Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-14

more importance still Is the problem of
the naval defense OF the Baltic, which is
being discussed In the duma and the press;
the new German ornaments and the i'm
minent creation by Germany OF thirt
squadron specially destined Tor service In
the Baltic The Novoe vremya under
lines the double Importance of that aues-
ton because OF the hypothesis OF
theoretical corporation OF German neet
with a debarking corps OF Swcdes. In the
discussion OF strategic questions the third
duma was convinced of the necessity Of
creating in the Baltic such q defensive
feet would Offset any maritime enter
prise OF Russia's western netghbors
When Admiral Grigorovitch became
minister OF marine the third duma aean-
doned It's hostile attitude and voted in
1911 the necessary credits. As result.
four OF the tirst-class dreadnoughts for
the Baltic were constructed and launched.
the Ganjou. the Poltsva. the Petropav-
lovsk and the Sevastopol
There is objection on the part OF some
in Russia against the creation OF a h!ea
sea navy. NJ. Michael Stakhoyttch Of The
council OF the empire for example. main-
tains that as old Russia got on well with
out such navy, new Russia may do
likewise. That argument implies the
abandonment OF the spirit OF the famous
return to a policy purely Interior ana
Muscovite.
For the partisans of the latter, Russia
is definitely outnumbered BY Germany.
and no matter what sacrifices were
made. Russia could not regain the
equilibrium broken at Tsushima. Thus
|, IL is not a real fleet that is required. but
a counter fleet" an instrument purely
defensive, composed of destroyers sub
marines. hydro-aeroplanes: unities or
this character on the coast OF Finland
and the interior lakes. which would Of
fer precious ports OF refuge. and render
Ia ,fnn0 ny he t.~'
OF all that part west Of Cronstad.: that
is. OF all that part affecting the immedi-
ate defense of st. Petersburg.
II is the project OF Admiral Grigoro-
Witch to construct. aside from such
fleet. four supercreadnoughts
Russian of 1900 tons. armed with
N. twelve cannon OF a. mill
metres. and having a speed
OF twenty-four knots: sixteen armed
cruisers and thirty-six destroyers OF the
high-sea class. Such. in part, Is the work
OF restoration undertaken by Admiral
Grigorovitch.
Admiral Lieven, chief of stan OF the
admiralty, has recently made the fol
lowing interesting declaration on tho
naval reorganization:
out said the admiral-prince. but the
preliminary work OF construction IN
dertaken. The first question Is. what
works may execute cheapest and quick
est the orders we have to place. Tho
ministry OF marine has decided that W
will not have recourse to foreign estab-
lishmentS. but to Russian only. Prince
Lfeven furthermore declares that Rus
sia. in order to fulfill her historical task
must acquire free entry into lie
Mediterranean, and for this purpose sic
must possess a flrst-c!ass feet not only
for the Baltic. but the Black sea Tie
domination OF the latter sea. according
to the prince, depends neither upon
Turkey nor the Mediterranean powers.
but upon one OF the powers in the
North sea and the Baltic II Russia
ternational questions. she must be sup
ported not only by strong army. but
also Baltic fleet. In the conict be-
tween England and Germany over the
supremacy in the Baltic a Russian fleet
should serve as a balance to go 10 the
SIDE that Russia may choose
As for the opinion that Russia could
never overtake other nations with the
power she had lost at Tsushima and that
II was useless to expend money to that
end, Prince Lieven would not accept such
theory A country which constructed
smps every year would finish by having
an fncalculabIe number. Il Is known that
a ship was only serviceable during fifteen
years. Assuming that Germany should
suspend her constructions during fifteen
years she would fnd herself at the end
or that term without q fleet. On tine
contrary, IL Russia continued to augment
each year the number of her ships in the
same proportion as Germany she would
possess at the end of the same number
OF years the same naval force. 1t was
not necessary TO expead as many millions
as the neigh5or. IN fifteen years Ger
manys fleet will have grown old and be-
come only secondary force. For her
conflict with England Germany had
adopted that point Of view, and for that
reason she followed the plan of construct
Ing new models. 1t was necessary, too to
count with the progress of technic
Fifteen years ago there was no idea ~
dreadnoushts: in fifteen years the dread
nouEhts OF today. will have
LleVen S become old fashioned. And
rL. Prince LieVen concluded by
remarking that the naval
program which Russia would submit TO
the duma would give to Russia's naval
force the possibility of opposing Germany
in the Baltic, and Turkey and Roumana
united in the Black sea. The question of
the Russian fleet in the Pacific was ad-
journed until after the construction OF the
Baltic fleet first and that of the Black
sea next had been terminated
The octobrfSt Journals arc jubilant over
the result of loSg debate In the duma
relative to judicial reform. Ii means "A
great deal to the peasant who is thus
morally uplifted and emancipated from
an undesirable state of affairs which
had been imposed upon the peassntry by
the tribunal. designated as the "Zemsne
Natcllalnik.'' There has been delay in
the project of reform. the text OF which
was voted and sent to the upper house.
1t was feared that in spirit of oppo-
sition or obstruction the council of the
empire would permit the present legis
lature TO expire without final action
Such tactics would have been fatal TO tie
project of reform. Besides, uncertainty
appears TO exist still in Russian parlis
mentary circles over the continuity" az
parliamentary acts. In other words. il
does not appear to be absolutely accepted
that the votes and acts OF the duma
should bind the succeeding duma. In the
matter OF the present bill IL not passed
by the third duma il would come up in
the fourth duma az an order OF the day.
when a new assembly would give 1t Q
very different solution.
The council of the empire. however. ex-
amined the project and returned IL APP