The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-24
Gear Nicholas st che Meetlng Of
the Oumo.

>sss NscoOsoS - toc WeetuD8 ]
the Dune.
The visit Of the Car to tho Duma
marks. In the opinion Of unnamed
members Of that body. "the beginning
OF u new era" and IL considered to
have u significance like that Of the
emancipation Of the serfs and the
manifesto Of 1905. This view may
err on the side Of optimism. but at
any rate 1t reflects the hope Of the
muses.. Russia changes slowly. The
Government is still an absolutism TEN.
pered by the universal desire Of noble
and muJik. bureaucrat and trades.
man to overwhelm the Teutonlc al.
lies In the war. Success Gun be won
only by coordination Of the nations
resources and nm all embracing. Wig.
Orous patriotism.
The very vastness of Russia and the
diversity Of its internal interests
make concentration Of purpose n aim.
cult matter. II Is Of great impor-
tance to keep the members of the
Duma Of all shades Of opinion united
for the prosecution of the war with
uni'agging energy. 1t includes ex-
treinists and radicals US well as lib.
erals aud conservatives. The Govern.
ment may count upon the cOnserya-
tives and In less degree upon the lib
erals; hut there Is an element In the
Duma suspicious Of the Govern
ment's attitude toward reform. and
this element must be conciliated. BE-
fore the war the radicals scVfcd Mt
tho idea that tho Duma was a demo.
cratic parliamentary body. II was
under the thumb of the Government
there could he M doubt of that. It
had proved u great disappointment IN
the rpformers. even TO those who were
wont tn cheer the nume Of the Car
AZ the early sessions. There have
been times when the Social Demo.
Gratis found the proceedings so dis
tasteful thu. they marched out Of the
hall in n body.
Nevertheless the democratic idea
has grown In the Duma. The third
puma l1M|I| was of such complexion
that b%ureaurratS brpnthed freely. To
call II Il popular body would have
been absurd. Yet II contained daring
spirits whom tho Government could
not control. and who in their speeches
rejected uutocracy. Their numbers
increased. by May IL, 1914. the
pums had become SO bold that for
the first time In its history the budget
was not accepted. the majority
against 1t being seventy. Then came
IN" war. and the appeal I" the pa
iriotism of the members halted tho
march OF reform. The Duma was no
longer divided into heterogeneous
groups: they were practically n unit
for victory in the field, and internal
questions could wait. There was an
indefinite truce between absolutism
and democracy.
.Absolutism. however. never sleeps
In Russia. To carry on the war and
still save itself when peace has been
concluded L. its constant study. NJ.
C;oREMyKIN has been succeeded as
Premier by NJ. STrRMsg, another con
sentative whose record Is not salts.
factory IN the liberals and radicals.
They regard him as a creature Of the
Government. His relations have been
very close with NJ. PLEHvE. who in
revising the Tver Zemstvo eliminated
many useful members of the Duma.
The NOr0e VrCmpH declares that NJ.
SrrRMER belongs TO the nnte-reform
period. Yet II cannot be denied that
he has great powers Of Cancellation,
and he Is heart and soul for strenu-
Gus prosecution Of the war. declaring
It Is no time for the discussion of
domestic problems. But To the demo-
Gratis of the Duma he can be only a
%bureaucrat and re%actionary.
1t may therefore be the case that
the Car dressed in the army uniform
appeared at a session Of the Duma tn
give his cOuntenance to the new Pre-
mier and strengthen that officers po-
litical position as well as to stir the
patriotism Of the members. II must
also be remembered that the proroga-
ton Of the Duma last September was
an unpopular act. The Cars pres
ence at the reassembling of the body
proves at least that he Is a shrewd
politician. To describe his appear
unce as epOchal seems to he some
what misleading.