The Washington herald., 1916-06-26
GEARS Army HIT
I BY PRO-GERMANS
Bureaucracy in Petrograd Is
Alive and Kicking, Says
Balderston..
By JOHN L. BALDERSTON
Copyright. 1916, by the Mcclure Newspaper

Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure Newsp-per
syndicate.l
London. June a.-If, as Is often said in
western Europe, the Russian bureaucracy
Is dying. 1t is showing vigor remarkable
In an invalid. Information from a neu-
trail and well-informed source in Petro-
grad shows clearly that the pro-German
Court party has not been killed, and is
very much alive and kicking in spite of
the arrest for high treason of its former
war minister, General Sukhomlinoff, the
execution of Colonel Miadenonoff and
other highly placed officers and the fail
ure of its attempts to win the car over
to separate peace with Germany.
The Russian successes against the Aus
TRANS have doubtless been a severe blow
TO the peace intriguers, whose machin-
ations in the opinion of my informant
cannot succeed unless Russia suffers fur
ther disasters in the field. Just before
the duma was dissolved last month, a
great sensation was caused by a radical
deputy who read in open session a secret
memorial which he said nearly 100 men,
bers of the Right or pro-German party
had sent to the government
Painted in Gloomy CoIors.
This document painted In most gloomy
colors the position OF Russia, and said
that the signers felt the empire must
the government could give assurances Of
prompt and decisive field victories. An
uproar was caused by the disclosure, the
accused deputies shouting Forgery" and
the censorship suppressed all references
to the affair Nobody in Petrograd, my
informant states, believes the memorial
was forged.
The peace party is headed by General
Count Fredericks, minister of the i'm
household Sip
the aged reactionary who was recently
bluffed into resigning the premiership by
threats from NJ. Rodzianko, president
Of the duma. that charges of treason
would be openly brought against him
in the chamber. NJ Stuermer, the new
premier. is a willy diplomat who ex-
pressed friendship for the progressive
movement and flattered the duma when
he took office. but his recent action since
the sorely harassed Russian parliament
dissolved have proved that he is under
the control of Goremykin
Ammunition shortage.
Some of the amazing activities of
Stuermer and his reactionary officials
would be incredible if the facts were
not glaringly evident. The Russian dis
asters last year were largely due to
ammunition shortage. and this shortage
was caused in great measure by pro-
German control OF the munitlon and
supply factories, and of the railways
Russia's successes at present are en-
tirely due to the formation Of war pro-
duction committees all over Russia, COM
posed OF prominent manufacturers.
bankers and merchants. who with the
| help of the duma took over the con-
troll OF the great munition plants. Sc
cured contracts from the government.
and saw that they were carried out
are now under the control of these COM
! mittees.
During the recess of the duma the bu-
reaucracy called a meeting of the gov
ernors of all the provinces of European
Russia, who are creatures OF the Reac-
| tionary party and not responsible to
| Parliament. At this meeting measures
| were discussed to put an end to the
| Interference of the war committees
| whose activities have greatly alarmed
the bureaucracy. Bureaucratic officials,
appointed by the governor of each prov
ince. have been foroibly placed on the
! war production committees, while the
| war office has been instructed to re-
/ fuse to grant contracts to the commit
| tees except in case of urgent neces-
| sity." This order, TO which the duma
would never consent, has been issued
on the authority OF clause 81 of the
| fundamental laws OF the empire, which
gives the government authority to legis-
| late during reCesses of the duma in
! eases of vital necessity"
Session Is Forbidden,
Premier Stuermer has just forbidden the
session in Petrograd of the national con-
gress of representatives of all the war
committees, men who have given their
time gratis towards organizing Russian
industry for victory. The program OF
this congress was announced as follows
First, mobilization of public forces to
promote and help the work of the war
committees; secondly. the promotion OF
| Russian self-help; thirdly, the organiza-
! tion OF a fight against German financial,
economic and political influence over Rus
sian affairs. and in Russian life gem
orally. and the promotion of cultural
! and economic union between the Slav
nations"
Nothing the bureaucracy has done dur
| Ing the war aroused the opinion of the
progressive parties so much as the ban
placed on this meeting, whose only OBJ
| tect was to help the country win the
war. In Petrogard, by methods at which
! the most corrupt political bosses in Amer
| ican cities would open their eyes, the re-
dictionaries have just won a majority in
the election for the municipal council,
and their first step has been to vote the
abolition of the Petrograd branch OF the
town congress- which In cooperation
with the Zemstvo has organized the army
ambulance service and reformed the army
commissary department, so that the
soldiers now get enough to eat and graft
ing contractors make smaller profits.
Telegram Is Received.
The town congress before being voted
out Of existence received a telegram from
the car congratulating It on its work
for the troops, and backed by the liberal
! press Of the capital and the whole pro-
gressive bloc in the duma, comprising
four-hfths of the membership. the con-
! 1resS ba ref to