New-York tribune., 1917-07-18
Independent Province a
Menace, Resigning Ma
tionalists Believed
Left and Right United
Extremists Sudden Coup In
tensifies Provisional Gov
ernment's Troubles
By ISAAC DON LEVINE

The newest political crisis in Russia
is the result of unprecedented ana
simultaneous action on the part OF the
extremists of the Right and Left. The
Right is led By Paul Miliukoff, ex-For-
eign Minister and leader of the CADETS
The Left is headed by Nikolai Lenin'
the internationalist and chief OF the
pacifst Maxmalists. In the centre
stands the Provisional Government,
backed by the Socialist Council OF
Workmen and Soldiers.
The recent elections in Petrograd and
Moscow have shown that the large ma
jority of the population backs the pres
ent Socialist regime. And yet the op-
position on both fanks is BY no means
negligible. In the ranks Of the Maxi
malists, or Bolsheviki, are found all
shades of communists, anarchists, pa
cifists, syndcalists and international
lists. All these various believers are
sincere in their extreme CONVICTIONS
and are dangerous only as fanatics.
Demonstrations Suppressed
For some weeks past they have been
trying TO interfere with the activities
of the Provisional Government, arrang-
ing for demonstrations and threatening
a new overturn. But the government
always anticipated their moves. This
week they evidently succeeded late. at
night in holding a demonstration, but
the promptness and severity with which
this was put down is an eloquent trlo-
ute to the authority now exercised by
! the government.
More serious, however. is the crisis
( arising out of the opposition on the
/ Right, which resulted in the resigna-
| ton of the three Cabinet ministers
Sirce the early days Of May, when
} Foreign Minister Miliukoff and War
Minister Gutchkoff resigned, the Cadets
who are Nationalists, discussed the
problem of their party's relation TO the
/ Provisional Government This party
which the Duma fairly represents, IS
the political .eSganzation Of the middle
! class. II doey not accept the formu!a
of mo annexations and no indemni.
ties" promulgated by the Provisional
Government.
Fear Finnish Menace
A conflict between these Nationalists
and the government has now arisen on
the questions OF Finland and Ukraine
or Little Russia. Both Finland and
! Ukraine demanded almost independent
| existence. The governments ems.
saries managed TO arrive at some KIND
! of an agreement with both natlonali-
| ties. But the Cadets hold that any
! such agreements can be made only by
the Constituent Assembly. Their mem
/ bers therefore resigned.
The Russian Nationalists feel that 70
grant at the present stage virtual m
| dependence 10 Finland means inviting
| German attack at Petrograd through
| Finland. Germany and Finland are
svmnathetic toward each other, and
/ the present insistent Finnish move
ment for independence is largely the
work Of German agents. The Finnish
question is therefore one Of the hard'
est confronting Free Russia, as the SAT
isfaction of the Finns' demands to-day
would jeopardize the entire existence
| Of revolutionary Russia.
The Cadets will gain influence and
! followers on the Finnish issue, Great
ing a large body Of Nationalist sentl-
n,ent in opposition to the Socialist gov
ernment. So long as the Ukraniah
and Finnish problems are unsettled the
nolitical crisis now developing IN Rus
sia will remain pregnant with grave
! possibilities.