Evening star., 1917-03-11

100000 men as "a minimum. the Austrian
army appeared completely lost. 1t weo
Tor tact saved by the extraordinAfY
organization of the German army. Thle
organization. moreover kept back thb
RUSSIAN advance, not without incurf1n8
great losses. Those more familiar WITH
the spirit OF the Austrians explain thoo
during this time the Austrians had re-
ceived the news Of serious reversee %
the Italian front by the troops und0e
Gen. Cadorna, who. having definitely
driven the Austrians into the Trens
tino, captured Gorizia and took q pare
of Carso. These defeats. when known
to the Austrian army, seriously affected
its morale.
IL Russia has been the country OF
surprises in things military she has
also been par excellence the country
OF surprises in things political. evincing
thus vast and inexhaustible sources Of
strength. When things were going
wrong recently with the ship OF state
the car boldly seized the helm and
brought the ship to port. Just what
occurred behind the thick veil OF the
censor one can only have a vague ideA
from the rescript of the czar. which
said:
We are in complete solidarity with
our faithful allies. not admitting the
thought of a conclusion of peace be-
iore a definite victory. i believe firm
iy that the Russian people, supporting
with abnegation the burdens of war,
VIII accomplish its duty to the end
without stopping at any sacrifice.
like to believe that the council OF
ministers under your presidency will
have the support of the council of tho
empire and of the duma united in q
unanimous and ardent desire to bring
the war to a victorious end. I consider
1t the duty of all persons called to serv-
Ice to bear with benevolent rectftud0
and dignity all legislative institutions"
x
Prior to this royal rescript things IN
Russia appeared to Indicate a reaction.
airy tendency. There
A Reactionarv WAS Introduction OF
Tendency. srss.. s ss''s MS n.,o, os"
nance in the ministry of the interior Of
N. Protopopoff, attached to the Sturmer
clan; the retirement of NJ. Trepofr and
of NJ. Ignatieff, followed by the depar-
ture of all the moderate ministers;
nomination to the presidency OF the
council of the empire of such . noted
reactionary as NJ. Steheglovitoff:
finally the adjournment Of the duma-
so many facts signifying the recru-
descence of occult influences OF which
Russia had suffered so much. Who
could have foreseen under such condi-
tions rescript such as that which tho
emperor addressed to Prince Galitzine?
The rectitude and sincerity of Nicho-
las III have always been marked, and
the striking feature of the new initia-
tive is the clearness of his policy The
problem is treated with entire frank
ness. The war is to be conducted to
victory. To that end it is indispensa-
BILE to remedy certain grave vices crises
in foodstuffs and lack of transporta-
tion. To remedy this the cooperation
of all good intentions is necessary.
The cohesion of government. normal
relations between the ministry, the
legislative institutions and the provin-
clal organizations of the Zemstvos. All
that is exposed simply. but with firm
ness. Certain allusions to the "unifl.
cation of the ministry" to the "con-
cordance of action of all administra.
tions," designate without consideration
the grave gaps in the governmental
mechanism. The appeal for the sup
port of the chambers and the zemstvos
indicates a progressist inclination. Alb
solutely contrary to that which had
peror The rescript, for a fact, is q
program and a grave warning Rus
STA must conquer the enemy, but she
will commence first of all by conquer
ing herself.
1t is just now apropos. in the moment
Mexico and Japan, to
German Plots cite what NJ. Rene
d'Aral has said in tho
Gauloi concerning
Germany's plots in Russia. which until
now have been concealed by the censor.
NJ. Rene dAral writes:
without doubt Germanophilism shows
itself very active in the countries
of our allies, and it has found sur
prising and regrettable complexities:
it has been able to elaborate an auda-
cious plan i'm Russia and made an at
tempt to realize it. 1t counted on the
lack of a superior authority which
draws its tenacity from the instructive
loyalty that dominates all other senti-
ments-loyalty to the cZar. The car
has given his word he will maintain it;
he knows that the security of his en-
pire is subordinate to victory: he will
not disarm before he has obtained vic.
tory"
While the czar personifies the su-
preme will. the duma represents the ma
tional will. The nation-the people-has
consented to immense sacrifices; ii ex.
poets to obtain compensations.
Behind the duma there are the zem.
stvos. the. direct representatives of tho
rural populations well as the peo-
pies in the cities; the zemstvos, which
defend regional interests and which
are profoundly convinced that Russia
must go to the end. no matter the sac.
rifices.
Russia. We should not forget, has
some things quite as impenetrable and
disc one erting as
DiSconcerting China. for example.
n.,.. There are things you
see and yet you do
not see. things you know and yet you do
not know. The death of Raspoutine re-
mains a mystery. The maintenance OF
terror after the refusal of the duma
to receive him. These are things that
Petrograd holds I'm common with PelSing.
But aside from these troublous Situ-
ations there are two significant acts
which may serve as Indications: First
of ALL the rescript is categoric and a
of the emperor's political
progress: second the nomination of Gen.
Baldief as minister Of war, indisputa-
BILE guarantee, to the people and to tho
army. of the intensification of the inn
perial resolutions concerning the mill.
tary.
There should not be attached to the
of the duma pretexts more
than actually belong to it. There is a
question of equalizing the budget which
NAV better be settled outside the duma
than within.
Russia has not entirely shaken OF the
shackles that have bound her and pre-
feet achievement of her evolution. She
at this time erhaDs. the most