New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-25

enemy through hulldHld, VI iell W io'
on the plains of Bessarabia. And on
top of that, the Car continued to sup
press the Duma, appoint government
after government of the blacklist re-
dictionaries, and try to dicker with Ger
many for separate peace.
In tie face of the wholesale corrup-
ton of the government, the Liberal mid
dle-cass anti-German element came for
ward to volunteer their services. For
example, the Association of Zemstvos.
of which Price Lvov was president. Of
fered to do the purchasing for the War
Department-which it did to limited
degree with great ability.
All this time the Duma, hampered as
it was, had been getting more and more
frankly critical. Professor Miliukov
was hurting at the government such ac-
cusations as had never before been
heard in Russia For example, he said,
Russia has a government which is ex-
traordinarily inefficient, extraordinarily
corrupt and extraordinarily traitorous."
Rodzianko was demanding that a COM
mittee of the Duma, working IN con-
junction with the Association of Zem-
stvos, be given complete charge of the
purchasing department of the govern
ment and of the manufacture of NUM-
tons.
During the first week in September
the Car answered by sending the
Grand Duke Nicholas to the Caucasus,
calling to his pavilion at the front Mr..
SoukomlinOv, then under cloud for
treachery, and taking command himself
which the ambassadors of the En-
tente powers believed equivalent to a
move for separate peace with Germany.
The persistent degeneration of the rail
way service, the harsh repressive meas
ures taken by the police against public
meetings, the shortage of food in the
cities, due to the shortage of vast
amounts by spectators, had already
precipitated riots in May. Now a series
of great strikes broke out, and popular
clamor against the Czarina and her
German court was heard everywhere.
They're starving us so we'll be too
weak to defend the Fatherland against
the Germans~ cried the people. The
strikes spread against the Puteelov
Armament Works, in Petrograd,
throughout the railways and the public
utilities in every great Russian city, to
be ruthlessly broken by slaughters in
the streets and by deportations to
Siberia.
And on this occasion one can see the
first incident of the present revolution.
The Association of Zemstvos and the
Association of Cities sent joint COM
mittee direct to the Gar, headed by
Prince Lvov, with the threat that UNI
less the government we're liberalized
the people would not remain loyal. The
Car refused to receive the delegation
and dissolved the Duma.
Immediately after that some steps
were taken to reform the intendancy
staff and reorganize the army. How
ever, this impulse did not long persist.
The reaction was again in power. Stur-
mer, petty noble and reactionary Of
the worst type, was appointed Premier,
and after him Trepof, and after him
Golitzin - all three either allied with
or in the power of those dark forces
which began to be spoken of every
where, in the meeting of the Council
of Mobiles as well as in the Duma. But
the conduct of Protopopoff, as Minister
of the Interior, was the final straw. De-
nounced by the Council Of Mobiles in
December, the little group of intriguers
Of which Protopopoff was the outward
expression, came in for direct accusa-
ton by Rodzanko at the meeting, in
February, of the Russian Special Com
mittee Of Defence, and he was blamed
for deliberately hindering the national
effort and for creating a famine in the
cities. The Car was petitioned, through
the Minister of War, to give the matter
his attention.
This action seemed for time TO have