The Washington herald., 1917-01-14
new RUSSIAN PREMIER
. SKATERS PEACE HOPE
Bold Stand Puts End to Rumors Of
Separate Treaty with Teutons.

DSPolotS iiSoiy WIN icutOilS.
1t is. evident that Russia is under bet
/ ter leadership and has more definite
aim and spirit than at any previous mo-
! ment since the outbreak of the war, saws
new prime minister, Trepoff. has taken
| bold positions, and ended the rurnor that
German influences surrounding the
Russian court were working hopefully for
! a separate peace. Cabinet reconstruction
was going on last month, and the in
tluence and authority of the Duma were
/ evidently increasing. The greatest en-
/ thusiasm had followed the announcement
| by Premier TEepoff. on December 2, that
Russia's allies had definitely agreed to
the plan of giving Constantinople and
the straits connecting the Black ana
| Mediterranean seas to Russia in the
| settlement at the end of the war.
Russia is determined to regain Poland
and to win Constantinople.
Il is not believed that any German pro-
posals at this time could satisfy Russia.
In fact. the new foreign minister, Pok-
/ rovsky, speaking for the Gear at ses-
sion of the Duma on December l6, ad-
vocated the fiat refusal to consider Ger
man peace proposals, and this view was
| supported by a resolution unanimously
adopted by the representative body. On
| December 10 it was announced from Pet
! rogTad that the council OF the Russian
empire had on that day adopted an "or-
| der" identical with the Duma resolution,
unanimously refusing ito enter under
present conditions into any peace nego-
tiations with Germany"
With American interests so focused
upon David Lloyd George as the organ
izer of British resources ana the dis
covered of a new type of business states
manship, it is easy to ignore. through
I - L.
going on in the most colossal of all mod
| ern nations. The war has brought
| great ferment into the life of Russia.
Education is to become universal and
compulsory. The prohibition of vodka
I goes with a general reform of popular
conditions. The press is more liberal than
ever before. There is to be new RUS
! sta, and already the marks of progress
are manifest.
For Russian Progress.
This new premier, Alexander Theodore
witch Trepoff, is in sympathy with every
thing that is associated with sane prog
ress in Russia. He helped to create the
DuTa. and has studied the parliaments
of Western Europe. He has had much
to do with provincial government. 1t is
he who, since the war began. has laid
out the great scheme of new railroads
and canals; and as minister of transpor-
tation he has been trying to repair the
blunders of the first months of the strug
gle. He IS rapidly building 5000 miles of
| railroads on tCn-year program. He will
| cooperate with Lloyd George and BRAND
in working out allied plans.
There have been some cabinet changes
in Germany also though not through dis
satisfaction with the government. The
resignation of Herr Won Jagow, as foreign
minister. resulted in the promotion OF the
equally prominent Herr Zimmerman, who
has been the efficient under secretary.
| The most notable change has been the
organization of tho task of mobilizing
the entire nation for war service. A
new and commanding Office has been Gre
ated, under the headship of Gen. Groener.
He is master of all resources, material
and human. What Hindenburg has now
becomes in, the actual conduct of the war,
Groener is to all that can contribute to
the supply and maintenance of the war.
! He is master Of munltion making, mas
ter OF transportation by rail and canal.
master or fUod productionr and ,distribu-
ton, master of employment and the dis
| tribution Of labor. Austria and Bulgaria
are patterning their closer organization
| of war energies upon the German model.
Assassination and resignation having
disposed of two Austrian preniers within
few weeks, the third has come into
power and the cabinet has been reorgan-
lied. The new government head is Herr
| Alexander SpitZmuelIer, a banker and
| business man. The tendency in Austria,
as in other European countries, is toward
cabinet Of practical men experienced
! in large undertakings. We are publish
| ing elsewhere two articles dealing with
| Austrian problems, one of them present.
ing study Of the long career of the late
Francis Joseph, and the other dealing
| with the present and future of Austria
| as the new emperor, Charles I, contem-
! plates his polyglot realms and seeks to
! find basis for their stable co-operatior
| in the future. Thus both groups of bel
| ligerents are organizing for a higher de-
| gree of war efficiency than has yet been
! shown by either. Such energy and eff
fort should be turned to objects of hu-
man welfare, and not to, the wholesale
| and general destruction of Europe.
Same Leadership Here.
! In the United States we have not. as
in Europe. found new governmental lead
ership, nor is any reorganization thought
| to be probable. President Wilson'S re-
election has been accepted with charac-
| teristic good temper and with an evident
| desire in all quarters to sustain him in
every wise and patriotic policy Earlier
| rumors Of numerous Cabinet changes to
be made on March 4, when Mr.. Wilson
begins his second term. have been dis
credited. If changes are to be made, the
| secret has been well kept 1t is said
with no contradiction that the President
| has invited every member of the present
| Cabinet to remain at his post.
1t has been a diligent and also a highly
| respectable Cabinet, not much given to
posing and without a single member who
errs on the side of garruIity or PLAYS
for the big headlines on the front page.
| II one goes far enough back in our his
| tory he may find a President or two of
commonplace qualities somewhat eclipsed
by scintillating Cabinet officers. Mr.. Will
| son has not created that kind of an en-
| tourage. The most Striking personalities
| in the cabinet as first formed were Mr.,
Hryan and Mr.. Garrison; but much his
! tory has been made in their respective
departments since they gave I'D their
| portfolios.
Mr.. McAdoo took to the Treasury De-
partment his well-known qualities of
alertness, optimism, efficiency and cour-
age to attempt and to persist in the face
of difficulties. He has been associated
| with that great achieyemept a the ra4o--,