Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-22

perial ukase authorizing the dissolution
of parliament was actually signed and was
to be enforced today but yesterday in view
of the manifest efforts of the constitutional
democrats to nullify the effect of their ac-
ton, the execution of the ukase was post
poned.
Tonight, however, ifss. learned that the
delay did not mean the abandonment of the
decision TO dissolve parliament. and that
final, momentous conference on the subject
is being held at Peterhof. Exactly who is
present cannot be learned, but it is under
stood that the grand yy..ssses, Gen. Trepof
and other court officials and one or two,
ministers are at the palace
Evidently the government is not blind TO
the fact that the dissolution of parliament
win be accompanied by tremendous excite
ment. riots and hloodshed II nothing worse
Troops are being massed as ST. Petersburg,
Moscow and other centers prepared TO ap-
ply physical force, and. in addition to the
guard regiments, which were hurriedly
marched into the capital Thursday night,
| the entire twenty-third division of infantry
arrived here this afternoon from Pskov.
| This imposing military array Is expected to
| overawe the masses. The socialists and the
group of toll in parliament have prepared
| for an emergency. They have drafted an
| address for issuance TO the country the mo-
| ment the dissolution is declared.
| Bloodshcd on a large scale, with a die
| tatorship In the background, is considered
| to be the inevitable sequel of a dissolution
| OF parliament, but the supporters of a dis
| solution claim that the emperor must take
| the risk. arguing that new elections may
| give different results. and, in any event.
| that 1t Is better to fight than to abjectly
surrender to the revolutionary parliament
A Minister'S Statement
prominent minister said to the Asso-
ciated Press this evening:
What alternative is left" Parliament
has demonstrated its incapacity for con-
| structive work and has been engaged in
| simply n1aning the population TO anarchy.
| Last night the police captured a nest Of
| terrorists In which they found two merl-
| bers OF parliament actually, discussing
| list of persons condemned to be assassin
| ated. We believe the Russian people are
| growing tired of anarchy and political mur-
| der Why the price of a policeman's life
has fallen at Warsaw to thirty copecks d5
| centsl, and 1t is easy to hire assassin
| for that sum. Russia is not like foreign
countries. America for instance, where
when one government falls another is ready
! 10 take its place. Here the masses are
| politically uneducated. The government
| representa- then thin veneer of cviliza-
! ton. which covers the country, and il re-
| moved there is nothing to replace 1t. The
| government must hold until a stable
1 regime Is assured or anarchy will super
vena."
| NJ. Yermoloff, former minister of agricul-
| ture and leader of the conservatives cen
| trists In the lower house, who severa!
| weeks ago valnly tried to form coaii-
| tion ministry, in conversation with the cor
| respondent of the Associated Press tonight
| declared that the situation was extremely
| critical, but he refused to believe that
| the emperor had taken an irrevocable de-
| cision to dissolve parliament, though he
considered that such step might become
4 necessary. He without hope how
| ever. that conflict could be avoided.
Situation Complicated.
''rhe situation is so complicated" he
said. that 1t Is impossible for any man
| to predict the course of future events hut
l feel safe in predicting two things-first.
| basis; second. that there will be on gre IT
| revolutionary cataclysm in the sense that
| foreigners anticipate People abroad talk
| OF the coming revolution in Russia while
| failing to understand that a passive reya-
| luton has been in progress for forty years.
/ The active revolution began with the ns-
| year and a half ago The present travail
| Is only natural accompaniment OF the
| birth OF the new order of things.
| The main obstacle to the work of the
| peaceful reconstruction of the state is the
/ implacabe attitude of the different ele-
| ments which fighting the government.
/ OF course. II is useless to expect anything
| from the extreme revolutionists whose OBJ
| struction of the whole fabric OF the gov
| ernment. The more intelligent of the con-
1 stitutionai democrats. however. from wnom
| much might and has been expected instead
/ of accepting the elementary principle of
| practical politics. that progress is made by
| a compromise. committed the mistake OF
/ thinking that they could ride on revoiu-
| tionary whirlwind to power.
| Could Have Had Ministry.
Two weeks ago they could have had
4 a
| discard what was impractical In their pro-
gram. Now that the extreme left has
| definitely broken With them they begin TO
appreciate their blunder. II their prestige
| is not destroyed by their tactics and they
/ have at last come to their senses perhaps
II may not be TOO late to tide over the
present situation with q mixed ministry,
representing the liberal and conservative
factions. and In which they could partlci-
pate.
"Otharwfse they are bound to share the
(Continusd on Second Page.)