The Cordova daily times., 1918-06-29

ing an lnuemuty to Jdpdh aiIoi pooes was proclaimed.
 The constitutional reforms in Rus sia inaugurated by Nicholas were at tributed to the growth of demo cratic spirit among the Russian peo ple and to internal dissen0ioEs caused by the revelations of official incom petence and dishonesty in the war with Japan. A general strike in Pet rograd in September, 1905, gave the emperor warning of the danger of revolution and, to prevent this, he is sued in October a ukase promising a representative assembly and other re forms.
 Beginnings of Revolution
 Election of radical dumas, as the Russian constitutional assembly is known, apparently aroused in Mich, olas fears of what might develop from a popular government, and they were soon prorogued. Restriction of sui frage resulted and a non-conservative duma was elected.
 Adoption of policy of fostering the development of Slav nationalities in the Balkans led Nicholas into clash with Austria-Hungary, and when the German emperor aligned himself be- side Austria Gin shining armor," Rus sian ambitions suffered check. To what extent Nicholas dictated the pol icy of challenging Austrian aggres- sions upon Serbia which led to the great war that began in 1914 is not revealed, but he is said to have in sisted that Germany should not be permitted to awe Russia a second time.
 Soon after the beginning of the war the emperor proclaimed the auton- omy of a reunited Poland and in this, as well as his resistance to German aggression, he was in line with the de- velopment of Russian liberalism. After months of continuous disaster to the Russian armies, Nicholas took com mand of the Russian armies from Grand Duke Nicholas in September, 1915 His command, however, was re- garded as only nominal
 ! Weakness Led to Crisis
 Although the influences leading to the revolution of March, 1917, which forced his abdication, were various and some of them obscure, it was evi- dent that the leaders of the Russian liberal thought blamed the emperor for failure to prosecute the war success Tully, for continuing the rule of the bureaucrats and for the growth of a pro-German influence at the Russian strength There was a bitter strug- gle between the duma and the reac- tionary party, shortage of food, lack of supplies for the army, neglect of precaution and organization Some of these were attributed by the liberals to dark forces" at the court
 The Mystic Monk
 7, One of these for which the emperor was held personally responsible was the mysterious power exercised by Gregory Rasputin, the mystic monk, who had obtained great ascendancy over both emperor and empress. One explanation was that Rasputin had fostered in the emperors mind by de- ception the belief that the health of his only son, the Grand Duke Alexis, Genended upon Rasputin's good off, ces and presence at the court. Pro- tests against the monks power and presence and against the mysticism and superstition that enveloped the Russian throne were suppressed. The resentment eliminated in the murder of Rasputin and was famed to re- newed flame by the honors paid him after death, including burial in a chapel on the grounds of the em- peror's palace at Petrograd.
 Hunger Causes Resentment
 The government had ordered the dissolution of the council of the en- rirc and the duma. The hungry peo- pie were incensed by lack of food sup plies and held the government respon- sible for their suffering. The duma rejected the imperial ukase of dis solution, continued it's meetings and organized an executive committee. It was believed to represent the demand of the people that the war should be prosecuted with greater vigor aud ef- ficiency. The troops in Petrogra6 sus- tained the duma and within three days from it's inception the revolution was accomplished, the government over