Evening star., 1915-09-14
Statement of Duma Member.

A prominent man of the duma said
to an American correspondent in Pet
| rograd few days ago:
THE Russian people are on the
threshold of great awakening. Ev-
cry one in Russia, officers. civilians AMI
noujiks. knows why Russia has been
compelled to surrender a large part
of her territory. They know that
they have good officers and that the
fighting strength and spirit of the Rus
sion troops are as high as at the be-
ginning of the war.
They know also that they have been
forced to retreat or stand helpless be-
fore the murderous fire of German
artillery while their own guns have
had only a few rounds of ammunition
that had to be sparingly used. Without
understanding the peculiar methods of
the purchasing commission whose busi-
ness it is to supply them with ammunl-
ton, they at least realize that their
government is at fault. that they have
been sent into trenches impossible TO
defend, and that tens of thousands of
their comrades now lie dead as re-
suit of the delay in the delivery of am
munition.
Germs Of Revolution.
"In my opinion, in this present awak-
ening of the army and the people to the
criminal neglect and corruption of their
officials, there are the germs of the
most serious revolution Russia has ever
Known revolution supported by the
| army. This revolution will come as
| soon as the war is over.
| In this protest which is being SO
| bitterly expressed in Russia there is
not an atom of diS1oyalty. 1t is, IN
! fact, a very high expression of a loyalty
| which is resentful that the purpose of
the nation is being frustrated and the
/ chances of victory weakened by some
of its own officials.
"A common view is that the evil Is
| accounted for by the residue of Ger
man influence which still exists in the
| various departments of the govern
ment. 1t was spirit of revolt against
/ this persistent German element in Rus
! sia that caused the terrible Moscow
! riots of two months ago. When the
order expellng all Germans from the
city was not enforced by the city
authorities the mob decided to take the
! them forcibly by destroying their
! homes, business and property.
I evidence of the same spirit of pro-
| test has appeared in a milder form in
| denouncinG corruption of government
officials were broken up by the police.
In these meetings it was openly de-
! clared that Russian officials were de-
| featlDS the atlellptS VI INC al my ~
win the war and that while they con-
! tinued in power victory was lmpoS-
| sible.''
See Chance for Fortune.
| The allegation was made that the
| Russian officials who superintend the
| purchase af war munitions were pri-
| marilv interested in seiZing the oppor-
tunity which the war offered them OF
amassing d fortune at the expense of
| the government and insisting upon
such :: large commission on all con-
| tracts that the business of buying war
! materials waited while the purchasing
| commissions adjusted satisfactorily the
| amount of commission which they We're
| to obtain.
| American and English business men
who have been trying to sell amlmunl-
/ tion to the Russian government state
| that without an average payment OF
| 10 per cent commission on all sales. it
! was impossible to do business with the
| Russian purchasing commissions. In
| some cases the contract. they say, is
! sion is adjusted, and it is not an un
usual thing for this delay to be
matter of months.
This is necessarily a Simplif1ed expo
, sition of what has been delaying the
Russian purchase of ammunition, but
| it contains what virtually every OBJ
server in Russia since the beginning
of the war regards as the fundamental
reason-a reason that has inf1amed
popular feeling to its present pitch of
Indignation.