New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-19
LUof Says Government Is
NouU Backed With PolDer;
Serious Crisis Settled

Petrograd, May 1s.-After the solu-
tion of the governmental crisis by the
reception into the Cabinet of five So
cialist representatives of the Council
of Deputies Premier Prince Lvof au-
thorized representative Of The Asso-
ciated Press to transmit to America an
expression of the Premier's satisfac-
tion over the solution and his conf
dence in the future. Premier Lvoff
said:
"The most serious crisis in the mod
ern history of Russia has been salts
factorily settled, and conditions al
ready show marked symptoms of i'm
provement. 1t is my impression that
the new coalition Cabinet will receive
the support of all reasonable Russian
citizens. We have for the first time the
prospect of a government which will
combine both moral authority and ma
terial power.
"Most of the difficulties of my first
revolutionary Cabinet arose from the
fact that in all questions l and my col
leagues were obliged to rely solely
upon moral persuasion.
Had No Material Force
There was no actual governmental
power with material force such as you
have in America and in the other dem
ocratic countries of the world. After
two months experiment we discovered
that moral influence was a sufficient
weapon with a vast majority of reason
able Russian citizens, who desired
tranquility, but unluckily both in the
civilian population and the army there
were individuals and small groups who
actively aimed at anarchy and repudi-
ated all forms of discipline.
at became plain that the government
could not remedy this condition with
out material force, and this force could
be obtained only if representatives of
the Socialist and allied Left parties
entered the government and agreed to
support it unshrinkingly in policy
of combined freedom and order. II
this solution had proved unreachable
we were threatened with general an
archy. followed by a national disillu-
sion with the revolution and reaction
ary counter revolutionary movement as
the final stage.
"This normal course of unsuccessful
revolutions has, hope, been avoided as
the result of the agreement between
the temporary government and the
Council of Deputies.
Council to Support Government
"The Council has undertaken to sup
port the government against anarchy
and disorder, and, further, to work for
the restoring of discipline to the army,
naturally on condition, which we
granted, that the army will be democ-
ratified.
"My hope is that when the present
enemies of national tranquility see
that not only the so-called bourgeoisie
but also the workmen and the Socialists
themselves stand for the restoration of
order they will, without compelling us
TO take action, abandon their present
anarchical methods, which if con-
tnued would result in the ruin of Rus
STA. The programme of policy which
we have agreed upon with our new col
leagues contains very great concessions
to the Socialists, but these concessions
were an indispensable condition 81 So
cialist collaboration in the government.
an the future democratic Russia
must not only enjoy freedom, but must
take on itself the responsibility OF de-
Tending its freedom. Personally, ] do
not doubt our democracy's fitness for
higher governmental work. Daring the
negotiations which led TO a settlement
the representatives of the Council OF
Deputies showed that they thoroughly
understood the dangers threatening
Russia and were determined to do
everything possible to save the country
from anarchy, defeat and dissolution