Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-01
LEADER GUCHK0FF'S VIEWS
Thinks the Moderates viii Be the Sal
walton of the Country.
CONFERENCE
A Declaration of Common Principles
Set Forth and Given Wide
Publicity.

PETERSBURG conveyed lite expected
ton that steps are being taken by the Rus-
sian government toward the laying of plans
to suppress imminent revolutionary ana
agrarian outbreaks. The special commits
sion under the presidency of Premier w1tre
which Will coordinate the work of troops
and police in stamping out trouble is the
first important step.
According to Mr. Guchkoff, leader of the
moderate party. the moderates Will prove
to be the salvation of the country against
reaction. He declares, besides that the
peasants are an unknown factor so far as
parliament is concerned The priests are
not reactionary and are likely to be more
radical on the agrarian question than the
constitutional democrats themselves whom
Mr.. Guchkof considers to be simply revo-
lutionists masquerading as constitution
alists. $50
In spite of the new Russian national
parliament, which is rapidly Undertaking"
said a diplomat in discussing the Russian
troubles, there are many forces opposed
to the present system of government. You
probably remember that some months ago.
on the initiative of several members or
the Finnish opposition, the representatives
of eight of the leading opposition organlza-
tons in the Russian empire held a confer
ence> in Paris for the purpose of agreeing
cii liiS PpSSlDle means OF CO-OrU1natlng Inc
actions directed to the ends that might be
shown to be common to all those organIza-
tons struggling against the autocratic sys-
tenn In Russia, which will never be aboi-
!shed, whatever promises are made to the
contrary. a great number of organiza tons
were invited TO send representatives to the
conference. Among them We're the Rus
sian social democratic labor party; the
party of socialist revolutionists; the Al.
lance OF Liberation; the Polish socialists;
the proletariat Polish socialist party: the
social democracy of Lithuania and Poland;
the Polish national league; the Lithuanian
social democratic party; the white Russian
socialist group: the Ukrainian sociaIistic
party; the Ckrainian revolutionary party:
the Lettonian social democratic labor party:
the Alliance of Lithuanian social democrats;
the flnnlsh labor party: the Finnish party
of active resistance; the Georgian party OF
socialist federaiist revolutionists; the Ar
menian social democratic labor organiza-
uon; the Armenian revolutionary fedora
tloh, ana the general Jewish labor alliance.
Few Sent Delegates.
of this group, all of which had pre-
viously expressed fundamental agreement
to take part In the conference. only eight
sent delegates, while three orga MIA tions-
the Russian social democratic labor party,
the social democracy of Poland and iithu-
ania, and the Ukrainian revolutionary
party-sent their refusal to participate In
remaining groups, for reasons not known
TO the conference, sent neither delegates
nor reasons for holding off
Inc conference, continued the diplomat
came TO conclusions set forth in the
minutes. which were signed in the orig
maj by all the delegates taking part The
assembly discussed the possible points or
an agreement and of an harmonious actton
principally within the limits of three sIiJ,
Jeets-the form of government: the o,,as-
non or the natfonalities, and the cues
lloh OF the means of carrying on the strIg-
gle. IS
AN interesting passage from the minutes
OF the conference is the one which saws
that in the matter of political reorea n;za
Ton or the Russian empire to which an
the groups represented alike tend II uas
recognized possible to declare thar m,
simultaneous object of the struggle can he
rot only the negative task-tbe suhverston
OF autocracy--and not only the general for
niula OF political freedom and fun,amaptat
rights. but also the tending toward the ar
tainment of the political Reorganization IN
the democratic spirit which is Iikewtsa
common 10 all the parties holding counctI
together N'o'iOi
A Declaration of Principles
10 give the resolutions of the assembly
stu greater publicity, the conference
framed also the following declaration of
the principles of the common to the parties
represented:
l. Shefeas, autoeratic government Is a
IalaI obstacle to the progress and we'll
oeing OF the Russian nation. as well as of
all the other nationalities oppressed nv the
cars government. and constitutes. In the
present state of civilization, an absurd and
harmful anachronism:
Whereas, The struggle against that
government could be carried on with far
greater energy and success If the actions
OF the diverse opposition and revolutionary
parues-Russfan as well as non-Russian-
were co-ordinated;
B Whereas. The present moment espe-
ciaiiy iaVors the harmonious action of all
those parties against the autocratic govern
ment which Is discredited and weakened
by the terrible consequences of the war
provoked by its adventurous policy;
Therefore. The Representatives of the
alliance of liberation the Polish National
League the Polish socalistic party. the
party Of Observation-Disclosures the Geor-
gian party of socialist-fe deraIist-reyolu-
tfonists, the Armenian revolutionary feder-
alton and the Finnish party OF active resist
ance, assembled at a conference of the
opposition and revolutionary parties, have
unanimously resolved to offer in the name
of all the above mentioned organizations
the following declaration:
While uniting for the purpose of har-
monious action, none of the parties repre-
scented at the conference thinks even for a
ment of renouncing. by that union, any
point whatever of It's program or any of Its
tactical means of conducting the struggle
which are adapted to the needs, the forces
and the situation OF the social elements
classes or nationalities whose interests 1t
represents. At the same time, however all
the aforementioned parties declare that
the following fundamental principles and
demands identicaliy recognized by
them: fa) The abolition OF autocracy; the
repeal of all the enactments that have
violated the constitutional rights of Fin
land; (b) The replacing of the autocratic
government by a free democratic system
the basis OF universal suffrage; (e) The
right of the nationalities to decide about
themselves; the guarantee by laws of the
freedom of national development for all the
nationalities; the abolition of violence on
the part OF the Russian government In rela-
ton to individual nations
A Spirit of Independence.
1.-THE foregoing declaration" explained
ffle diplomat, has, by being circulated
among all the classes of Poles, Firms, Rus
slams and others interested, had O great
effect in inspiring independence-a spirit
which is now surging In the breast
or the masses of that Inflated country.
When the parties represented at the con-
ference will Join their efforts for the pur-
. nose of Fastening the inayttaf,Ia fall ,f