The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-23
All Now Depends Oh the Army
Since FatefuI Die Has
Been Cast
DOUMA MAY TRY TO HOLD
ITS MEETINGS IN FINLAND
Remarkable Feature of Cars Action
is Fact That No Foreign Power
Was Notified of contem.
plated Step.

st. Petersburg. July 22-With the i'm
perial ukase dissolvtng parliament which
was promulgated early this morning, the
curtain rose upon possibly the last act
in the great drama of the Russian revo-
luton The people and the government
now stand fact to face, and upon the
army depends the immediate issues.
Even should the government, however,
succeed in restraining an outbreak of
the people, the victory probably will only
be temporary and simply confine the
steam for the final explosion. No one
doubts the severity of the storm which
will rise in the country in response to
the Emperor's dispersal of the men whom
he welcomed two months ago in the win
ter palace as the best men in Russia"
but the die is cast.
City Packed With Soldiers.
The government has elected to fight.
and the capital today bore eloquent testi-
mony to the preparations made to re-
press the masses by force. The city was
packed with soldiers and resembled an
armed camp.
During Saturday night additional troops
We're brought In and disposed of accord
ing to plans previously adopted. These
reinforcements included four Infantry reg
iments of -re chevalier guard. Hdssars.
mounted grenadiers and battery of ma
chine guns. The troops occupied railroad
stations and the bridges across the rivers
and canals, and the patrols Of both po-
lice and gendarmes were everywhere
doubled.
The work of gathering in revolutionary
agitators began Immediately after the
ukase placing st. Petersburg in "a state
of extraordinary security was promul-
gated, and hundreds of arrests were made
before daylight. The powers conferred
upon M Won Der>->unitz, prefect of po-
lice and NJ. znovieff governor OF the
province. are little short of those of petty
dictators. Searches and arrests can be
made without process Of law, newspapers
forced to suspend publication, and per-
sons deported by administrative order
without trial. Public and private meet
ings are forbidden. Those arrested may,
II 1t is desired, be tried by military
courts and summsrily executed.
The only real difference between extra
ordinary security and full martial law,
is that power is exercised by the so-called
civil instead of military authority.
Spreads Swiftly to Country.
Although the news of the dissolution of
parliament spread like wild fire among
the members of the various political or
ganizatons, the masses here generally are
hardly awake to the momentous event
The news travelled fast In the country.
and the general expectation is that the
peasantry, accepting the dispersal OF par
Lament as the final blow to their hopes,
will rise masse.
The political organizations have been
preparing for months for such provoca
tion to declare open war. 1t is impossible
to describe the CONSERVATION when the
constitutional democrats learned the news.
Although it has been expected for the
past few days, the ukase was received by
them in blank amazement. Even Saturday
nights caucus did not believe the gov
ernment would dare to take the threat
ened step, and seriously discussed the at
itude to be taken towards Minister of
the Interior Stolypin when he appears in
Parliament tomorrow to answer interpret
lations.
Has Not Struck Terror.
The government undoubtedly calculated
on catching the opposition off its guard,
but II 1t expected to strike terror 10 the
hearts of the members of Parliament, it
has failed sgnally. Sometime ago when
dissolution seemed imminent, the various
groups of the opposition virtually agreed
to follow the example of their French
compatriots of the states general and
meet, II driven out of the Taurde pal
ace, wherever and whenever circnm-
stances dictated, until a constitution was
formally established.
After a hurried secret conference this
morning it was decided on account of the
possibility of the meeting being broken
up and the members arrested that they
go Immediately to Finland and decide
upon future course to be pursued, and
small groups left this afternoon and even
ing by train. Whether word was given
them to meet at Viborg or Helsingfors
Is unknown, but 1t seems probable that
Finland in future Russian history will
become synonymous with the i1ennis
court" of the French revolution.
Even Count Heydon. the leader. and
other members Of the right are under
stood to have departed. It is quite Inn
probable, however, that Parliament as q
body will attempt to formally set up its
authority against that OF the government.
The constitutional democrats and intel
lectuals generally recognize that they
have no weapons with which to fight the
governments bayonets. The initiative,
therefore. naturally viii fall to the prole-
tariat This the social democrats and the
group of toll in Parliament have all along
recognized. and the most elaborate prepa-
rations have been made to repeat the tao |
tics of last fall and paralyze the country
with general strike.
Paralysis VIII Be Complete.
But the plans at this time have been
perfected with much more dellberstion
and involve not only the paralysis of
cities. telegraphs. railroads and all means
of communication throughout the empire
but complete strike of peasants In the
country as well They confidently believe
the loyalty OF the troops has been so
shaken that the military supports Of the