The Dominion. THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 1917. IMPROVING ORDER IN RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3122, 28 June 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 1917. IMPROVING ORDER IN RUSSIA

Late happenings and the course of events oyer a,period equally point to a .distinctly improving outlook in Russia. Some recent'reports, it is true, have been of a disquieting character, but there is a good deal to set. on the other side of .the account. The- collapse of the Anarchist attempt to open a counter-re-volution against the Coalition Government is a promising sign of returning order, and in this category there is to be noted also General imusiLOFF's report of a gratifying improvement in the moral of the .Russian Army. In the most cursory survey of recently expressed opinions on the situation and outlook in Russia, it is impossible to overlook that of the French Minister of Munitions (M. Albert Thomas), made public on his return to Paris from a mission to Russia. M Thomas declared confidently that the idea of a separate peace between Russia and the enemies of the Entente may be completely dismissed. Duality of control between the Government and the ' Council of Workmen and Soldiers, ho added, hall disappeared, and the authority of the Coalition Government is increasing daily; especially in connection with the reorganisation of the Army. "While ho did not attempt to predict the date on. which the sians would assume the offensive, ho found material and'moral reasons for the 'possibility of an offensive. Since he is eminently qualified to 1 -, detect and measure the obstacles to a restoration of military efficiency in Russia there is no reason to believo that tho French.. Minister's estimate of the situation is over-san-guino. .It must, of course, await the test of time, but thcro is a good deal in the broad trend of political events in Russia during the last month or two to lend it support. _ Tho most' promising fact of all is that elimination of dual control to which M. Thomas directed par : ticular attention. It is a matter of common agreement that nearly all the disorders the .Coalition Government is now striving to remedy arc the outcome of the conflict of authority which arose in the early days of the revolution between tho Provisional Government, chosen by the leaders of the Imperial Duma (which was not then in session), and tho Council of Workmen and Soldiers, which from tho outset, and even when its members were drawn solely from the Petrograd garrison and factories, arnjgated the functions of a Duma entitled to speak and act | for tho wholo nation. Out of weak-

ness or because no other course was possible, the original Provisional Government yielded on practically all points to this irresponsible Council. One- result was that hundreds of demagogues and political orators, including undoubtedly many enemy agents, hurried to the front, whore the result of their activities was speedily apparent in widespread demoralisation amongst tho troops. It is a fact of some importance that these conditions in tho Army and the somewhat similar troubles which have appeared in tho domain of industry did not arise naturally and spontaneously amongst the troops and people, but were artificially induced by tho agitation of a host of visionaries, cranks, and German spies._ In the early weeks of the revolution the Council of Delegates was to all intents and purposes devoted to the promotion of anarchy.' At thin period there was no answer to the - question propounded by CjENEP,At,_ Alexieff last month: r Wnero is that strong power which i.-ho country desires 1 Where is that mighty power which would compel each oitizen to porform. honourably his duty to his country?" There are people in and outside Russia— General Alexieff's displacement from his command suggests that ho is of tho number—who no longer hops to sec these' demands satisfactorily met, and if the Council of Workmen and Soldiers had retained its .former character unchanged hope in the matter would be impossible. In facj;, however, time, events and experience have . ; so . greatly changed the character of tho Council (it is now, of course, a body of much broader constitution than formerly) that it seems to-day well entitled to'rank as one of the forces working for tho establishment of a strong central authority in Russia. in May last the Council 'demanded and obtained for its nominees one-half of the portfolios of tho Provisional Government, some commentators, declared that it was I vain to expect stability in a Government depending for its authority upon the reconciliation of tho radical Socialism of the Council of Workmen and Soldiers with the middle-class Liberalism of the Duma. There is much to be set against this view, but perhaps nothing that carries greater woight than a statement mado by tho Russian Premier (Piunce_ Lvoff) at the timo when the Coalition Government was formlod. ■

■ Ho declared that tho most serious crisis in tho modern history of Russia had been satisfactorily solved, and that* 1 for the first time there were prospects of establishing a Government which' would combine both moral authority and material power. Most of the difficulties of his first revolutionary Cabinet, he added, arose from tho fact that in all questions Ministers wore obliged to rely on moral persuasion. This sufficed with a vast majority of reasonable Russian citizens, but unluckily there wero individuals and small groups' both in, the civilian population and tho Army who aimed at anarchy. It became plain that the Government could not remedy this condition without material force, and this force could only be obtained if representatives of the Socialist parties entered tho Government and agreed to support it unshrinkingly in a policy of combined freedom and order. Tho normal course of unsuccessful revolutions had, he hoped, been avoided as a result of the agreement between tho temporary Government and the Council of Deputies.

In the future (concluded Prince Lvoff) democratic Russia.must not only enjoy freedom, "but must take on itself the responsibility of defending its freedom I do not doubt our democracy s fitness for higher Governmental work. During the negotiations which led to a settlement, tie representatives of the Council of Deputies showed that they thoroughly understood the clangers threatening Eussia, and were determined to do everything possible to save the country from anarchy, defeat, and dissolution.

For all that it was worth when it was uttered, and it cannot be lightly set aside, this holds good as an indication of the outlook at the present day. One rather striking fact going to show that Phince Lvoff's confidence is not ill-founded is that the demand for the publication of the treaties between the Allies which for,a time was insistently raised has died away since the Socialist contingent entered the Russian Cabinet. Indications of the developing strength and influence of the Coalition Government are in fact so convincing that it seems quite' possible that Russia may be able to resume active co-operation with her Allies in the not distant future.