The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-02-02
REFORMS FOR RUSSIA
Grand Duke Vladimir Says People
Will Have Voice in Government.
AurocRAcY WILL BE MAINTAINED
Cars Uncle Asks Why America
Thinks III Of Russia and Speaks OF
St. Petersburg Uprisins-strike No"
Centers In Moscow.

St. Petersburg Uprisins-strike No"
centers In Moscow.
ST Petersburg. Feb. There has
been partial suppression OF disorder
i'm Warsaw. and traffic has been re-
stored so far as to permit OF the ar
rival OF some supplies OF food. Muir
derous attacks on individual soldiers
however. are reported to be more ire
ouent In other industrial centers. in
cldjng Moscow and ST Petersburg.
| the strike is practically at an emu.
Grand Duke Vladimir, in the course
of An interview with the Associated
Press intimated that Kle people oi
Russia would soon be given a meas
ure of representative government, al
though he declared that anything Ike
general suffrage was not to be con
sidered. The committee Of ministers
discussing the proposed reforms has
published a report. with the purpose OF
showing the people that the plans out
lined in the imperial decree OF De-
cember % are being carefully con
sidered. An unconnrmed report Is IN
circulation that II has been officially
ascertained that the discharge of
grape from a saluting gun during the
ceremony OF the blessing OF the waters
on January 10. and which imperilled
the lives OF the emperor and members
of his family. was deliberate act oil
the terrorists. their tool being a pri-
yate soldier of the saluting battery
An Official statement issued gives
the casualties In the collision between
strikers and troops on January y as
Of killed and 1893 wounded. or the
latter 80 have died.
Grand Duke Vladimir. uncle OF En-
peror Nicholas and commander OF the
Imperial Guard. granted an interview
TO the Associated Press at the dukes
palace in Quay de la Cour. adjoining
| the winter palace.
The papers abroad" said the cor
respondent. have made many state
ments regarding the events of Jan
uary %"
Il know: have read accounts In the
foreign press. have stood aghast at
the frightful stories OF the butchery
OF innocent people which they have
printed. know they say well-inten-
toned patriots. with a 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 anarchistic and
socialistic plot OF which the over
whelming majority OF the workmen
we're merely innocent tools. We had
to save the city from a mob. Unfortn-
natelv TO do so innocent and guilty
suffered alike. But suppose 10000
men had reached the gates Of the viii
ter palace. they would have sacked II
as the mob sacked Versailles From
the palace they would have gone else
where. and the whole city would have
been delivered over to anarchy. riot.
bloodshed and flames. Our duty was
the duty OF every government
The same situation has confronted
cities in other countries. Why. because
this occurred in Russia, should the
whole world point the finger of scorn
al us? In the midst Of our difficulties.
why should we be turned upon? Why
should America especially, misinter-
pret and think i'll of us? We have al
WAYS been friends-friends OF cen
tury. friends when America needed
friends. ] remember when America
was our great friend. Why has all this
changed? What has Russia done u
deserve II? What has Russia done to
| America? why should the foreign
press. especially that of Great Britain.
not hesitate before any calumny? No
invention seems too horrible for them
to print They do not explain that on
Saturday every dead wall in St Pc
| tersburg was placarded with warnings
to the people not to assemble No; but
they tell that thousands of innocent
people were killed and other thou
sands wounded, and paint the streets
as running red with blood. They even
say the dead were pushed under the
ice of the Neva at night. 1t is in
famous"
Then. without being asked, the
grand duke went on People speak
of a constitution. constitution would
mean the end OF Russia, as the state
would be gone. anarchy would super
yene. and when it ended the empire
would be disintegrated. Finland. Po-
land and perhaps other frontier prov
lnces would have broken away. Rus
STA is not ripe for constitution. Go
out among the peasants, who com
prise the vast bulk of the empires
population. and try to explain to them
government by suffrage. The peasant
knows nothing of government; he does
not even know what the word means.
He knows his emperor. For him the
emperor is everything. Give the peas
ant a vote and all would be anarchy.
! Still. there Is necessity for reforms.
and they will be granted by the au-
/ WI oNys
Maintaining the principle of auto
cracy. then, the people will have an
opportunity to be heard in the govern
ment?" questioned the correspondent.
yes" was the reply; they can.
and am sure they will be given
voice. OF that am certain" and he
repeated the words emphatically. Il
am certain" and continued even more
deliberately. they will be given the
means OF presenting their needs and
grievances direct to the sovereign"
With these significant words. fore
shadOwing perhaps the immediate
granting of something in the nature OF
the zemskyEabor Oand parliamenD,
the heir presumptIve to the throne OF
the Romanoffs ended the interview. He
then turned to Prince Belaselsky, In