The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-16
Failure to Cope With Situation
Brought Revolution.
Two Ministers, Lax in Duty,
Blamed for Lost Crown.
ORDER QUICKLY FROM CHAOS
People Stood Hours in Bread
Lines at 20 Below Zero.
Commodities So Costly Poor
Unable to Procure Food.

London, March 16.-One of the
most remarkable features of the Rus
sian revolution, says Reuters Petro-
grad correspondent, has been the
speed with which the people have re-
sumed normal life. Order is the
watchword of the day. The CORE
spondent continues:
still more remarkable, looking
back over the events of the past few
days. is the way in which the same
spirit of good order prevailed thru the
hours when the revolt was at its
height. Unorganized crowds of re-
VOTERS seemed to take pride in doing
things regularly
For instance, in all sections of the
city the crowds Communicated all
| motor cars on the streets, but in every
case took the names of the occupants
and promised to report the names and
circumstances to the duma committee
and facilitate the return of the car.
Revolution Almost BloodlesS.
I'm the view of the populace the
revolution was practically bloodless,
certainly there has been some loss of
| life, but It is insignificant in popular
estimation as compared with the ire
mendous results obtained. For some
weeks past everybody in Petrograd
realized that a crisis. of some kind was
approaching. The temper, even of the
most patient people in world, becomes
frayed when they are obliged to stand
three or four hours in temperature
| 10 or 20 below zero waiting for bread
that often was not obtained. Potatoes
had risen to eight and nine times their
ordinary price and other food COM
modities were at cost practically
prohibitive to the poor.
| 1.-THE explanation of the voluble
minister of agricultural, NJ. Ritticn,
was not calculated either to relieve
the present hunger or the anxiety for
the future. He ascribed the delay
in the arrival of flour to a snow
storm, as tho snowstorms in Russia in
February were an unparalleled phe-
nomen. The people in the streets were
! not the only ones who squirmed undec
| this sort of explanation. The duma
leaders as well regarded the situation
| as inexcusable and President Rad
zianko finally felt justified in going to
the length of offering his whole
hearted assistance in putting into eff
feet the special emergency measures
for increasing the food supply.
Interior Minister Courted Disfavor.
Minister of the Interior Proto-
popoff was absent from Saturdays
| conference on the food question. NJ.
Protopopoff is a wealthy nanufactu
and a courtier with a reputation for
| debonair duplicity. Residing in the
Tsarskoe-Selo Palace, he was reported
| lately as spending a large part OF
| time indUlging in spiritualistic frances.
Equally detested by the parliamentary
ians and the people he never appeared
in the duma since his ministerial ap-
pointment.
! with such an administration of
agriculture and interior with the pre-
mier a nonentity it was not surprising
that the food prospects were regarded
by the members of the duma with the
greatest alarm and even dismay Even
| dunla leaders were discussing the food
situation and people in the streets were
| getting more and more voluble in their
protests against the whole situation