THE RUSSIAN UPHEAVAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 67, 19 March 1917, Page 4

THE RUSSIAN UPHEAVAL.

In his first enthusiasm, Fox declared hat the' French Revolution was the ■r'catest event in the history of the rorld. The Russian uphecaval is so vast n its actual results and its possibilities -hat lovers of liberty everywhere will, eel something of the elation that ■hrilled. this English tchool of thought, rhe news to-day shows that the Duma las established itself firmly with the idp of the army and the people, and that t is determined to introduce a thorough_oing programme of freedom, including some reforms which even,the, people of. Britain do not enjoy. Freedom of speech, freedom for labour, freedom for religion, :nd a constitutional Parliament based on universal suffrage, arc the main points in the most remarkable statement of policy ever issued by a Russian Government. Russia has never had freedom of speech, although that was part' of the Constitution granted in 1905, and it is only too clear now that political opponents of the Government have been treated with great severity during the war. Members of the Duma have,been exiled to Siberia, and the last move of the autocracy was to abolish parliamentary control. This is a matter which the English Press, out of loyalty to Britain's ally, was naturally reluctant to discuss. As for universal suffrage; it has not yet been- conceded' in. Britain, where the standard of education is so much higher, and the community is so much more advanced in'political experience. In; 1897, more than thirty years after-the emancipation of the serfs, the Russian percentage of illiteracy was still 79, and in 1905 only 42 per cent of the children of school age were going to school. Facts like these make one doubt whether Russia is ready for a completely democratic government. We reached our present state of political, freedom through centuries of struggle, but the Russians are attempting to cover almost the whole gap between autocracy and complete constitutional government at one bound. But just now most people are, naturally more interested in the effect of the revolution on the war, and the" news continues to show that the revolution' is an anti-German one, and 'that although it may cause some temporary dislocation of military effort, it will result in the war being conducted "With greater vigour. A significant incident in the disturbances at. Petrograd was the sacking of the palace .of Baron Fredericks, the Czar's Chamberlain. It has long been known that this man, who was in constant attendance on the Czar, and signed his decrees, was a pro-Ger-man- he may have done incalculable 'harm. There are sensational reports about the policy of the late Government. It ds said that they were in negotiation with Germany for peace, that the revolution came in the nick of time, and that actually operations at the front were slackened by agreement with'the enemy. These are only reports, but in the light of events it would he rash to say that they are not true.' It is also stated, on the • authority '.' <>f the '"Manchester Guardian," that the purpose of, Lord Milner's recent visit to Russia was to bring about a liberalising'df the RussiaGovernment, but the Czar's attitude prevented' him. succeeding. ..No. doubt .for some time "the -British. Government lias -been aware how greatly the Allies' cause -was endangered by the reactionary policy and pro-German leanings of the Russian Government and tbe bureaucracy ;. it would be part of the duty of the Briti—i 'Ambassador at Petrograd to keep _bis Government posted i:i these matters. British Ministers, of course, could say nothing publicly, so they Wad to defend the actions of the Allies without being able to. say anything about one of the greatest handicaps to Victory., The Allies may have to pay. heavily this year for the neglect and treachery of highly-placed Russians, for the damage done'by tn* pro-German policy of the last few months -can hardly be repaired in >ipe—t or _month. But the army chiefs and-the army are with, the new movement, and if the new Government can keep its position without conflict, the-new- situation must for wax p_rpo—_ 'be 'better th_n -a- voii—__ationdt the otd. The Allied world will hear with great __.t_fj_ti.o_ that the grand

Duke (Nicholas has been appointed Com-mander-in-Chief of the Armies; For over i a year the Grand Duke vas one of the t great figures of the war, and since his f appointment to the Caucasus command c he has added to his high, reputation as t a soldier.- But be is more than a fine n soldier; he stands for the determination c of Russia to defeat Germanj', for the 1 patriotism of the Russian as against E the lukowarmness or open or veiled f treachery of the Russo-German official, r. Tlie historian may accept as a fact the \ story that thie CzaT deprived tbe Grand c Duke of his command in 1915 'because he feared him as a possible leader of a revo- , lution. At any rate, he is now the ser- i vant of a "revolution, and he and Alexieff and the celebrated army group com- , manders should prove more than a match for the .Germans. ■ t