Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-03-12
Fear Withheld Bureaucrats
From Backing Up
Chancellor.
IS CALLED RUSSIA'S
MOST NOBLE PATRIOT
Has Achieved Wonderful
Victory With Only
His Pen.
(By JOHN l.. BALDERSTON)
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure Newspaper


I ONDON, Feb. 12.-Russia has
II brought forth a man. NJ. Rod
zianko, her greatest ortaor. her mob
lest patriot, her most skilful politician
has won victory over the Germans
more important than any Russian
military achievement since the begin
ming of the war by writing few
words on n piece of paper
To the outside world, the announce
ment from Petrograd "A week ago that
the premier and chancellor of the
empire, j. l.. Goremykin had resigned
in favor of the unknown NJ. Stuermer
came as a riddle. Information from
4 petrograd has just reached me eX-
planning the political situation.
Goremykin. octogenarian foe or
progress, who has openly worked for
peace with Germany, who has strug-
gled to prevent the duma from re-
conVening, who seemed all powerful
because supported by the pro-German
court party, headed by the influential
minister of the imperial household,
Count de F'redericks. has been forced
out of office by letter from Rodzl-
anko, president of the despised duma.
Letter Not Printed.
This letter has not appeared in
H.,
bureaucrat and liberal has seen it, for
copies were circulated in Petrograd
by Rodzianko's friends. "You have
deliberately worked for the success OF
the Germans, and your inactivity in
the cause of Russia is bordering on
high treason Rodzianko wrote to the
premier. IF the duma should con-
denim you as traitor, | should be
unable to control the situation, for so
widespread is the indignation against
you that If | suppressed one speaker,
another would spring to his feet"
Raizianko added the advice to resign,
"as otherwise there will be II scandal,
70 the vast annoyance of the allies
and the great delight of the enemy,
and of this scandal | wash my hands"
Rodzianko spoke out as the head OF
the progressive block In the duma,
controlling 3l5 out of 422 members
in the lower house and a majority OF
the upper house. but his letter was
to some extent bluff. The duma.
prorogued by the cZar in September
when it dared to present demand
for political and religious liberty and
control of the war by the representa-
tives of the people. had not been con-
vened when Rodzianko demanded
Goremykin's head, and the pro-
German intrigues to abolish the duma
or prevent its meeting during the war
seemed likely to succeed
Cabinet Convened.
Upon receipt of Rodzianko's letter
the indignant premier convened the
cabinet and demanded that the duma
be prevented from meeting at all.
When his colleagues demurred be-
cause of the popular agitation, he pro-
posed that the duma be restricted to
considering the budget in secret ses-
sion. no reports of what took place be
given to the public. Goremy kin only
a few months ago was appointed
chancellor of the empire, an honor the
highest Russian subject can attain,
borne by no man since BismarckS s
great rival, Gortchakoff, and he COM
manded majority of the cabinet.
But on this occasion his colleagues re-
fused to support him. They said that
the internal crisis was serious, and
that the country would not bear the
new taxes imposed by the coming
budget unless assured by their repre-
sentatives that the burdens are neces-
sary.
The real cause of the premier's fall
was the unspoken thought of his fell
low bureaucrats. Where does the
czar stand?"
They all knew of Rodzianko's
conferences with the czar at army
headquarters, a few days before he
challenged Goremykin and in fear
that the great tribune of the people
has won over the sovereign they
forced the chancellor to resign before
he left the room. There are those in
Potrograd who say that Rodzianko's
letter and his trip to see the czar were
two parts OF the same bluff, that he
discussed rothing but the budget with
the emperor, but used his visit to trick
his enemies into surrender
VIII Summon Duma.
Immediately following the fall of
Goremykin, the czar summoned the
duma to meet at the end Of this month
and its meeting will be the signal for
n renewal Of the struggle between the
people and the bureaucrats and peace
mongers of the court. 1t seems at
this writing that RodZianko will win
his fight for free speech in the duma,
and that the Magma Charta" which
caused the dissolution of parliament
last summer will again be pressed
upon the czar.
RodZianko's success in getting rid
of Goremykin and having the duma
reconvened does not mean that the
court is beaten. The affair Of the
letter was mere skirmish. and the
serious battles are to come. Goremykin
succeeded In putting in his place an