Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-13
RUSSIA PRESSING
DOMESTIC REFORM
Great Progress Made Despite
Internal and Foreign
Anxiety.
TROOP MUTINY QUELLED
BY the Associated Press.

| BY the Associated Press
| PETROGRAD, June IL via London, June
| 13.-Despite internal and foreign anxiety
the provisional government is making
rapid progress toward constitutional re-
construction and domestic reform
This week there is sitting under the
presidency of F. F. Kokoshkine, a mem
ber of the duma, a council of sixty-one
members which aim to prepare for cleo
tions to the constituent assembly. This
| assembly will not only draft Russia's
permanent constitution. but will also
solve certain immediate problems. the
chief Of which are the questions Of ma
tionalities and the conditions of the trans
fer of the lands of the mobiles to the
peasantry. In this preparatory council
are sitting a group of constitutional spe;
cialists. also deputies from the army and
| from all the political parties. representa-
tives of Jews, Ukranians, Poles and other
races and also representative OF the
women, the famous feminist, Nine. Shish'
kin Yavein.
| A warmly debated question in the coun-
| Gil concerns the age of voters; all the
parties have set low. The electoral com
| mission Of the council has recommended
eighteen years, but the full council yes
terday raised the age limit to twenty
years for civilian men and women and
! eighteen years for soldiers. Another COM
mission is considering the manner ir
which the army will vote If war prevails
at the time Of the elections.
Other Important Reforms.
Other important reforms have been
put forward from the ministry Of JUS
tice. Today the minister Of justice
published bill which has been sub
guaranteeing the inviolability of the
person and home and also for the pro-
lection of private correspondence. Nc
one under the proposed law may be
held under arrest for more than twenty
four hours without a preliminary
judicial inquiry. Domiciliary visits are
prohibited except with the authorize
tion of Judge. Secrecy of mail, tele-
graphs and telephones is declared to
be inviolate. Persons who suffer from
breach Of this law are given the right
to sue for compensation. and official
violators of the law are made criminal
ly responsible.
The provisional government has is
courts electable on American principles
Women may be voted for as magis-
trates and sit as magistrates.
Units of self-Government.
An important reform proclaimed yes
terday is the introduction of the small
unit Of local self-government in which
all classes may participate equally.
Heretofore the smallest such unit was
the district zemstvo, which administer
ed very large area. and cantons and
communes having purely peasant ad-
ministrations. Henceforth the cantons
will be administered by representatives
Of all classes voting equally.
These reforms. though they were pro.
| claimed automatically by the provision
cally received. as they satisfy the his
toric national demands. which the for.
mer government repeatedly promised
but never fulfilled.
Soldiers Mutiny Quelled.
The forces in the army at the front
which are loyal to the provisional gov
strength with disloyal pacifsts and
have won a notable victory. Two days
ago Lieut.. Gen. Stcherbatchef. COM
mander on the Rumanian front, gave
tirailleur and one Siberian tirailleul
regiment. all of which were considered
useless for fighting purposes
Three regiments Of another division
were ordered to take up new posi-
ton, but refused to do SO, and there
upon received an order to disband. The
soldiers openly mutinied.
A resolute general was chosen. having
under his command two divisions OF
loyal cavalry. two battalions Of infantry
planes, and undertook the task Of sup
pressing the revolt. The mutinous SOL
diers. seeing that they were surrounded
attempted to negotiate, but at the las,
moment. Philipoff melted them to new
resistance. The loyalist general immedi-
ately ordered his guns into action. where
upon the rebels Internationally accepted
the ultimatum and surrendered Philopofl
and others, who were taken to prison In
an automobile
There is great rejoicing in government
circles over the first success in the in
evitable struggle against the forces OF
anarchy.
Critical at Kronstad+.
The Kronstadt revolt has reached q
new critical stage owing to the forma
reputation of the secessionist counci
Of deputies The garrison also virtual,
unanimously passed resolution de-
manding that the council obey all the
commands which the provisional gov.
ernment Issues in defense of the revo
| luton or in defense of Russia agains
| a foreign enemy.
This resolution 80 frightened the Sc
cessionist council that its president. the
student Lamanof. has come to Petro
grad with the aim Of again Offering
| concessions to the cabinet.
| PeaSantS Back government.
| The an-Russia congress of peasants
delegates, after discussing at specia
sitting the recent events at kronstadt
passed the following resolution by {
. vote of 1000 TO 4:
! This congress wishes TO inform tn,
/ inhabitants of kronstadt that thu
peasants will stop the dispatch of al
food TO Kronstadt II the town does no
, Immediately Join her revolutionar,
| forces to those of the Russian democ
racy and unless ii recognizes the pro
visional government"
| At the same time the resolution
/ urges the government to demand tn,
absolute submission of kronstadt and
| in the event Of the refusal of the town
TO adopt most energetic measures fol
! the dissipation of Kronstadt's separat
| ist aspirations. The congress promised
| the government the support of al
peasants in the struggle against Kron
stadt.
Cleavage in Russia
Made More Apparent
| by Mr.. Wilson's Note