THE NEW SIBERIA '

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 78, 27 December 1918, Page 5

THE NEW SIBERIA '

GENESIS OF THE REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT THE BEGINNINGS OP SELFGOVERNMENT » Dr.Dand Soskice has contributed to the London "Observer" an interesting resume of the, genesis of the movement for an autonomous Siberia:—Provisional government consisted at the beginning exclusively of Socialists. This was a course dictated by necessity and not desire. The middle class parties,could not be invited to send their representatives to secret and dangerous meetings. In their official declaration of July S, sent, to the representatives of the Allied Powers, the Provisional Government states with regret the fact that temporarily no representatives of the middle classes had taken part in the Duma and the Ministry, but that they considered it absolutely essential that all classes of the country should bo represented in the higher oTgans of tlio Str\te, and they pledged themselves to bring in a. Bill to that effect in the Duma, which is being now convoked, so that tne union of all r.lnsacs should becomo an accomnlished - fact. Meanwhile they had added some members of the middle class to the numbers of the Ministers. Their Socialism- has nothing to do with the Bolshevik policy of a destructive dictatorship, It is an evolutionary Socialism to which many English democrats would not'hositato to lend their name. Eight Objects, The objeots ol the Provisional Government of Siberia have been summarised under eight points, in their declaration issued in Harbin early last March 1. The establishment of order based on law, guaranteeing inviolability of person and property. 2. Struggle against the Bolsheviki in tho name of the restoration of the lawful power of the -All-Russian Constituent Assembly.

3. Autonomous Siberia, to fcrm integral part-of a-"Federated Republic, of Kufisia. 4. The convocation of' an All-Siberian Constituent Assembly. 1

3- 'An active struggle in union with the Allies against the Brest<Litovsk pence, with tho object of finally attaining a universal democratic peaco. u®' defloration of friendly rotations with the Allied Powers, on tho basis' of the treaties and agreements which existed before the Bolshevik coup d'etat.' 7. Resistance by all'meani) to the German penetration into Russian territory. 8. Organisation of supplies to the. population of Siberia, with all necessities for life and work.

By other decrees, the Provisional Government of Siberia lias abolished all tho laws, treaties, and regulations of the Bolshevik, regime, and restored to force the laws which existed beforo the Bolshevik coup d'etat. Some English newspapers expressed the fear that the Bolsheviks could not he expelled from power because such an network mean the restoration of the land to private ownere, which tho. peasants would ■ resist to the Mast., As a- matter •<$ however, practically no private land-ownership has ever existed m Siberia, all the lands belonging either to the State or to peasant oomniumties. In addition, the Provisional Government of Siberia reconfirmed the Land Act passed by the All-Russian Constituent Assembly in its only sitting of last January.

The New Army. The emissaries of tlia Provisional Gove''D"},eut > seut t" every town and district ot bibena, were instructed to accomplish two objects-to restore the local zemstvos and town councils lo power as bodies which were elected on the broadest democratic franchise, therefore fit to represent the respective populations; and to organise armed .v-nits of volunteers for the formation of the Siberian Army. The armed forces of tho'Provisional Government in Siberia are being organised on the basis'of strict discipline. Within the barracks and. on duty the authorities 0 i over tlle mi* and file is established.-beyond dispute. When off duty and outside tho barracks the relations between all lanks of the army i P®- free like-those of brothers." Until last month the army ■consisted exclusively of volunteers, but during the last few weeks m some parts of Siberia certain classes of the population were mobilised with complete success, which is a hopeful indication of the Provisional Governments popularity. Politics are strictly eliminated from tho new Siberian nghting forces^ In Hieir Declaration to the Allied Powers of July ? the Provisional Government solemnly pledged / themselves to work in the interests ot Russia as a whole, and to abide by tho international treaties and agreements with the Allied lowers which were in force before Noverabcr 7, 1917, and '.hey invited the Allies to grant thev - recognition, of the Government of Siberia as an autonomous Bays ussia * le Declaration further

The Provisional Government of Autonomous biberia considers it its insistent duty to courteously indicate that any agreement, between the Allied Powers and any private individuals or organisations, who .may declaro themselves to be rnlers or Governments within the Siberia. , would inevitably' meet inth the unanimous condemnation of the Siberian population, and would be considered as an inimical act towards the people of Siberia., Therefore, the Allied .rowers, not having in Russia anv objects save to fight for a universal demonsiV- 080 *' I™"* ftriviiiff to accelerate Hit'i, I"" 1 ™ 011 Sf thls ln friendly union with Russia will consider it necessary, 'J their further activity on the territory of Siberia, to act exclusively in accordnf C q-i m - i°- !? 1|; . 1u!s(; territorial power of Siberia, whioh is incontostnbly vested ,D rri l6 Provisional Government."' The frustration of General Forvat's W is an eloquent testimonv that the Provisional Government's Declaration was not left unheeded by tho Allied representatives. . <

West of the Volga, The restoration of law and order and the formation _of a Russian army in biberin. with its population of twentv- . .iwlhon, is no doubt a honeful beginning t£ tho regeneration of Russia, «?' v i v 'Session to the strength of the Allied Powers. But it is only the beginning. T n European Russia, in the territories lying to west of the Volga with a population of manv millions a similar process of regeneration has been started. .In ITfa a highly representative conference took place a few weeks „"0 with the object of creating a United Government of Russia, and Siberia, which would rule over all the territories frood from the Germano-Bolsheviki, antl which in JicSca.Eith the .Allies, would ganise th? Russian front again«t Germany. ,

Tt'is a remarkable fact tlinl, side l.v lii 1 ™ Sorinlwt. members of the -All-Russian Constituent Assembly rat Cossack' representatives from the n»,. burg and Astrakhan territories, from the Semirechpnsk territorv 0 f Central Asia, and from • Irkutsk of Eastern Siberia, Tartars from the Vol™ vinces, and even 'delegates from the Government of Mhonia, now under German rule. The confcrence sent cordial greetings to the Allies, irvitinc to fisht jointly with Russia, against Germanv. and expressing the faith that, they will refrain from interfering in tho internal politic? of Russia.