Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-02-17
GAR IN FAVOR OF
LAND CONGRESS
The Lord of All the Russias
Believes it Nee
eSSary.
EXPRESSES HIMSELF PLAINLY
In Interview With Son of Count Tol
stoi, tha Author - viii Do More
Toward Restoring Peace to Russia
Than Would Many Proclamations.

ut. Petersburg, Feb. 1.-THE ad-
miralty confirms the statement that
Admiral Nebogatoff's division of the
Russian third Pacific squadron will
sail from Libau at the end of the pres.
ent week.
Kharkoff, Feb. 12-Four thousand
employees of the railway engine works
here have struck. The authorities are
negotiating with the men, who will
make known their demands on Mon
day next.
st. Petersburg, Feb l2.-Dispatches
received here from Warsaw are to
the effect that serious situation
there Is apprehended. In fact the sit
uation throughout Poland Is causing
grave fears.
Warsaw, Feb. 12.-Hooligans today
terrorized the proprietors of gun
shop and took possession of fifty re-
volvers.
Work has again been suspended in
all the factories here.
Batoum, Caucasia, Feb. 12.-The
question Of provisioning Batoum is be-
coming acute, owing to the continu-
ance of the strike. No supplies are
arriving, as traffic on the railroads is
completely suspended. The govern
ment kerosene supply is exhausted
and the high school is closed. The
strikers murdered an engine driver,
who attempted to continue work.
St. Petersburg, Feb. 12-"I am not
opposed to zemsky tabor. On the
contrary believe it necessary"
In these words Emperor Nicholas,
whose word is law, personally declar-
ed himself in favor of land congress
and expressed the conviction that the
time had come to prepare to give the
people voice in government.
The emperor's words were spoken
in the course of a conversation with
Count Leo Deonvitch Tolstoi, son OF
the famous author, and fully confirm
the Associated Press interview with
Grand Duke Vladimir on January 81
in which the grand duke expressly de.
clared that his august nephew was IN
favor of a zemsky tabor. The semi
official denial subsequently sent out is
now disproved by the sovereign's
statement to Count Tolstoi.
The Associated Press last evening
interviewed Count Tolstoi. II cannot
enter into details because consider
it unseemly to do So" he satd. But
I am glad to state the broad lines of
my conversation with the sovereign.
His majesty summoned me after hav-
ing received a memorial which | ad-
dressed to the throne exposing the
present situation in the country and
humbly expressing the opinion that
the interest of the monarch and the
nation called for the removal of the
wall raised by the bureaucracy be.
tween them, the urgent need of de-
vising means for enabling the sover.
eign to hear the voice of the people
and recommending the convocation OF
a zemsky tabor. His majesty assured
me that personally he was not oppos-
cd to its convocation but on the con-
trary believed it necessary. The whole
question is now greatly simplihed and
resolves itself to a discussion as to
when is the most opportune moment"
The emperor's words are likely to
do more good than any number OF
proclamations. Count Tolstoi Is try
ing to persuade the men to be patient
BY means Of articles in which he
points out the poor results of social
istic propaganda abroad and thinks 1t
a pity that means have not been de.
vised for approaching the workmen
and discussing matters directly with
them, instead of leaving the field open
to demagogues. The count is con.
Quoting a philanthopic enterprise in
the form of cheap book store under
the sign of "Dobroe Deli" or Good
Works." in which he sells education.
al books and literature to zemstvos
schools and libraries.