The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-20
THE VIEWS OF WITTE
RUSSIAN AFFAIRS AS SEEN BY THE
 Ex-PREMIER-
The Count Believes in Progress With Tranquility, But Thinks the Parliament is Headed
 for the Rocks.

Vicby. France, June 1e.-Count Witte, the former Premier of Russia, who came here for a rest and to take the cure, his health being somewhat im- paired by the hard work and worry or the premiership, refuses to be quoted in connection with Russian politics. taking the ground that if would be not only against his own personal interest but also against the interests of his country On this condition he was pleased to receive a correspondent of the Associated Press who had known him at the Portsmouth peace confer ence and have long and interesting conversation, recalling pleasantly tho time spent at the Hotel Wentworth,
 The Russian statesman is at the Ho- tel des Ambassadeurs. and has the com panionship of his wife and his grand son, 16-months-ol6, to whom the Count is devotedly attached. The boy meets his grandfather when the latter returns from his daily walk and is carried in the statesman's arms up to his apart ments
 witte's colossal figure. to which high boots under his trousers give a sol diery appearance, now bears a more melancholy air than when In America. In one thing be is entirely unchanged --he still constantly smokes cigarettes which he puffs from his long holder.
 Faithful to the promise given to Count WItte. the correspondent Is un- able to cable direct interview with him, but can give the following brief review of the situation in Russia as looked on possibly from M. Wittes point of view:
 It is generally known that M witte is favorable to the progressive develop ment of Russian institutions while maintaining order. Therefore he can not approve of the action of the lower House of Parliament. which. according to the count, is doing its utmost to develop into a revolutionary body and not only delays the reforms which it advocates, but contributes to create and maintain a state of chaos resulting from the conflict between the legisla- tive and executive branches of the gov ernment
 Russia needs peace, order and conft- dence in the men who are desirous to heal the wounds and to enter upon period of economic, moral and intel 'lectual resurrection. Instead of this, the revolutionists under the pretexts of patriotism, which really is false pa- triotism, are serving the interests of the foreign enemies of their country by transforming Russia into a powder magazine of Europe. This Is not generally known abroad and is espec- ially regrettabIe with regard to the Americans who almays have been good friends of the Russians. The two coun- tries shoul dknow each other better to their reciprocal advantage.
 It is known that Witte is personally favorable to the Hebrews and their de- sires, as contained In the memorandum presented to him whe nat Portsmouth by the committee of prominent Ameri- can Jews. That he strongly con-
 R assuming in placing themselves at the head of the revolutionary movement In advance of their own enlightened leaders, thus making it impossible for their non-Jewih friends to assist them. Witte thinks the Russian Jews who are acting in this manner are blind, for if they are defeated, they will be more oppressed than before, whereas if sue- cessful. the remainder of the popula- tion which is more anti-Semetic than in other countries, will oblige them to fly from the country.
 Russian aversion to Jew preponder- ance, the former Premier thinks, should not occasion surprise because the same feeling exists to a greater or less de- gree in all countries including the United States, where some of the rules of immigration have been designed chiefly to exclude Russian Jews, whose numbers, especially in New York, Amer jeans feel is becoming threatening. The Jews of Russia had only one proper course to pursue and that was to insist that all rights granted other races also be granted to them, nothing more or nothing less. Having resorted to vio- lence they provoked reprisals and re- action, especially from the conserva- tive elements known as the "Black Hundreds" which element from con- servatism became as revolutionary as those whom they fight.
 Count Witte explains that the contro- versies originally were called the Black Hundreds in derislon. The troubles of the past week at Bialystok are the best illustration of the situation, as they were caused by the Jews killing Chief of Police Derkatchoff. who hap pened to be an exceptionally conserv- alive official whose aim was to main tain order and tranquillitl. Besides the Jewish question there Is a higher and greater question that the whole of Russia must consider. namely. the ne- cesity of preventing considerate action by revoluiotionists of all kinds endan- gerirg reform measures already put in effect and threatening the future pro gress of the empire. On this Count Wtte believes there can be no differ ence of opipnion among those who know Russia.
 l0 SpN uHltll WILL not permit any consid era Jon to interfere with meas ures 1t deems necessary to adopt to stop the evils mentioned. Tn these days of heated discussions about the possibility of the dissolution of parliament those who oppose such action and claim that it would be a coup d'etat fcrgct that parliament is not the only power in Russia. On the contrary it is subject, as are all representative legislative chambers in Europe, to dissolution on the condition that q new parliament be convoked within six months
 Those who ignore all this seem also not to know Russia's real condition with regard to the political education of the masses. the illiteracy of her peo ple, the immensity of her territory and the conflicting interests of the different provinces which make 1t dif1cult for any parliamentary government to work in harmony as it may in other smaller and homogeneous countries