The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-10-15
RUSSIA IN VAR TIME.
NOTES OF AN AMERICAN TOUR
 IST
The PopuIar Ignorance and Indifference to What is Going On-OfaeIaI Corr ruption Universal

EAEAAOh
 The traveller going through Russia is not likely to learn anything or the plans of the government in carrying on the war with Japan. They are not matters for public discussion, as in America. But he will naturally seek an answer to the question, How do the people regard the war? His first im- pression probably will be that they are not thinking much about it. In the street cars and in railway trains man reading newspaper is a rather rare exception. In the evening when the Nevski at St. Petersburg is full of peo- pie one may see men offering papers for sale, usually a single sheet of two pages. There are few buyers. What news do these papers give? In the reading rooms of the large hotels one finds copies of the London Times, Daily News and perhaps a few other papers.
 Nearly every copy bears the mark of
 the censor, who has plotted out effec- lively one or more paragraphs referring
 to the war. The Paris edition of the
 New York Herald is rarely thus mark
 led, perhaps because the censor's busi- mess has been attended to in the edito-
 rial office.
 Few people can read these papers.
 The census of St. Petersburg gives only
 about 2,OOO resident Englishmen and
 Americans in that city out of popu- Ilation of nearly 1,50O,0 900. With so strict
 a policy of exclusion of news for the
 handful of English-speaking people it
 is easy to infer that the masses are all
 lowed to know no more than the gov- ernment wishem them to know. The
 restaurants and cafes are supplied with
 Ia few newspapers, but when these re- sorts are fullest few are reading. Far more eagerness is shown in Stockholm or Berlin to hear tidings from the seat of war than in St. Petersburg or Mos cow Many families have one or more members on the fighting line in Man churia.
 But all the young men have to serve their time in the army or pay a heavy fine; and they probably are not missed from home as they would be in our country, where armies are raised only when they are needed and are disband- led when the need is ended.
 Occasionally we were able to talk with Russians about the war. We went into that country advised that it
 would be best to say little on the sub fleet. We were surprised by the frank ness with which natives talked. A
 common remark was, Tt is not our war. It is the business of the govern Iment.' The people seemed to know E little about the war, except though in creased taxes and higher prices of liv- | ing.
 The middle classes, much fewer in proportion than other European coun- tries, find the war injurious to their
 business, and on that account wish that lit may soon end. Many of the shop keepers and money lenders are Jews, Iwhose interest in public affairs is who'll l ly selfish. It is not difficult to account | for the dislike of this class by Russians who really care for their country. They look on these traders as foreigners who claim the privileges of Russian subjects for the sake of what they can get out of the country without any intention of serving it.
 The more intelligent Russians were almost uniformly pessimistic. They showed no confidence in the integrity or ability of their rulers. The czar is a good fellow,'' said one, 'sbut what of l his ministers ?' with a significant shrug iof the shoulders. A physician who had visited the United States said: T am l sick for America. If I could get away from here would be there in month. 2 l A man who has a large business plant lin provincial town said to me: If I | could sell out I would leave at once for America. But cannot get customer 1 at any reasonable price, and if this war lcontinues shall go on losing money as 1 I am now doing"
 The impression seems to be general lthat the official class are enriching themselves at the expense of the coun- ltry. The czars brothers are said to lhave made 10,000000 of rubles since the war began. Those in lower official po- sitions seek what they regard as their Ishare. Each is working for himself, | with an understanding that he will be ialloWed to do so because he knows what those above him are doing. Cor Iruption is assumed to exist in every department of public service. We were shown through rooms in the palaces de- lyoted to the Red Cross work. Great stores are accumulated there for sick land wounded soldiers. Ladies of the court and prominent women in society l lhave helped to make garments for the hospitals. Some of them put their
 names or other marks on the garments lin the hope that they might hear of them in use. We were told by reliable lauthorities that some of these garments have been found on sale in sthe shops.
 They could have been thus appropriat- led only by persons ill official charge of l the Red Cross work.
 What must be the feeling of the peo- lple who have relatives and friends in itne army when such things as these are spoken of as common occurrence? Large sums were given last spring by individuals and business firms to the
 Red Cross. But the newspapers an Inounced in a short time that the treas ury was empty and an earnest appeal was made for more money. It is un- derstood that good deal is contributed under pressure, but reluctantly be- cause of the conviction that much of lwhat is collected is nisappropriated | Tn I0oIa11d Taoanflv# a pOrtrih ih11tibn #fnr