Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-02-08
CZAk UNCLE
INTERVIEWED
Grand Duke vladimar Talks About
the Recent slaughter In the
Streets Of 81. Petersburg.
he JusrlFlEs THE KILLING
Says Reforms Will be Granted, But 4
Constitution Never-Would End
the Autoeracy.

the Autoeracy.
st. Petersburg, Feb. 1.-Grand Duke
Vladimar. uncle of Emperor Nicholas,
and commander of the imperial guards
granted an interview to the Associat-
ed Press at the dukes palace in Quay
De LaCOsur. adjoining the winter pal
ace.
you must remember" said the
grand duke in French, Il am a grand
duke and a subject of the emperor.
AS such am extremely loyal to him,
and I am Russian from the crown of
my head to the tips of my toes" &C.
companying the words with a sweep
Ing gesture, What information can
give you?"
1.-THE newspapers abroad" suggest
ed the correspondent, have made
many statements regarding the events
Of january 22.'
Il know. l have read accounts in
the foreign press. have stood aghast
at the frightful stories of butchery of
innocent people which they have print
ed. l know they say that well in
tenti0ned patriots with priest at
their head, coming peacefully to place
their grievances before his majesty,
were ruthlessly shot down in the
streets, but we know that behind this
peaceful procession was an anarchis-
tic and sOcialistic plot of which the
overwhelming majority of workmen
were merely innocent tools. We know
from examination Of the dead and
those arrested that some of the al
legged priests were actually revolution
airy agitators and students in disguise.
We had to save the city from mob.
Unfortunately, to do SO. innocent and
guilty suffered alike. But suppose
the $4,000 men had reached the gates
of the winter palace; they would have
sacked it as the mob sacked Versail-
les. From the palace they would have
gone elsewhere and the whole city
would have been delivered over to an
archy, riot, bloodshed and flames. Our
duty was the duty of every govern
ment.
1.-The same situation mas confront
ed cities in other countries. Why, be-
cause this occurred in russia, should
the whole world point the finger Gun
manicured) of scOrn at us. In the
midst of our difficulties, why should
we be turned upon? Why should
America, especially, misinterpret and
think i'll of us. We have always been
friends-friends OF a century, friends
when America needed friends-I re-
member when America was our great
friend.
"Why has all this changed? What
has Russia done to deserve it? What
has Russia done to America? Why
should the foreign press, especially
that of Great Britain, not hesitate be-
fore any calumny? No invention
seems too horrible for them to print.
They do not explain that on Saturday
every dead wall in St. Petersburg was
placarded with warnings to the peo-
pie not to assemble. No; but they
tell that thousands of innocent people
were killed and other thousands
wounded, and paint the streets as run
ming red with blood. They even say
the dead were pushed under the ice
on the Neva at night. 1t is infamous.
"They say nothing of isolated Off.
GERS set on by mObs in the streets and
hammered into insensibility or Of po'
licemen killed or wounocd. AS mat.
ter Of fact, complete returns show that
exactly 1876 are dead. Several hun
tho
precise figures of the wounded, but
you shall have an opportunity to see
the full reports"
"They say that Gorky will be hang
ed" suggests the correspondent.
Nonsense" replied the grand duke.
ut is asserted that some of the
troops refuse to obey commands" was
the next suggestion.
There is no question OF the loyal
ty of the troops" asserted the grand
duke. They did their duty. They are
ready, as l am ready, to die In the
streets for the emperor"
might | ask your imperial high
ness views of the present situation!"
suggested the correspondent.
with this unhappy war on our
shoulders" said the grand duke. we
are passing through crisis. viii
not attempt to conceal it. It cannot
be concealed, but with the help OF God,
we will emerge from 1t as we have
emerged from other troubles In the
past
I'm the interior are many elements
of discord, but the situation is not so
bad as it is painted. The disorders
at Warsaw. Kieff and elsewhere are
largely industrial. produced by the
trade depression and consequent lack
of employment on account OF war:
They are not revolutionary at base.
Then, without being asked, the grand
duke went on:
"People speak of constitution. A
constitution would mean the end OF
Russia, as the state would be gone
anarchy would be supreme, and
when it ended the empire would be
disintegrated. Finland, Poland and
perhaps other frontier provinces
would have broken away. Russia Is
not ripe for constitution. Go out
among the peasants who comprise the
vast bulk of the empires population,
and try to explain to them govern
ment by suffrage. The peasant knows
nothing Of government, ne does not
even know what the word means. HE
knows his emperor; for the emperor
ia everything. Give the peasant a
vote and that would mean anarchy.
Stiu there is necessity for reforms
and they will be granted by the au-
tocracy."
Maintaining the principle of the au-