Evening star., 1909-05-30
LATE DEVELOPMENTS IN RUSSIA

Russian affairs are of particular inter-
est In political circles. Russias preponder-
ence suffered eclipse by
Russian the defeat of her armies
in Manchuria. by disas-
S1taAty. trous revolution and an
archy, and recently by the triumph of
Austria and Germany in the Austro-
Servian conflict. But Russia possesses
enormous vitality and recuperative
strength. constituting her still an impor-
tant factor in any conflict in Europe. The
violation Of the treaty Of Berlin renders
that conflict possible if not probable
The recent dispatches from ST. Peters
burg invite attention because Of crisis
in Russian internal affairs. the attempt
Of the monarchical party to overthrow the
liberal ministry presided over by NJ
Stolypin-a crisis which has been termed
not inaptly the Crossroads of Democra-
cy and Monarchy"
In the presence OF the sensitive hyper
hysterical situation existing In Germany
and England, as manifested in the press
and parliament of both these countries,
especially in England, where public feel
ing is Keyed up to the maximum. 1t IS
interesting as we'll as instructive to direct
attention to Russian affairs that we may
the better appreciate the general situa-
tion, which may terminate in war.
The present crisis I'm the duma arose
over the protest Of the right in the mat
ter Of bill submitted to the duma Great
ing credit for the establishment of a
general staff of the navy, sum of JOOOO
rubles. NJ. Dournovo and Count de
Wftte protested that the fundamental
laws were THUS violated, because the es-
tablishment OF such an institution was
the prerogative of the sovereign. The
sovereign. under the inspiration Of the
malcontents. anxious to accomplish the
downfall of NJ. Stolypin and his min
istry, refused the imperial sanction to the
bill and this fact was announced by the
Russian and European press as a check
which involved. the resignation of the
cabinet.
The Temps of raris, commenting on the
dispatches. said that it was not possible
that at Tsarskoe- -Selo
Newspaper they would not under
stand the improperly of
SoiniAen.s' striking at such man
as NJ. StOlypin. The Novoe Vremya ex-
| pressed its alarm at the consequences of
| change of ministry and said: 1T is not
| possible to change the ministry; it would
mean dislocation and perhaps dissolu-
tion. Russia has other things to do in
| this moment except to satisfy the min
isterial appetites of the right"
The czar needed the timely warning and
issued rescript ordering NJ Stolypin to
retain his portfolio, and adding that "all
the acts of the cabinet over which Won
preside will have my full and entire ap-
| probation
NJ. Stolypin. since the day in May. 1905.
when, being then Governor of Saratof he
was named minister of the interior, has
won the esteem and respect of all by his
| courage, his uprightness and his clear
sightedness. The bomb of the revolution
| aries which burst in his villa seriously
| wounding his two children and himself,
has not driven him from his patriotic pur-
pose to serve his country whatever the
sacrifice. He replaced NJ. Dournovo The
first duma was about to meet, and we re-
member its results. The 21st of July he
succeeded NJ. Goremykin as president of
the council, dissolved the duma and con-
violence. Against revolutionary as
saults he instituted courts-martial. which
| finally established q semblance of order
| Against parliamentary anarchy he at
tempted to form majority by negotia-
t1ons with renovators and octobrlsts
Against peasant agitation he prepared a
| remedy within itself, that is the emanci-
patton of the peasants in their relations
to the mir or village commune.
The second duma assembled March 5,
1907. 1t was but little more tractable
i1If than the first. Tumult
Second succeeded tumult, and
49, June ii NJ. Stolypin an
nounced the arrest of six
teen deputies charged with propagating
sedition in the army. The 18th of June
the duma was dissolved, and NJ Stolypin
| was thus obliged to. govern without a
parliament.
| The third duma was convoked No
vember IA, and in the meetings that
| followed until July 10. 1908, the presi-
dent of the council exercised rare pa
thence and energy. After the vacation
the duma discussed the agrarian laws
and the question of the annexation of
| osnia-Herzegoyina. The present ses-
| sion, which commenced in February
! has been devoted principally to the
| budget, which resulted, as we have
| seen, in an effort to overturn the cab
| met.
| NJ. Stolypin has succeeded where
| others have failed. He has triumphed
| over the repugnance OF the court, the
| violence OF Jne extreme right, the heSf-
tations of the octobrists and the i'm
prudence Of the liberals. 1t was neces-
sary to reconcile the prerogatives of
| the crown with the rights Of the duma.
| It was necessary to reassure the sover-
| eign and the assembly at the same
time-the hereditary monarchy on the
| one side. national representation on the
other.
NJ. Stolypin at the present moment Is
| moving slowly but surely in the matter
| of reform. and this is manifested IN
| the dispatches from ST. Petersburg of
the 25th instant-which announced that
the duma was discussing the applica-
ton of religious liberty enunciated in
| the empercr's manifesto Of May Is,
1905. Also the duma entertained Il
| resolution charging the League Of Rus
| sian People" with the organization of
pOgroms: also a resolution to cause the
inspection OF prisons with a view to
| reform abuses. all of which were re .
ferred to committee to report May %.
The position Of the parties in the
duma is as. follows: Since the assem-
bling of the third duma
Political the octobrists represent
what the cadets stood
for In the second duma
from their former effective of so they
have passed to 14O. rallying to them
the Poles and the undecided" Now
this sum of 40 is precisely equal to