Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-18
STATEMENT Of NEW
GOVERNMENT POLICY
HAS BEEN APPROVED
Workmen'S and Soldiers DEL
egates Sign Declaration Of
Principles With Only Slight
Alterations

PETROGRAD, May 17.-(Via London.)
The cabinet crisis has been settled. A
declaration of the governments policy
has been accepted by the representatives
of the council of workmen's and SOL
diers' delegates, with merely slight
alterations, and was signed by them at
midnight.
NJ Tchernoff, national Socialist, was
appointed minister of agriculture, and
Nj. Skobeleff, vice president of the coun-
Gil of workmen's and soldiers delegates,
was appointed minister of labor.
1t was also decided to include in the
government Feodor Kokoshkine, consti-
tutional Democrat and a professor All
the University of Moscow, and NJ
Tseretelli, member of the council of
workmen's and soldiers delegates. Their
duty will be to prepare for the COM
stituent assembly.
Differences between the duma govern
ment and the soldiers and workmen's
delegates have melted away and the
formation of a cabinet which seems cer-
tain to command full support of all
factions went on apace.
Today the executive committee Of
the soldiers and workmen's commit
tee met with the duma ministry. They
asked that the ministry include in the
reorganized cabinet three social demo-
Gratis and these national socialists-six
out of twelve of the cabinet posts.
Official denial of alarmist reports OF
conditions of anarchy at Vladivstok was
issued today. 1T was asserted the army
commandant there reported complete
quiet and cooperation of all classes
ever since the revolution.
One thing which it seems has had
great effect in stopping the internecine
strife among factions here. is the series
of statements printed in Russian news
papers urging complete democracy and
unity of effort to GUST autocratic Ger
many. Today the statements of Hamil-
ton Holt, New York editor, and q num-
Der of American Socialists that the
United States does not seek and does
not favor ACKNOWLEDGMENT in the war.
were received with special favor.
SITUATION. EXPLAINED.
Few people outside Of Russia will
understand why there has been so much
vacillation about coalition cabinet
why the soldiers and workmen's dele
gates first refused the duma ministry's
proffer of such a plan; why they
changed this refusal into acceptance, on
certain specified terms; why the duma
leaders rejected the specified terms and
how ii comes today that there is so
much "jockeying' between the two fac
tions for the reorganiZed cabinet. An
understanding of what the soldiers and
workmens council really amounts to,
is essential.
AS a matter of fact the workmen's
and soldiers delegates have practically
usurped the place formerly held theoret-
icaIly in Russian administrative affairs
by the duma. The delegates are repre-
sentatives of the Russian people them
selves
When the revolution succeeded the
Russian people spontaneously began to
consider some way of taking advantage
of the lesson in cooperation and popu-
lar rule and the experience they had
gained in the Zemslvo and other CO
operative societies under the old auto
cratic rule. Such organizations Is the
Zemslvo many times saved Russia under
the old regime by assuring proper food
to troops at the front and endeavorinS
to balance distributions of foodstuff
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE"
Many leaders of the ministry were
prominent in these organizations-be-
coming important because they were
originally chosen by the people. But
with the revolution a success. the peo-
pie began electing delegates to meet in
the duma building to act as sort of
zemslvo organization to aid in gov
ornamental administration. Workmen all
over Russia met in barracks, trenches,
work shops, and peasants-including
women-in all settlements, to choose
representatives. These delegates has
tened to Petrograd. Entirely unofficial.
they nevertheless constitute the nearest
approach to voice of the people" now
possible in Russia
The delegates occupied the duma
building. The structure now resembles
a convention hall IN which a National
Christian Endeavor society is meeting.
or the Federation of Labor, or the Ro-
tarians. Improvised signs in the CORR
doris tell the delegates in what rooms
to register, where TO find lodging, and
when meetings will be hel5.
Because the worknen and the soldiers
have all the rifles, they predominate
over the purely peasant classes. More
over, the lighting class is backed by a
majority or the people
With this unff1cial assembly added to
the Russian governmental machinery,
the duma has been entirely superseded.