Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-15
MUSCOVY'S HOPE
RESTS IN STOL YPLN
HAS A DIFFICULT PROBLEM TO
SOLVE
Appointment Of alexander krivoshein
as Acting Minister Of the interior
Makes Him Chancellor, of
the Empire

ST. PETERSBURG, Sept. 1.-THE in
terval between the signature of the An
glo-Russian convention and the conyoca-
ton of the third douma is being occu-
pied by Premier Stolypin, who is framing
his policy. His personal position with
the czar is stronger than ever, and the
choice of Alexander Krivoshein as acting
minister of-the interior. leaving Stolypfn
as prime minister without departmental
routine, gives him the authority virtually
of chancellor of the empire. His friends
claim his new policy is conservative
without being reactionary.
The significance of Krivosheins entry
into the cabinet is best understood from
the memento opposite his name In the
private notebook Gen. Trepoff kept for
the car on the character and intentions
of the higher officials. There Krivoshein
is. marked thoroughly reliable man."
This from Trepoff meant man devoted
intellectually to orthodoxy and an en-
ergetic champion of government by ad-
ministrative decree.
Bad Outlook for Moderates
His answer in a conflict between the
ministry of the interior and any kind
of douma would be chat the appointed
ministry does the governing and the
douma may, do the criticism.
The outlook is not promising for even
the most moderate elements of the con-
stitutional party. Krivosheins appoint
ment illustrates the extreme difficulty of
Stolypin attempting simultaneously to In
troduce a cautious transition toward
constitutional government and to resist
the revolution.
All surface appearances of possible
renaissance In Russia are swept out of
mind by the appalling evidence of the
decentralization of the social life of the
masses The distracted peasantry are
wreaking vengeance on the revolution
aries and officials alike in the lower
Volga district Of Makarieff, where grain
stacks have been fired.
Peasants Give Anarchy Rein
The peasants got fired with the idea,
which the priests and police encouraged,
that the incendiarism was done by reyo-
.utionaries. While one fire blazed they
seized the young men suspected of be-
ing ''politicals. bound them, and threw
them into the flames One managed four
times to extricate himself, but each time
was thrown back and finally burned to
ashes.
A man named Lossoff confessed the ter
rorist organization paid him twenty-five
roubles for every successful fire, the OBJ
ject being to lay waste the entire district
Many persons are denounced as politicals
out of personal spite and tortured. All
this time the official class remain hated
as before. The supervisor of Teberhigofi
province, a man named Dubliansl, was
attacked in his house the other night by
armed peasants. Dublianski is good
shot and defended himself for two hours
until his family got away to neighbor-
ing estate. Then the besiegers succeeded
,, firing tbe house and Dubliansk ner-
ished in the flames.
A shocking illustration of moral anarchy
occurred in the grazing lands of Kiefi
province where a number of children en-
ployed as shepherds accused one of their
number. aged 10 years, of thieving. tried
him by court-martial and hanged him
The oldest boy is only IL years old.