The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-03-22


through the Vaccinations of eircum.
stances find themselves under dom.
inatlon much more oppressive than
that against which they originally
arose.
Forced to humilatng peace with
Germany, which involved the surren.
der of thousands Of square miles of
lands. the 12ussian republic" has
turned out to be rank failure.
The following review of the Rus
sian situation the past year has been
prepared by The Associated Press for
The Banner:
When the transoceanic cables. or
dinarily high.pitched with the news of
the war. remained silent for hours in
! succession early in March regarding
/ the internal affairs of Russia, the
worlds statesmen guessed the truth
! 4 revolution was undermining a
throne from which massive Empire
has been ruled automatically for cen.
/ turies. Significant happenings in
Russia had forecast this uprising. and
when the cables resumed It became
| known that the Romanof dynasty had
| been over-thrown and republic born.
There had been food riots and la.
Dor strikes in Petrograd The sitting
of the Duma had been suspended BY
! Nicholas H.. to be resumed next
month (ApriD unless extraordinary
circumstances intervene" And it was
upon the Duma that the mass of the
Russian people depended for the sue.
cessful prosecution of their part in
the world war and for the ,rededication
of German influence from govern.
mental circles.
The Emperor abdicated on March
IA. mis- ministry being swept from of.
fee. and the Grand Duke Michael
was named Regent. These events
were preceded by three days of riot
ing in the streets of Petrograd, about
500 or 700 persons being killed. The
Sarrisons at Petrograd and Moscow
wavered and then went over in a body
70 the revolutionaries Pro.German re
dictionaries were rounded up. Many
political prisoners were liberated. i'll
Guiding a great horde which, freed
from Incarceration in Siberia, entered
Petrograd amid scenes not unlike
those at Paris during the French Rev
elution. Important among these re
turned exiles was Madame Catherine
Breshkovskaya. Grand mother of the
Revolution"
The Duma leaders had brought al
this about, having disregarded an or
der from the Emperor to dissolve and
having voted to create a provisional
government Other garrsons came
in to strengthen the movement. ant
Russian Army generals at the from
assured their support.
Grand Duke Michael abdicated the
throne on March 16.
A new national Cabinet was organ
lied, with Prince George L. Lvoff as
Premier and Minister of the Interior
and Alexander Kerensky, later to be
come dominating figure in this dra
ma, as Minister of Justice.
The new regime proclaimed policies
which included amnesty for political
prisoners, religious freedom. liberty
OF speech and universal suffrage. Ev
en- in the war capitals of the Central
Powers ii was conceded that the Rev
olution had been accomplished under
the guidance of Russia's war party
and some of the German newspapers
dared to predict that the revolt would
be farreaching as a step toward the
demonstration of Europe In Eng
land 1t was regarded as an Entente tri
umph and German disaster.
The United States, then neutral
was first to recognize the provisional
government, on March % A few days
later Great Britain. France and Italy
officially welcomed the new republic
America later sent diplomatic and rail
road missions to aid Russia, and made
financial loans. Elihu Root, who head
ed the diplomatic body, assured the
provisional government that the Unit
) ed States would stand by Russia and
other members of the mission express
sed confidence in the success of the
new democracy. Jews throughout the
world interpreted the situation as a
stride toward universal freedom for
their race.
Meanwhile the deposed Emperor
and Empress Alexandra were ordered
arrested and they were made prison
ers at Tsarskoe.Selo, later being re
moved with their encourage to Fort
ress ST. Peter and st. Paul. at Petro
grad.
A plot to proclaim Grand Duke Mi
chael Emperor failed, In April.
Nikolai Lenine, noted revolution