New-York tribune., 1905-04-24
THE REFORMS IN DANGER.
Russian People Dread Victory
GOrernment Fears Defeat.

- =, .nA Far East but the fate OF
-, ,,,1e programme Of internal reform. TO
which Emperor Nicholas STANDS commiueu' ap-
nears 10 await The issue Of the approacnllls
oa.rle between Rojestvensky and Togo. Inc
7o,,ernr,ent undoubtedly would be greatly
strengthened, at least for the moment OV
victory decisive enough TO change the war
situation.
The Liberals are impatient at the delay and
s,,spicious Of every move Of the government
They are convinced that if victory comes the
bureaucracy to which the realization OF re-
forms has been consigned by the Emperor VIII
be able. despite the clamOr throughout TIE
country 10 keep the execution Of these REFORMS
in their own hands, which, Of course IN theH
opinion would mean their eventual dlsslpatio"
IN labyrinth of endless commissions More
over. they believe that the Emperor might
again be persuaded TO attempt the OLD s'yle
of repression OF the present agitation
Practically the interior administration is being
conducted through the police. Already there
are everywhere evidences of return TO Won
Plehve's methods. DomiciIliary visits and
arrests by scores and hundreds are reported IN
every part OF the empire, and meetings OF all
classes of the people are forbidden and broken
up bv the police, under the direction OF the
local governors. Even zemstvo meetings at
Vladimir. Elizabethpol. Orel. Tihis and Livadia
have been stopped.
OF course, the government argues that II can
not fold its arms and see the flames Of revolu-
tion famed by agitators; but it is noticeable
that such spOl1esinen Of reaction as Prince Nest
chersky Editor Of the "Grashdanin') are agaln
boldly procIaiuing the doctrine of repression
characterizing the Constitutionalists and IN
= telligentsia" as lunatics. Russia has suddenly
become a vast lunatic asylum says the crash
DAMN" and unless mad people are locked up
and placed out Of harms way there is no pre-
n dieting where all this idioey viii end"
Should Rojestrensky be defeated on the con-
trary the Liberals believe that the bureaucracy
would capitulate and that peace and oonstita-
tion would come.
In the mean time. the Easter holidays and
Il May Day are awaited with extreme anxiety
= both by the authorities and the public. The So
cial Democrats and RevoluuonaTies have
planned demonstrations on an extensive scale,
= and undoubtedly many Of them are armed with
revolvers and bombs, which have been snug
gled into the country to fight the police ana
troops in case they should attempt 10 interfere
= with the demonstrations. They seem 10 have
. plenty Of funds furnished both from abroad
= and by wealthy synpathizers in Russia The
widest stories Of plans for blowing up the mem
bers OF the imperial family. Ministers and pal
aces, and of pillage and murder Of the nobility
and the wealthy. are current, especially IN aris-
tocratie drawing rooms, and many society peo-
PIE. thoroughly frightened, have already made
preparations TO go abroad.
Large reinforcements Of troops. and espe-
ciaIIy Of Ccssacks. have been brought 10 ST.
Petersburg Arrests and searches Of the lodg
ings Of suspected persons continue; but even
. General Trepon although he is taking every
measure Of precauucn, does not seem 10 know
exactly what TO expect. That he fears trouble
and bloodshed is apparent from the fact that he
has warned all manufacturers to guard against
incendarism. and through house pOrters has
: warned every family that women and children
must remain of the streets on May Day.
Although disorders more or less serious are eX-
pected everywhere Poland and the Baltic prov
inces probably viii be the storm centre. General
= Maxirnovitch Governor General of Warsaw, has
just returned to his post after conference here,
clothed with almost dictatorial powers. All the
, Polish cities are now in a state Of minor siege,
but The Governor General is authorized TO de-
clare martial law. and ample troops viii be
iS furnished TO him.
There are many disquetng reports Of dis
< affection Of troops, and the names Of regiments
even IN the Imperial Guards are given as hav-
ing been won over 10 the cause Of liberty"
The military authorities declare that there is no
E, question OF the loyalty of the troops and that
orders wili be obeyed
have pushed their propaganda among the sol
--6iers with great earnestness. Special regula-
tions have been Instituted keep the army
=" free from contamination, and these have been
enforced in individual cases both Of officers and
men who have been found 10 be in communica- =
ton with Revolutionaries. Such cases, the au-
chorities declare have been detected particu-
~ larly among Jews and severely punished. but
the authorities are confident that units have
been affected.
.. Independent investigation by The Associated
5 Press seems 10 bear out the official claim ex-
cept as 10 the Caucasus. where according TO
d, private advices just received, the troops are
badly fed and are on the verge Of mutiny ana
&. ready 10 join the Revolutlonaries These ad-
2! vices represent that The situation borders on
anarchy. with the Revolutionaries IN practical
control
The local authorities. according to these ad-
81 vices. are powerless The regiments at Tins
70 are mutiEous and unreliable. The revolutionary
2 committee has issued orders openly, demandins,
compliance under pain Of death. They have
prohibited the payment of all taxes 10 the gov
eminent and have reduced rents one-half. The
landlords fear COR their lives and are afraid to
resist. The committee regulates hours OF labor
z and the opening and closing OF shops and is
~ directing railroad strikes. Disobedience is pun
ished with death.
z The epidemic Of demands for higher salaries
has reached the reporters OF local newspapers
who have formally submitted a claim for IN