to take not the Sigh
: est interest In the war, and even no
= this is the case with the greater pa
. of them.
i an st. Petersburg, as have sal
J. the presence Of the court and Of u
$ official world influences opinion IN
i classes. at all events to the extent
It producing an outward optimism hidli
S a very widespread Indifference b
It In tile more industrial districts. II
e Moscow. the working classes ms W
> as the educated upper and midd
% classes are beginning to realize VIII
Is the war really Isl They read the r
= pers with interest, buy the Telegram
h which are sold IN the streets and q
% cuss the military situation.
le eOf one thing all the more intellige
Il people are thoroughly convinced, a
e that is that the official news and q
d published by the local newspapers
10 absolutely unreliable, They will a
up the totals Of Japanese losses,
ID which subject the Russian press is
"a liberal, and, on realizing the wend
"a full results obtained ask themselN
q how IL Is that there are any Japanf
ID left. An Englishman who has be
w many years IN RUSSIA told me that
I was often requested by worklngm
It 10 tell them what news of the war
d. Times Iondonl contained, rs they
III lieved that II spoke the truth"