The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-04-09
FAR EASTERN
QUESTION UP
Discussion at the Meeting of Social
Science Academy.
THE RUSSIAN SITUATION
INTERESTING ADDRESS BY cHAs.
EMORY SMITH.

Philadelphia. April S.-The general
topic discussed at today's session of the
annual meeting of the Academy Of Pc
liticaI and Social Science was The
Settlement of Political Affairs in the
Far East" and the Introductory ad-
dress was delivered by General James
II Wilson.
other speakers were Baron KeneTO
KanekO. special representative of ia
pan to this country, who spoke on ia
pans position i'm the Far East, John
Hays Hammond Of New York. an ex-
pert mining engineer, whose topic was
"Our Countrys Commercial interests
in The East" and Charles Emory
Smith. former minister to Russia. who
spoke on The Internal Situa alton in
Russia"
MIR. Smiths Address.
Charles Emory Smith in his address
said.
The internal situation in Russia is
rightly associated with the settlement
of political affairs in the far east, be
cause il deeply affects the ability Of
Russia to carry on the war. Each re-
acts on the other. The disasters of the
war have greatly aggravated the in
terual disorders, and the disturbances
at home have prevented the govern
meut from putting all its strength into
the struggle i'm Manchuria.
THE internal upheaval in Russia is
primarily "a revolt against the abuses
and evils of the bureaucracy. 1t has
two sources and points in two direc-
lions. The first is industrial and the
second agricultural. Under the policy
OF Witte. who became minister Of fin
ance iu 1892 Russia has had a new and
enormous industrial Development This
has created an industrial class i'm the
large ceuters Of population quite dis
tiuct from the peasantry
Outbreak Was Political.
The riotious outbreaks. which be-
E;tn in st. Petersburg, eliminating in
the red Sunday of Jan. -, and which
extended to other cities, came from
these workers. The ostensibIe cause
was labor grievances. but the under
lying impulse was political agitation
inspired by the radical revOlutiOnists
and aiming at the overthrow of the
existing organic structure.
The second source OF discomfort was
earlier i'm origin and is more cOnser-
It is connected with the great agriCul-
tural element and is centered in the
broad movement for the extension Of
ZemstVO institutions. 1t IS liberal i'm
spirit. but not destructive in purpose.
The ZemstVOS were a part Of the re
forms instituted by Alexander II. and
We're designed to establish local auton-
omy in matters of local concern.
Makeup of ZemstVos.
In a rude way they have a represen-
tatiVe character. The local unit is the
mir or village commune. The com
mUnes are grouped together I'm districts
which choose members OF the zemstvos
of provincial assemblies made up Of
peasants as well as mobiles. Almost
from the beginning the zemstvoS and
the bureaucratic administrative have
been i'm conflict. As reaCtionary forces
have gained aScendeucy the power and
jurisdiction OF the ZemStVOS have been
crippled and curtailed until they are
reduced TO almost nothing. But they
contain the germ of representative in
stituuons. and now the demand is for
the restoration and enlargement of
their powers and for the development
into a national Zemstvo. or national
assembly. which shall have u part in
legislation.
Tho intelligent liberal movement
takes the form OF this demand. 1t has
been deeply intensified by the utter
failure of bureaucracy during the war
1t is earnest, widespread and steadily
growing. and it is evident that the fate
of the dynasty depends on yielding 10
it, The autOcTacy must bend before
this storm or il viii be broken