Evening star., 1915-12-12
RUSSIAN ECONOMICAL SITUATION

Dispatches from Petrograd announce
that the military class of 1917 has been
called to h Q
Finance Minister colors; that the
Presents Figures. onsnirs Of the
duma (prorogued September 1S) has
been indefinitely postponed; that the
ministry of finances has presented to
the council of ministers summary of
the economical situation in Russia.
Russia has available for the current
year about 3.177,o00 600 bushels of
grain and potatoes. the excess of the
available surplus over 1914 being about
526,oo0,o0O bushels The new available
surplus will be about SS7, 900. 600 bush
els
The financial status of the people is
SHOWN by the growth of savings bank
deposlts October figures showed de-
POSTS or 100000 rubes as against
ZZ.ooo,ooo rubies in October 1914 since
the beginning of the war the savings
od odo 'he people have increased i99. .00o-
WV fuoieS and now amount to . 40S.-
ooo fubies. In spite of the loss of rev
ehues because of the prohibition rlpon
we sale or Spirltuous beverages and n
umiillnuitlon m in imports amounting to
oeI'o"o,ooo ruhles during the last ifs
car yea the decrease in ordinary reve-
nues, the statement saws, amounted
only to $4,000 600 rubles. increase in
revenue from other sources swelling the
total '''
telegram from Bellinzona to the
Corriere della Sera saws: ..The Polish
laWFer Pietrovski has given the Polish
press an account of a recent interview
accorded hlm by NJ. Goremykine who
assured him that the promises made 10
the roles would be integraIly main
/ Al D;~A,
that Poland was actually occupied hv
the Germans NJ. Goremykine replied
mat 1t was only a temporary cbec,,
Russia would take her revenge. From
an RUSSIANS We're never TO accent
peace until they had driven the enemy
OUT ana FORCED him to accept pea ce
tfar 1 Russia would impose. The Poles
VI nussia ana Austria would he liber-
ated and Poland will be independent
Ihe roles of Galicia had sustained
francis Joseph and his policy d1,ri,,r
Iorty years. but they would not permit
that inns ioyalism should be made the
protest for Vienna to sell them TO Ber-
referring to the actual German oc-
cupation Of Poland. NJ Goremvlzine
said: The German
German Order government having
Witbdro, ordered, under Sc
the population of the Polish province
OF the Nistula regain their domiciles
the Russian government had Informed
the German government that it would
take note of the menace by measures
or retaliation against Germany in
Russia. The German government thera
inf
trograd, by the intermediary of the
Spanish embassy. that it withdrew it's
order.
1t Is recalled that at the moment. the
most tragic of the Russian retreat from
warsaw, which was abandoned TO the
German armies July %. the man who
mad been apparently the soul of war
and reslstance-the Grand Duke Mich
olas-was relieved from his command
as generalssimo of the army and sent
to the Caucasus with the title of
Viceroy. being replaced by the czar as
generalissimo. What We're the reasons?
1t was said that the grand duke was
too authoritative and too harsh Cen
Russki. one of his leutenants, dis
liked him intensely: Gen. Polivanof
minister of war. was his avowed enc
my Among other rumors the grand
duke. 1t was said, was a danger to
the throne. pitileSS autOcrat he was
also confirmed democrat" The grand
dukes replacement for a fact was rem
dered necessary TO excuse to the mil
ltary the retreat of the army, due to
a pitiable lack of munitions which
was somebody's fault a Petrograd. At
any rate, the displacement of the grand
duke was considered a real coup detat
the prelude to a change of policy at
Petrograd.
came of another-the prorogation of
the duma. What We're the faults of
the duma? 1t had undertaken to point
out certain abuses; it created COM
missions of inquest. it denounced scan
dalS: it demanded reforms and finally
responsible ministry. One day NJ.
Goremyl<ine presented himself before
the czar and returned with the desired
ukase
Perhaps the czar was right. the war
was no time to run any risk whatever.
no time to swap horses There We're
100000 Germans and Austrians in Rus
sia and the capital was menaced. The
duma had badly chosen its moment
True. the idea that had existed that
Russia had any thought of revolution
had been plainly shown to be a fallacv.
Russia was unit and was consumed
now by a fierce desire for victory.
Proof of this is not lacking. Moscovite
merchants only recently voluntarily
contributed 10000. 900 rubles to acceler-
ate the manufacture of munitions. an
example which was quickly followed
by the merchants of Il score or more
of cities.
There is no trace of pessimism in
the Russian press. The censorship is
almost nominal and it
No Pessimism permits the press to
:, praise and depreciate
ooS.i 'aDie' things as it may seem
I,a IS jSt,