MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1901. RUSSIA AT HOME AND ABROAD.

Evening Post, Volume LXI, Issue 87, 15 April 1901, Page 4

MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1901. RUSSIA AT HOME AND ABROAD.

Russia at the moment is occupying a prominent but not altogether enviable position in the eyes of the world. Her diplomatists have suffered a reverse in China, while her administrators are finding it difficult to preserve order at home. As against these external and internal troubles she has been cementing her friendship with France and assisting' to establish good relations between Italy and the Dual Alliance. The incidents at; Nice and Toulon are, however, mere demonstrations, and cannot counterbalance the hard faots of diplomatic defeat in Manchuria and serious unrest in the heart of the Empire. k The Powers, if we may accept Dr. Morrison's statement in its entirety, have resolved to follow up China's refusal to sign the Manchurian Convention by- a formal declaration that Manchuria is an integral part of the Chinese Empire. ' This, if agreed to by the Chinese Government, would bring the northern dependency within the scope of the international negotiations, and tend to check any separate arrangement between Russia and China. The Russian Government is evidently nettled at the course of events, or ita Minister at Pekin would not have resorted to threats. Russia has held a unique position among the Powers in connection with the Pekin negotiations. She has. no missionaries to protect, and her losses during the late outbreak were confined almost exclusively to Manchuria, which adjoins her own Asiatic possessions. She- is nob cteeply concerned with the redress of goneral grievances, or with tho ultimate settlement of the questions in dispute. Consc2uently she has posed as tho friend of Ihina at the conferences of Ministers, and has endeavoured to keep Manchuria as a thing apart for discussion between her own and the Chincso Governmont. China, however, partly owing to tho outbreak of sound patriotism and partly to the pressure of other Powers, ha» gone back on her. Russia now breathes vengeance, and talks of insisting upon measures of the utmost severity, while she has recommenced hostilities in Manchuria, which we may rest assured will not be "in a fit stato to be evacuated" when the Power* have finally conic to terms with China. Although temporarily rebuffed the Tear's Governmont will continue its policy of absorption in Manchuria, and push on with the designs that must have been deliberately formed before the Siberian railway was begun. We may look forward to a long period of Russian aotivity in these regions unless the resources of the Government are taxed so much that it has to devote its energies to the restoration of order at home, tt is significant that Russia shoxild submit . so quietly to the Manchurian defeat just when discontent is f>arHcul«rly rife in the European Provinces, and at the seat of government itself.- News is carefully "censored" in Russia, and the reports that have reached US' can scnrcelv be exacrffpraHoTis. From thorn it would appenr that- religious, economic, and political conditions have oombuiod to cronte a popular unrest that is c:ui«in.<r the Tmperinl mi' horitios prove d?iirn"Pt. The intolerance of the Orthodox Church has found a determined and influential enemy

in Count Tolstoi ; tho "Liberal" spirit which is gaining ground at the Univer&i* ties supports him from political rather than religious sentiment, and the "workera" and peasants — at least, the most enlightened of them — hope to find in a change of the political and religious system relief from their econbmic servitude. There is undoubtedly in Russia a great, movement in favour of "Liberalism" in Church, in State, and in industry. So far the movement has been otfly spasmodic, and at most productive of ineffectual rioting. Now, however, the Ministry appears to be almost afraid of drastic suppression. M. de Witte fears for the tjyide and manufactures he is so industriously building up, tho military officers are disinclined to treat the rioters as public enemies of their country, and there are signs that the influence of Pobiedonostzeff and his fellow reactionaries is on the decline. The great bureaucracy, however, still spreads its network over the land and crushes popular movements piecemeal. Are we to expect revolutionary changes in the Russian system, or will the excitement be worked off in activity in Manchuria or elsewhere?