Smyrna times., 1906-07-25
RUSSIA FACES
A REVOLUTION
Gar DisSolVes Parliament ans Issue
Depends on the Army.
BLOODSHED SURE TO FOLLOW

st. Petersburg, July 23.-With the
imperial ukase dissolving parliament |
the curtain rose upon possibly the last |
act in the great drama of the Russian |
revolution. The people and the gov
ernment now stand face to face, and |
upon the army depends the immediate
issue.
Even should the government how
ever, succeed in restraining an out
break of the people, the sctOry prob
ably will be only temporary and sim
ply confine the steam for the final eX-
plOsion No one doubts the severity
of the storm which will rise in the
country in response to the emperors
dispersal of the men whom he well
coined two months ago in the winter
palace as the best men in Russia"
but the die is cast. The government
has 'ected to fight, and the capital
bears testimony of the preparations
made to repress the masses by force.
The city was packed with soldiers and
resembled an armed camp.
The work of gathering in revolu-
tionary agitatOrs began Immediately
after the ukase placing st. Petersburg
in "a state of extraordinary security"
was promulgated, and hundreds of ar
rests were made.'
Although the news of he dissolution
of parliament spread like wildfre
among the members of the various po-
litical organizations. the masses here
generally are hardly awake to the mo-
mentOus event The news Travelled
fast in the country, and the general
expectation is that the peasantry, ac-
cepting the dispersal of parliament
as the final blow to their hopes, will
rise en- masse.
The prOletariat organizations have
been preparing for months for just
such provocation to declare open war
1t is impossible to describe the con-
sternation with which the constitu-
tional democrats learned the news. AL
though 1t had been expected for the
past three days, the ukase was re-
ceived by them in blank amazement.
After a hurried secret conference be.
tween opposition members of parlia-
ment 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 the future course to be pursued
Whether word was given them to meet
at Viborg or Helsingfors is unknown
but it seems probable that Finland IL
future Russian history will become
synonymous with the tennis court
of the French revolution. Even Coun
Heyden, the leader, and other member!
of the Right are understood to havt
departed. 1t is quite improbable
however, that parliament as a body
will attempt to formally set up its au
thority against that of the govern
ment.
An imperial manifesto. which is r5
garded both as threat and an appea
to the emperor's millions of mujiks t
Join in suppressing the revolution VI
der promise of land, summons tn
faithful sons of Holy Russia Man
liberals consider this a direct incitt
ment of the Black Hundreds.
In spite of the excitement, the da
passed with comparative quiet in tn
capital. and the street rioting only b'
gan with the advent of darkness; BIT
the collisions generally were on
small scale
About midnight there were rumoi
of heavier fighting at the Narva gat
where the massacre of the follower
of Father Gopon took place IS montl
ago. The troops there are said to hay
fired several volleys, and it is reportt
4hnrn rrnrn q number of casualties