Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-11-18
RUSSIANS AND THE WAR
Why 1t Is Unpopular With All
Clas ses Save Officials.
DEFEATS ARE EVEN WELCOMED.
The People Think Beverses VIII
ternaI Coadftion-soIne Wish That
RUSSIA May BE Beaten as Quickly
as Possible.

ent of the LuI!don Times says:
1T IS not easy fJf foreigner to
gauge tie real feelings OF the Russian
people or anysection %. them concerning
the war. Tie newsl pers give one, as
rule, very erroneous idea of the
general trend of opinion, especially
those published In German or French.
But II does not require very long
stay In the country vi very deep i'll
sight into its life to realize how very
unpopular the car Is among all classes
save the oilicials.
I'm st. Petersburg the Official world
is predominant and largely influences
public opinion, and one hears good
deal Of the chauvinist view that Rus
sla is bound to conquer Manchuria and
humble japan and that the war will
be over In a few months. The bulk OF
the Russian press is 80 servile that ii
continues TO keep up lie Illusion and
to repeat daily that ali 5 for the best
In tie hest OF all poss'l.l .tussias, Man
churia included, but few sensible per
sons pay any attention to 1t.
"In Moscow, where the commercial
world is more influential, one hears
very different story. AS general rule
like the plague or a famine, and as
likely to 60 on until it pleases God or
the government to stop 1t. The more
thoughtful regard 1t and the policy
which led up to it as mistake from the
beginning. while some go so far as to
wish that Russia may be defeated as
quickly as possible, so that she may
at last obtain real reforms. 1t Is en-
traordinary, indeed. how openly some
people express themselves on the sub
ject. even people Of wealth and posi-
ton
"rhere is no trace of pro-Japanese
feeling In Russia, but they realize that
the countrys 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-
garded as of no Importance. Even the
press has echoed these sentiments and
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
it is not uncommon to find people Sc
cretlv exulting over defeats. as being
more likely to bring about internal
changes.
1.-THE present situation in Russia
bears considerable resemblance to the
state of affairs ut the time of and aft
err the Crimean war. Before that event,
under the iron rule of the Gar Mich
olas L., Russia had been enduring for
action which followed on the milder
rule of Alexander l. But. although
every one felt the weight of police
government and groaned under it,,
there was universal feeling that by
that means alone could the overwhei.n.
ing and invincible military power of
Russia be maintained.
'Hence the oppression was borne un.
complainingly. But when the Crimean
war opened peoples eyes to the fact
that the much yaunted military power
of the empire was a delusion the de.
mand for reforms became imperative.
The reforms Of Alexander III. were
the outcome of the disasters of the
Crimean war, because the former re.
gime had become impossible.
Even the railways owe their exist.
ence to the same events. Today sim,
liar change Of feeling is taking place
Before this war the great majority Of
educated Russians justified the reac.
tionary methods of the government TN.
der Alexander Ill. and Nicholas ii
primarily on military grounds. But
now that the war has disclosed the ut
ter rottenness Of every department OF
the public service and has shown thai
even the great Russian army and navy
are not capable Of coping with those
Of desplsed oriental race the ole
question of 1856 has cropped up again.
Upon the working classes the wal
Is producing effects not less marked
than upon the 'intellectua.s.' At first
indeed. the great majority of the lower
classes seemed to take not the slight.
est interest In the war, aud even now
this Is the case with the greater part
of them.
I'm st. Petersburg. as l have said
the presence Of the court ana OF the
official world influences opinion in all
classes, at all events to tie extent O,
producing an outward optimism hiding
a very widespread Indifference. But
in the more industrial districts. like
Moscow the working classes as Vel
as the educated upper and middle
classes are beginning to realize what
the war really is. They read tie IA.
pers with interest, buy the tcleyrams
which are sold in the streets and dis.
cuss the military situation.
"Of one thing all the more intelligent
people are thoroughly convinced. and
that Is that the official news and that
published by the local newspapers is
absolutely unreliable. They will add
up the totals Of japanese losses, on
which subject the Russian press is 80
nperal, ana, on realizing tie wonder.
ful results obtained, ask themselves
how 1t is that there are any Japanese
ieft! An Englishman who has been
many years in Russia told me that he
was often requested by workingmen
10 tell them what news Of the war the
dlmes lLondon) contained. as they be.
iieved that it spoke the truth"