The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-01
RUSS FIREBRANDS
ALARM EUROPE
Unrest May Spread to Other Ma
tions, Is View of the Great
Powers. f.
BY w. w. Jermane.

BY w. w. Jermane.
Washington, Nov. 1.-Administrative
and diplomatic circles in Washington
the president did after his return to
the White House was to call for the |
latest official news of the uprising. He
had previously read the dispatches in
the morning papers. |
Those ambassadors who have re-
turned to Washington for the season
have been in close touch with their
home offices for the past forty-eight
hours and cipher dispatches of unus-
| ual length and number have been going
| and coming across the Atlantic.
officials in all parts Of the world, espe;
clally those representing Russia and
! other great nations of Europe, are be-
ing advised at short intervals as to
what is going on.
Fear Unrest May Spread.
This activity is believed to indicate
that European powers are apprehensive
lest the unrest in Russia, unless quiet
| results from the czar's proclamation,
may spread to the rest of the continent.
This was the situation at the begin
ming OF the French revolution. There
might be ablaze and the diplomacy of
the continent was steadily exerted to-
ward combining the uprising to France.
| Undoubtedly the desire now is to
make sure that whatever may happen
is TGnfi med t. R :: Fsdi! ~
today is that the cars surrender shows
that the autocracy, weakened by the
loss Of prestige in the war with Japan,
is no longer able to Withstand the revo-
| lutionary spirit that is abroad in the
land. More than one student of world
| ro1itioc -, tbic oitv 1uiSa1u hol hiS
head and says 81 told you so,'' refer
ring to predictions, made at the close
| of the war, that the Russian populace
would take advantage of the govern
ment s weakness to assert its claims to
recognition.
Will Concessions Satisfy
t 1t. is doubted here whether the con
cessions will satisfy reformers who
have had no experience with free 1nsti-
tutions. The leaders of the Russian
mobs are political theorists who; if
given power, will be tempted to 60 to
demagoges of the French revolution,
which will mean that they will want to
commit revolving excuses in the name
Of liberty. Now. as then, want of polit-
zeal experience prevents the leaders
from knowing how to distinguish the
substance from the shadow.
1t is regarded here as ominous that
the present situation owes its existence
to the teachings and agitations of
nihilists, socialists, anarchists and the
other elements Of the population which
have no comprehension of moderation
/ or reason. The constant fear is that if
1 the Russian people accept the guidance
! Of such leaders,. they must inevitably
go toward social, industrial and fnan-
4 cial ruin, and this is the only leadership
H in sight.
= Moderation Unlikely.
1 Moderation can hardly be expected
/ from a people who have suffered at the
/ hands of their rulers as the Russian
people have suffered.
Z It is realized here that the Russian
1 people are seething with revolution, anC
4 that this is not an attractive or staple
foundation upon which to build con
stitutional government.
4 Witte s task is the greatest that any
4 man of this age has undertaken ant
4 Americans who conceived a dislike TO
I him because Of his egotism, as displayed
4 after the close of the Portsmouth peac
convention, are now saying that tn
time has come to test whether he is il
reality statesman Of the first rank.
| Presidents Part in Crisis.
n Semi official information of reliabl
character is to the effect that Presiden
Roosevelt took an important part il
bringing the car to the determination
to issue a manifesto providing for tn
4 douma.
I During the diplomatic> negotiation
\ preceding the acceptance by Russia an
l Japan Of the principle of the peace con
i sumed the management of America
1 participation in the discussion.
On one particular occasion he had
conference with Count Cassini, Russia
. ambassador, which lasted from earl
~ evening. until after midnight. TIL
force of the president g argument wa
directed toward securing Russia s cor
sent to the peace conference, but hi
talk obviously took wide range. H
6 reviewed conditions in Russia, spoke Q
y the blessings Of free government an
expressed the belief that Russia coul
not indefinitely postpone placing he
people on a footing similar to that Q
ut the rest of the civilized world. He r,
al ferred to what this country was doin
at strongly urged upon Cassini that tn
e. czar not only accept the proposals lool
y. ing to an ending Of the war, but tina
err he consider in all seriousness the advise
1e bility of establishing in Russia, at leas
IL the beginning Of representative govern
re ment.
y. Action Followed Soon. -,
N :, 1t was at this point in. the argumer
~ ~ that the policy of this country in tn
i s Philippines was alluded to as illustra
yh ing what the president had in mine
y. Count Cassini may or may not hav
a. been in sympathy with what the pres
a. dent said, but in his capacity as amba
~ sador he was compelled to cable to s.
1e Petersburg the details of an intervie,
* OF such significance; It is .noteworth
"A that the cars determination to pr
81 vide for limited legislative govern
~ ment was reached shortly afterward
It is entirely possible that the ruler
of other world powers gave similar al
G vice, but the point I desire to make
A. that President Roosevelt was among til
ha first who pointed out to the car the d
M M rection which he afterwards took. an
ed that, for all anybody knows, he was til
gu very first to do so. -
Before ,Witte left the United State
- the president. had long talk with hi
in which he repeated the essentials {
r. what he, earlier had said to Count Ca
IL SIM and that part Of Witte's statemer
in the nress. todav in. which ha o,noo