The Washington times., 1917-04-27
VODKA OVERTHROW
MADE RUSSIA FREE
Gar Doomed AbsoIutism When
He Decreed Abolition OF
Liquor Traffic.

"a competent observer VINO "llneSscu
the revolution in Russia has just re-
turned and has furnished the follow
ing account Of the revolution and the
present outlook in Russia"
Reflection on the recent changes In
Russia" says the writer, land a grow
ing sense of perspective only serve 10
increase the telling that the revolution
was one of the most astonishing, al
most miraculous events In modern his
tory. Even now it is difficult to say
exactly how it came about. 1t was un-
dcubtedly the work of the people and
the army, but had it been possible to
ask the people or the army ten days
before it occurred whether there
would be a revolution, 1t is by no
means certain what would have been
the reply.
zone thing is certain. The reac-
tionaries, led by the Czarine and Pro
topopoff, the minister of the interior.
were bent on promoting q disturbance
in Petrogrand and elsewhere. OF this
fact there Is irrefutable evidence. Not
only had a state Of famine been delib-
erately engineered in Petrograd and
other cites with the object OF promot-
ing a disturbance which the reaction
aries were prepared to turn to account
as a pretext for conclusion of peace
favorable to Germany, but Protopo-
poff had appointed a prefect OF Petro-
grad with instructions to organize dis
turbances.
$50 generally was this known to the
police that when an influential person
age reached Petrograd on a train on
the morning of the day when the dis
turbances were to occur, finding no
conveyance at the station and calling
TO a policeman to get him a carriage.
he received this reply: 1T is not yet
midday and it does not begin until .
o'clock
Cattle Starved to Death.
when the edelegate of the Duma
announced to the peasants the fall OF
Czardom and explained that hence
forth they would enjoy political lib
erty, they said. Then IL we are free
We shall no longer have TO see our
cattle die Inquiry revealed the fact
that in that district 1,I00 head of
cattle had been collected by the au-
thorities and had starved to death.
Every peasant who attempted to
bring food to the famished beasts
had been chased away>by the guards.
This was within a comparatively
short distance of Petrograd, where
meat was at famine prices.
'It is difficult for western Europe
to appreciate the curious mental
angle of vision OF the Russian peo-
pie. There is simple -idealism
among them that must be expert
enced to be believed. Take for in
stance the conduct of a large num-
Der of convicts in one of the big
prisons. The revolution liberated not
only political prisoners but con-
demned malefactors. When the con-
victs in one prison were told they
were free they answered.:
I'VE have no right to be free. We
have committed crimes and we must
eXpiate them
"Straightway they elected warders
from among their number, and swore
to obey them and hang any man who
attempted to escape. 1t was a COM
mon experience when the soldiers of
the garrison or armed civilians shot
or executed police agents that thew
Immediately sought out a priest and
confessed their deeds, asking absolu-
tion.
But the most astonishing feature
Of the whole revolution was the reye.
lation of the weakness OF the Cars
hold upon the people. peasant and
workman alike. He was nothing 70
them, hardly even a name. / visited
several parts of the country after the
revolution, and found nowhere regret
-
peasants were far more Interested in
the local landowners than in the for-
mer Empe/Dr. They seemed scarcely
to have been affected by the propa-
ganda for the free distribution of
land, but have in many places ex-
pressed q wish to be allowed to buy
land at fair prices from the govern
ment.
"It Is true that one peasant woman
whom saw wept when she '.eard Of
the abdication OF the Car. How shall
we now say our prayers she asked
tearfully. 1t was explained to her
that she could pray for the Duma.
This Substitution OF the Duma for
the Czar in prayers is now widespread
in Russia.
Attitude of Empress.
''The most interesting personality
OF the old regime was certainly the
Empress. The Emperor was thor
oughly anti-German. Probably the
Empress was anti-ally and pro-Ger-
man, not so much out OF love for the
Germans as because sine believed Il
was her mission to maintain absolute
monarchy in Russia for tho sake al
her husband and her son. She thought
Germany much less dam erous in this