Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-12
SITUATION CHAOTIC
Although Russian Revolution
Seems to Be Over.

ST PETERSBURG. March 12.-To
large extent the bottom appears to have
dropped out of the Russian revolution
And yet the situation appears chaotic
that II is impossible to even venture
guess as to what day will bring forth.
One can only tell what is going on and
leave the future to take care of itself.
In other words, the correspondent here
will do well to assume the role of reflector
rather than that of the prophet. But
things do happen which will bear analy
sis in the closest kind of fashion.
From the point of view of public. at
once Unsuitable of news. and with an APP
petite jaded by such sensational incidents
as the Moscow revolt, the emutes at Sevas
topol and at Crons,ad. and the sanguin
airy Lett rising in the Baltic provinces
perhaps 1t is true that not much of zeal
Importance has happened in Russia of late
Yet as there can be no standing still in
the affairs of nations any more than or
individuals, one may be sure that the in
cidents of the past few weeks have con-
tributed, however imperceptibly, towards
the close of the tremendous drama that
is being enaced in the dominion of the
car. "A precise estimate of the present
situation is undoubtedly rendered diff
cult by the circumstances that there are
viz ITALY two governments in st. Peters
burg. Or shall We say half dozen gov
truth?
Reactionary Bureaucrats.
Meantime. the reactionary bureaucrats
are taking very good care to render alb
solutely impossible that re-establishment
of law and order which Is to precede the
Inauguration of the duma. Never In the
darkest days of NJ. de Plehves rule was
there such a cynical disregard and con-
tempt of all forms of law, such a sys-
tematfc resort to mere brute force, Rus
sian officiaidom has displayed since the
suppression of the Moscow outbreak. The
wholesale execution without the pretense
OF trial not only of real suspected in
Surgents, but of persons accused of no
verse offense than of participat ton IN
strike movements. has gone on day after
day with sickening monotony. All over
Russia the prisons crowded with mem
bers Of liberal election committees and
other people who Were guilelesS enough
to believe that the cars announcement
of freedom of meeting and organization
might be acted upon Hundreds of men
are being deported to Siberia for no greater
offense than their known sympathy with
the constitutional government. Electoral
meetings and other preparations for the
choice of candidates for the duna have
everywhere been prohibited, except to
members of the reactionary organiZa-
lions, The real attitude of the bureaucra-
cy toward the national demand for free
dom and reform is admirably Illustrated
high official, and which If not true, is
exceedingly well invented, of the discov-
cry lately made by Count Witte that
there were being actually printed by the
secret police enormous numbers of copies
of 81 proclamation melting the people TO
murder liberals and Jews
1t seems. In fact, impossible to doubt that
the reactionary party In the imperial coun-
clls-whether or not encouraged by the
loyalty displayed by the troops in the
suppression OF the Moscow revolt-have re
sC.Ved to offer unqualified resistance TO ell
proposals for, modifying the autocracy, and
that the car. il he does not actually share
their views. is al any rate poWerless 10
maintain them. The duma must be elected
the imperial pledges on that point have
been too specific to be evaded-but care is
being taken that the election shall take
place under conditions which will insure
Its being nothing better than a mere in
strument Of the bureaucracy. There IS lit
tie reason to doubt that NJ Durnovo and
his coad1utors will be able to attain this
object,