Evening star., 1909-05-30

OF reform
What Russia is doing in the matter OF
| reorganization of her army is not clear:
but there is reason to believe that she
is doing all in her power to regain her
military strength and prestige. The Lon
don Times of May Is nrnts a note from
its correspondent dated May 5 in which
he mentions that the duma had passed a
bill for an annual contingent fixed at 456,
5A5 men.
The correspondent declared that the ex-
| treue right had denounced the Jews for
their wholesale evasion of conscription.
| 80 per cent OF the total number having
| failed to present themselves for service.
It was urged that the whole Jewish
contingent did not exceed 20,OOO it would
be in the interests of the army IL that
element were released from military serv-
| ice entirely and compelled to pay suit
able war tax. The duma declined to en-
| tertain these arguments and several men,
| bers contended that the evasion of duty
was due to the fact that the Jews were
not on an equal footing before the laws
of the empire.
The dismantling of two fortresses in
| Poland had given rise to the report OF a
sale of Russian Poland to
Russian Germany. The we'll In
p.,, formed in military circles
| explain that in the eighties.
war with Germany the military authori-
ties concentrated several hundred thou
sand troops in Poland. This created a
very disadvantageous situation which by
quartering the troops in villages prevent
ed officers from exercising proper author
ity, and the morale both of soldiers and
| officers was impaired. The construction
OF railway lines and improved transporta-
t1on did not require the same concentra-
non. and the fortresses which had been
dismantled had been deprived of their
Strategical and tactical Importance
1 DR.. Dillon in the Contemporary Review
for May declares that Russia Is In the
| throes of the greatest crisis through
which she has passed since the creation
or the duma. Constitutional czardom
.'and the monarch. keenly conscious of IT.
has cried halt for a brief moment before
vending TO the right or the left
Dr. Dillon is convinced, as indeed are
almost all English publicists. that Ger
many means war against England. I'm
der this Impression he turns fnvaria bly,
to what has happened in Germanys re-
lations with Russia as an indication of
/ Germany's policy. In the Contemporary
under the caption Of "Germany's Master
stroke" he says:
Monday. March 90 at pm, the Ger
man ambassador was received by NJ
Isvolsky on most urgent business. The
| theater of diplomatic action. which for
the past six months had extended from
London to st. Petersburg, from Paris to
Constantinople, was now narrowed down
to dimensions of room in the Russian
| foreign office. NJ Isvolsky, cut from MS
| allies. was captured as a cat might have
captured a mouse. Russia was asked
whether she would announce her agree
ment to the abrogation of article % of
| the treaty of Berlin or by her refusal
bring disaster upon Servia A clear an
swer, to be followed by a public note,
would save Russia's kindred from dis
aster and avert bloodshed. A negative
reply would bring Austro- Hungarian
troops into Servia within forty -eight
hours" Russia surrendered
When NJ. Isvolsky was asked what NJ.
Pichon and Sir Edward Grey would say
to Germany's ultimatum
German he is reported to have
answered: "They neither
know nor may know any
thing of our dilemma until-it is too
late" The German ambassador sent Il
cipher dispatch to Prince Buelow on the
night of March 90 announcing that Rus
STA had given Way-that the peace OF
Portsmouth, in other words. was being
paid for in the modification which Rus
| sia was now made to feel.
| A writer in the London Times OF April
| 3, referring to Russian affairs under the
a certain point which may have particular
interest at the present, moment.
Russia" he says, denounced the Black
sea clauses of the treaty of Paris in the
autumn Of 1870 during the Franco-Ger-
man war Mr. Odo Russell was sent on
a special mission by the Gladstone gov
ernment to confer with Bismarck on this
gross violation of this treaty at the Ger
man headquarters at Versatile.
Now Bismarck, thirty years afterward.
confessed that his assurances to Lord Rus
sell were tissue of faisehoods. That
| Bismarck himself advised Russia to tear
with England and prevent those two pow
ers from cooperating on behalf OF France,
then in the grip of Germany"
| Under the head Of Russian affairs DR..
Dillon sums up the mistake made by
Great Britain, France and Russia in the
recent Balkan crisis. First they did not
keep in mind that Germany is military
and predatory state whose policy Is not
hampered by any set rules more ethical
than those which obtain in the camp and
on the battlefield. The primary aim of
her policy is to seize, whereas that of
Great Britain Is to keep. When Austria
Hungary had seized Bosnia-Herzegovina
they proclaimed their immutable resOlu-
ton not to fight, while on the other hand
they took up position which was tena-
BILE only on the assumption that they were
ready to defend 1t IL necessary by mill
tary force This action necessarily proved
fatal. They openly proclaimed they would
not fight for any principle they might ad-
vance. 1t therefore assured a certain vic
| tory for Austria Hungary. which is rob-
bed of some of its prestige by the fact
| that it was obtained by an unaccountable
| surrender and when there was little pos
/ sibility of conflict.
| DIR. Dillon is severe upon France for her
share in the Balkan matter. Keen only,
he says, ION maintaining
France peace because war "ouio
| involve the loss Of large
neoukeu. part Of the milliards she
had invested in the Slav world, she felt
bound to support Russia automatically.
vet resolved to keep her sword sheathed,
come what might. France oscillated be-
tween Vienna and st. Petersburg, quaking
| for her gold" All are equally guilty as
charged Great Britain and France be-
cause they both declared in advance they
would not fight to maintain the treaty OF
Berlin and Russia, which could not fight
| il she would and because of her venture
| in Manchuria.
| The Echo de Paris prints the latest news
of the victory of the Stolypin ministry
| over the monarchical party, which cre-
| ates general satisfaction in France and
| England.
| Nicholas III in a private audience de-
clared to NJ Stolypin that he would not
| he Of