JEKYLL AND HYDE IN THE RUS SIAN GOVERNMENT.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10150, 24 September 1898, Page 6

JEKYLL AND HYDE IN THE RUS SIAN GOVERNMENT.

In order to understand the cable message to the effect that the Russian Government is disconcerted at the welcome ' accorded the Czar's proposal for disarmament, it is necessary to consider tho circumstances under which that proposal was originally made, and also the conditions under which the Czar's Government is at the present time carried on. Tbe latter, it is understood, is a sort of Jekyll and Hyde arrangement. The Czar is a somewhat weak monarch, without a very strong will of his own, and his public acts vary according to whether Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde is in the ascendant in his Government. On the one hand,, there is Count Muravieff, the Minister of 'Foreign Affairs, representing the army and the Government officials, who are all for aggression, lavish expenditure and "bluff." On the other hand, - there is M. de Witte, the prudent Minister of Finance, who realises that Russia is on the eve of bankruptcy, and would infallibly break down under the strain of war with a great Power. Consequently he is the never-ceasing advocate of peace. Some time ago Count Muravieff was iv full swing, and it was announced with n flourish of trumpets that 90 millions of roubles were to be spent on strengthening the Russian fleet. Upon this Mr. Goschen came down with his famous supplemental programme, for four battleships, four cruisers, and twelve torpedo boats. He made no secret of ■ his reason for taking this action. "I ~ regret," he said, that "it should be my - J "misfortune to have to introduce the "name of any foreign Power, but it is impossible to conceal the fact that ii ; 'is the action.of Russia and the pro- "' " gramme on which she has entered which -i "is the cause of our strengthening our '% " fleet and taking parallel action with I'_ "her." Immediately after this, Mj de k Witte seems to have had a turn at the > f: helm. The Moscow correspondent of the $ • Standard" telegraphed, that the spending of the 90 million roubles had been • 3 suddenly checked. "The decision to '< "abandon at least for the present fur"ther expenditure upon naval construe- "? tion," he said, "was arrived at with "unexpected suddenness. It is hardly " creditable to British diplomacy to sup"pose that a large extraordinary vote" "was merely a piece of bluff, which was " dropped. after having served its pure " pose. It h preferable to hope thai the "views of the party which holds'that " England is a more profitable frieridjfor "Russia than Germany is now garaiog -« "strength." Perhaps a more likely tion is that Russia was not prepared'for,' '?. its challenge being taken up so promptly/,! , and was disinclined to go on with tHeA* I game of "brag." This view is. confirmed" ,T' by the fact that the Czar's proposal fo_-\£_ disarmament came on immediately after*-/ V*' wards. Now it again looks as rf.t,' the aggressive Hyde element in the per-' V. son of Count Muravieff was once more* '': trying to assert itself. It is useless to ' T \ speculate as to the cause of this, or what* jf the outcome is likely to be. Once before c !" when the de Witte party unexpectedly ,"; had an innings; i: turned out that Mura- 'f, vieff was laid up with smallpox. Perhaps " de "Witte. has now been seized, with influenza or the measles. We shall look - for further developments with interest. The opinion of all the best authorities , at Home, however, appears to be that at present Russia, even if she wants to fight, '.' is not able to do so. She ib getting the '. ships, she has the men, but she is without the money. «