Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-04-30
RUSSIA IS
MORE RIGID
Changes Policy in Governing Of
East Galicia When Treachery
Is Discovered.

----- ...I.
Lvoff Lemberg), Galicia April 2
East Galicia has found Coun
George Brobinsky a humane and JUS
governor, and, until the Austrians re
occupied Stan!slaus for a brief period
a very lenient one. There wa
scarcely any restriction Of freedom
of movement between East and Yves
Galicla and between East Galicia an,
Russia. The Russian authorities the,
became convinced that they had beer
too e~aSy-gOing and a score OF traders
were arrested under charges of pur
chasing provisions for the Austrian
army, in the expectation of a eoccul
patton OF this city, where the can
nonading about Stanislaus was audi
BILE.
An evil with which the Russian gov
eminent was confronted was the per
sistent speculation in Russian and
Austrian currency. The Russian au
thoritics established a rate of ex
change instead of fo%rbidding the use
Of Austrian money altogether. The
rate was fixed at 3.33, a rouble being
made equal to 1888 crowns. The sold
equivalent OF a rouble was 2.5J
crowns before the war.
No Gold Circulated.
Neither empire is now circulating
gold, so the temptation to speculation
was offered. One Of the local cafes,
f%requentcd by small brokers and trad.
ers, soon resembled a handbook club.
The rate of exchange for the day
would be fixed by whispers, signs and
mods and then the spectators would
scatter among the country folk on
the market place and spread reports
calculated to support the agreed rate
of exchange. .n
Printed, typed Or. mimeographed
slips would be shown as having been
dropped by Austrian aeroplanes,
which, as a fact, have not flown in
East Galicia, except over the battle
ground in the Carpathians, in three
months. These slips would announce
Austrian victories and the approach.
ing expulsion of the Russians from
the occupied territory. In conse.
quence many holders of Russian
notes would dispose of them for Aus
trlan crowns at a panic price. The
speculation extended to kieff and
thence to Austria, through Rumania.
1t has now been greatly checked by
periodical but unannounced sitting
OF the cafes, by the restrictions Oh
freedom Of movement and by arrests,
of which, however, there have been
comparatively fee. 90
Role o. Friends.
In other respects the Russian S
play the role of friends and benefac-
tors of the population of the occu.
pied territory. Not a single dollar
has been taken from the people in
the form Of taxes, imposts, loans, re.
QUESTIONS or general fines. On the
contrary the government invites bids
from contractors, large and small,
willing to supply provisions, and the
officers and soldiers of the Russian
army pay cash and at prices fixed by
the shop keepers for everything they
require.
The municipalities expend large
sums to support the needy and the
Russian government itself contrib.
utes to this work. There are said
to be 10000 families of former ANS.
trial civil servants in this city and
the majority are receiving public sup,
port through about fifty public tea
houses. The weather. classes tied
the country before the Russians. The
tradesmen that remained are doing
a thriving business. Lage numbers
of peasants and villagers from all
parts Of Galicia have drifted iato the
capital to swell the number of bene.
ficiaries Of charity. + ls.t
Well Provisioned.
The Russian armies are we'll pro.
visiOned and the soldiers dinner ket.
tie is always at the disposal Of any
hungry person.
In addition sundry philanthropic so.
cieties have been organized in Rus.
STA to supply the material and spirit.
ual necessities Of the people. Count
Vladimir Bobrinsky, a member Of the
Duma, is the president of the best
known of these organizations. Be.
sides distributing food and clothing
and arranging for shelter, this socl-
ETY. is interesting itself in the organ
ization of Russian schools. The gov.
eminent has established seminaries
for the training of teachers and many
have been sent to Russian instit:-
tons at Kieff and Moscow.
East Galicia shows fewer traces Of
military occupation than might have
been expected. The principal entry
is Brody. There one of the leading
streets was visited by fire on the
first appearance of the Cossacks, on
the ground, it is said, that a Cossack
officer was killed by a woman, which
seems to have been admitted. With
this exception there is not a sign
Of destruction on the railway line
to Lemberg, and this beautiful city
was fortunately evacuated by the
Austrians, who made their stand at
Grodek, some distance westward.
The towns and villages Of the Car
patiian slopes have suffered Of
course, as they have been fought ov.
er time and again. In West Gal;cia,
that is 'Galicia west Of Przemsyl, the
devastation has been serious, though
%unintentional, both Russians and Aus.
TRANS regarding the country as their
own. Some Of the valley have been
traversed seven times by alternating
Russian and. Austrian armies.
Moderately Fertile.
The land OF Galicia is considered
only moderately fertile, but the great.
eat handicap to prosperous agricul
ture is periodical inundation by the
mountain torrents. The regulation Of