Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-03
SOCIAL LIFE SUFFERS
CONDITIONS IN ST. PETERSBURG
DUE TO THE WAR.


Special CabIegram to The Star.
ST. PETERSBURG, May 3.--As might
be expected the social life in this city has
suffered greatly recently. During the years
of the war there could. Of course, be no
pretense at social gayety, and since the sign
ing OF peace the internal condition of affairs
certainly has not contributed to improve
things socially. II looks. however, as
though an Improvement in the matter Of
entertaining might be expected shortly. The
one embassy where no effort has been
spared 10 bring some life into st. Peters
burg society is the French one Nine. Bonn
pard, the wife of the ambassador. receives
every Monday, and here all that St Peters
burg counts worthy OF being in the social
swtm--those Of rank and fashion-fock to
I'll her salon. Nine. Bompard did not have
an easy task when she first arrived at the
Russian capital. Her predecessor, the
MarQuse de MautebeIio had rendered the
hospitality OF the French embassy ceebrat-
ed. Nine. BomIsard had therefore great ira
duoHs to maintain. she had specially de
voted herself TO the younger members Of St.
Petersburg society, so that the embassy
has become the rendezvous of all of those
who dance anG make pTetensiOn OF enjoy
ing life In fact IL has been repeatedly stat
ed that the embassy has been for months
past the one oasis In the social desert. Nine.
BOmpard's good example has now been fol-
lowed by the Italian and American ambas-
sailors. and the doors of these embassies
have been thrown open repeatedly for so
Cial functions. Mr.. Won Ldngerke Mayer,
the American ambassador is one of the
latest additions TO the St. Petersburg diplo-
matte corps, lut ne as already winning many
friends.
In spite Of the sweeping character of their
victories in the municipal elections the con-
stitutional democrats realize that they can
not dream Of majority IN the duma with
out an alliance with the peasants The peas
ants stlu remain an underlined political
quantity, and 1t has not yet been deter
mined whether official lsrarian lures Will
blind them TO politics or whether they Will
be seduced by the constitutional democratic
program OF land appropriation.
At Mercy of Government
The new press law. which places every
newspaper at the absolute mercy of the
government has been applied to the Molva,
and there IS considerable indignation among
newspaper men In consequence OF the dras-
tic methods employed.
a meeting Of peasants held at Sosurga a
village In tbs government of Vyatka, TO
discuss economic questions having passed
to the discussion OF political matters. not
Ably the Guma, the police commissary pro-
hiblted the discussion and tried TO arrest
the chief speaker. force OF thrty-five
police was brought up and fight ensueG
between them and the peasants with the
result that three Of the police were killed
and ten wounded. The commissary sus-
tAlned bruises and the assistant comrnissary
fled. The number OF killed and injured
among the peasants exceeds 400
A dispatch just received here from Khar.
bin announces that il has been decided that
all OF the Siberian corps, half of which con.
stituted the first army during the Russo
Japanese war. viii remain in the Pri,imuI
territory, which includes the Amur, Trans.
baikal and maritime provinces and Rus
sian Sakhaiiu.
Even the monasteries are no longer re-
spccted by the Russian reVolutionsts. A
gang OF thieves broke In the Troitze War
uitzN monastery, near here, recently and
made of with S250eo and quantity OF VAL
uabies.