The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-26
M|RSKY HAS MADE GREAT UTTERANCE Attitude Toward Russian Jews
 is Remarkable MEANS MUCH FOR PEOPLE Believed That Jew and Christian Alike Will Derive Good from the Pulp
 lie Declaration He
 Has Made.
MEANS MUCH FOR PEOPLE

New York, September 25.-The public utterance hy Prince sviatopolk Mirsky' the new Russian minister ot the interior at Wilma, Friday of his hope to improve the condition of the Russian people, and particularly of his desire to afford to the poorer class of Jews in Russia larger opportunities for life and work, is regard ed by Jacob H. Schlff, of this city, as perhaps the most important utterance made by any man so high in authority in Russia since the present reactionary regime was inaugurated in that country in 1881.
 MT. Schiff is well informed as to the restrictions imposed upon the poorer Jews in Russia, and therefore competent to estimate the probable value of Prince Mirsky's utterances. Concerning the new minister's Interview, Mir. Sehiff said to the | Associated I ress today:
 Is a Remarkable Utterance. "The interview granted on Friday by Prince Mrsky the successor to von Plehve, as Russian minister of the in- terior, and who is about to assume his new office, forms a most remarkable ut | terance, perhaps the most important | made by any man so high In authority in | Russia since the present. reactionary regime was inaugurated upon the assas- | sination of Alexander the Second in 1881. Prince Mirsky has long been known as a man of nigh character, as well as of tolerant, If not liberal tendencies and both his appointment to the most im- portant and most influential ministry in the Russian government, as well as the public expression he just made of his Ideas of what need be done to promote the welfare of all classes of the Rus sian people, gives promise that the long period of ro cation under which Russia and her people have suffered so terribly, Is nearing an end.
 Will Further Aid Jews.
 "The reference Prince Mirsky made to the most serious problem of the situation, and the condition of the Jews in the em- pire, is of special and far-reaching inter- est. Prince Mirsky at once recognizes that the imperial ulkase by which con sessions have been made to certain classes of the Russian Jews gives only slight relief inasmuch as the concessions refer red to cannot benefit only the higher classes of Jews while nothing has been done for the masses which need relief to | a far greater extent than their wealthy co-religionists, and 1t Is most encourag. | ing that the new minister of the interior points out at once that relief to the masses of the Jewish population can onlS come by giving them larger opportunitie.
 for life work instead of keeping then | crowded together in the pale where the, must live as best they can
 Promises of better things have s,
 often been made by Russian statesmen l and even upon the authority of the cza himself only to give room to disappoint ment, that the world has become skepti cal of Russian assurances, but the ante cedents of Prince Mirsky justify the ex pectations which Jew and Christian allk will derive from the public declarations he has just made. If the minister vii
 show the courage and be gwen the powei
 to carry the ideas to which he has giver
 expression into effect, a new era will
 soon dawn upon his unhappy country" Promises Jews Fair Treatment.
 Wilma, September 25.-Prince Sviatopolk
 Mirsky, recently transferred from the
 office of governor general of Wilma tc
 that of minister of the interior, before
 departing for his new post yesterday, de-
 livered an address before members of the Jewish community.
 He said he was we'll acquainted with
 the wants of the Jews and would ap-
 proach the important Jewish question (which would shortly come up for serious consideration with q full knowledge of
 the problems it presented. He expected
 the Jews on their side to have perfect | confidence m government measures. Jews
 might rest assured that having been
 called to the fount of justice by the side | of the emperor he would see that tus- tice was always done them.