Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-23
CURTAIN RISES ON LAST ACT
Great Drama of Russian Revolution
About to Close

BY Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, July 22.--with
the imperial ukase dissolving parlia-
ment, which was promulgated early
this morning, the curtain rose upon
probably the last act in the great
drama Of Russian revolution.
The people and the government now
stand face to face, and upon the army
depends the immediate issue.
Should the government however
succeed in restraining an outbreak of
the people the victory probably will
only be temporary and simply conflne
the steam for the final explosion.
No one doubts the severity of the
storm which will arise in the country
in response to the emporor's disposal of
the men whom he welcomed two
months ago in the palace as The best
men In Russia" but the die IS cast.
The government has elected to fight,
and the capital today bore eloquent
testimony of the preparations made to
repress the masses by force. The city
was packed with soldiers and resenbled
an armed camp.
During Saturday night additional
troops were brought in and disposed of
according to plans previously adopted.
These reinforcements included four in
fantry regiments of the chevalier
guard, hussars, mounted grenadiers
and a battery of machine guns. The
troops occupied railroad stations and
the bridges across the rivers and canals,
and the patrols of both police and gen.
darmes were everywhere doubled.
Arrests Immediately Follow
The work of gathering in revolution
ary agitators began Immediately after
the ukase placing st. Petersburg in "a
state of extraordinary security" was
promulgated, and hundreds of arrests
were made before daylight.
The powers conferred upon NJ. Won
Der Launitz, prefect of police, and NJ
Zinovieff governor of the province, are
little short of those of petty dictators
Searches and arrests can be made with
out process to law, newspapers forced
to suspend publication and persons de-
ported by administrative order without
trial.
Public and private meetings are for
hidden Those arrested may, if it is
desired, be tried by military court and
summarily executed. The only real
difference between extraordinary Sc
curity" and full martial law is that
power is exercised by the so-called civil
instead of military authority.
Although the news of the dissolution
of parliament spread like wild fire
among the members of the various
political organizations, the masses here
generally are hardly awake to the mo-
mentous event. The news travelled fast
in the country and the general expec-
tation is that the peasantry, accepting
the dispersal of parliament as the final
blow to their hopes, will rise en- masse.
CONSERVATION Is Indescribable
The proletariat organizations have
been preparing for months for just such
provocation to declare open war. 1t is
impossible to describe the CONSERVATION
with which the constitutional demo-
Gratis learned the news. Although 1t
had been bruited for the past thirty
days, the ukase was received by them
in blank amazement.
Even Saturday nights caucus did not
believe the government would dare to
take the threatened step and seriously
discussed the attitude to be taken to-
ward Minister of the Interior Stolypin,
when he appeared in parliament to an
swer interpretations.
The government undoubtedly calcu-
lated on catching the opposition off its
guard, but If it expected to strike terror
to the hearts of the members of parlia-
ment, it has failed signally. Some time
ago, when dissolution seemed imminent,
the various groups of the opposition
of their French compatriots of the
states general and meet If driven out
of the Tauride palace, wherever and