The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-05
pnspEaArE PLIGHT.

RUssIA's DESPERATE PLIGHT.
 It is difficult to avoid the conviction that conditions in Russia are fast reaching an acute stage, and one which will require all the resources of that great nation to overcome. For Rus sia is in many respects a great nation; great in size. great in numbers, great In resources and. we may add. great in determination. That all her greatness may be taxed to the utmost and at least fail Is assuredly within the bounds of possibility.
 It must be plain that the alleged concession of the Czar is either too much or too little, or it comes at wrong time. A few, months ago the promises and pledges just made might have bgeen effectual in allaying the rising spirit of discontent and revolu- ton. Had the Czar at the very be- ginning of the latest troubles made some of the concessions and pledges asked for by his people; had he done 1t as a voluntary acknowledgement of the justice of their complaints there might have been much of good as a result. As 1t was, he waited till almost the whole country Is shaken by unrest and revolt and then makes half way and alf-hearted promise of reform.
 It is hardly likely to do any good. What he has done has too much the appearance of having been forced from him, and 1t has the disadvantage of coming at the wrong time. Under the circumstances he should either have granted practically all that the people asked or refused any and all conces- sions and compromises, determining to fight it out to the bitter end In de- fence of absolute autocracy. Whether he won or lost by the latter policy might have been matter of doubt, but he could hardly have found himself in a worse position than he is likely to be anyhow.
 It may be true. as intimated by the Czar, that the Russian people. as whole are not fitted for self-govern- ment. The nation is composed of such a variety of nationalitfss. some of them but little advanced beyond the most savage conditions, that 1t would be a dangerous and perhaps fatal experi- ment to place in their hands the free dom and the powers and privileges that we are accustomed to associate with the blessings of elf-government. All this may be strictly true, but there might have been such concessions made at the proper time as would have satisfied the people and paved the way for gradual acquirement of the bles- sings of a much more liberal form of government than they have ever en- joyed in the past.
 We canot avoid the conviction also, that the Czar's reference to the war in the East, and his appeals to the people to stand by him in carrying the strug- gle to a triumphant conclusion, were ill-timed. It seems almost beyond doubt that Russia is doomed to final and complete defeat in her war with Japan. All the indications point to Japanese triumph. and the end seems near. The Russian people have no heart in the war. They are dis heartened and disgusted, and appeals to their patriotism will have little ef- feet. They are forced into the army and they fight because they are forced to do it. It is our deliberate judg- ment that if 1t were left to the Russian unconditional yielding to Japan and to Japanese claims. On the part of the Russian people 1t is not a war of patriotism but of enforced service.
 Under such conditions and with such prospects confronting them how can the Czar and the nobles even hope to settle the internal disturbances and conduct a successful war in the East? With contented, patriotic and united people at home the government might hope for ultimate triumph over Japan. With peace abroad the government might hope to settle all domestic troubles as she has settled them in the past. With an expensive and unsuc- cessful foreign war demanding all her powers and resources, and with a turbulent. rebellious population at home what can Russia expect but downfall? It really seems that the end is near and that Russia cannot avert 1t.
 The Indianapolis Star makes the alarming suggestion that If the theory