RUSSIA AND THE WAR.

Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 49, 28 February 1905, Page 4

RUSSIA AND THE WAR.

Tho Tsar seems at last impressed with tho belief that ho must reform Russia and permit tho people some vowo in tho government of the country. Probably ho has been listening to some wise counsel of tho Kaiser through his brother, Prince- Henry, now at St. Petersburg. How long tho present good intentions may last no man can say, but there is a gleam of hope in tho fact that they have survived tho influenco of tho reuclioimrics for at loast a couple of daya, and that the opinion of a second Liberal Minister has been sought and has been given with necessary, if brutal, plainness. , According to Reirtor, M. Yeimoloff told his Royal Master of the necessity of immediate and drastic concessions in order to avert a revolution, adding that nothing would satisfy "distrncted Russia" except a Constitution on Western lines. Tho Tsar, we are told, is convinced of the necessity of action, and hiui authorised the summoning of a representative assembly to prepare a largo measure of autonomy. If Nicholus is sincere, and can withstand tho evil inlluenco of the Grand Dukes and tho Procurator of tho Ho'.y Synod, tho dawn of justice and freedom for tho Ruas'an people may bo at hand. Wo most devoutly hope that tho Tsar will hold fast to his present high resolve. Tho peasants of Central Russia have boon imbued with the idea. — probably by revolutionary agont»— that tho Tsar has ordered a redistribution of the land, and they aro sending numerous deputation!) to St. Petersburg to ascertain if such a uknso has been issued. It is a movement that may opread like wildfire, and easily culminate in risings against the territorial nobles of (he most deplorable kind. It 'a another illustration of (he dangers of delay in reforming tho government of tho country. The strike movement shows no sign of real abatement, while tho temper of tho men grows worse. That the bf. Petersburg employers uro gruatly nlarmod is nuulo plain in tlio announcement of to-day that the managers of the factories aro Kcmling their families beyond tho reach of danger Athwart the gluuni ol all this tragedy comes a ray of the comic clement in tho fear of tho authorities that the police of Wunsaw will strike. They inuke the modest demnnd of double pay, and instead are eaoli allowed the company of a soldier to nee that they do their duty. The effect should bo to infect tho soldiery with tho policemen's discontent. At Moscow the postal and telegraph officials, us well as tho polico, aro doinanding inciea.ied wages, and a panic has occurred at Baku, numbers of people leaving the placo. Tho tremendous revelation of tho situation is tho power the industrial masses may set in motion against a tyrannous Government by simply refusing to work. In Manchuria tho titanic struggle for mastery between the grand unnicN seems now to have been entered upon, and so far tho advantage has been distinctly, upon the side of the Japanese From Mukdon it is stated that Oyama has bogun a huge enveloping movement that is likely to prove disastrous to Kuropatkin's plans. On the extreme eui, tho Japanese havo earned tho outlying Russian positions, and now threaten tho main defences The Telegraph's correspondent at Sinminting — thirty-five miles north-east of Mukden, and in Chineso territory — reports that on Friday a Ixi l l lo iiigud from a point sixteen miles soutn-oast of Muicden along tho whole front. nwivy fighting seems to havo ruged at the entrance to Tilling Puss, from which Line-vitch apparently retreated t»reuipitately boforo " superioc numbers." It \vas through this pass, we tako it, that tne 40,000, Japanese passed, reaching Fnkuinen through the mountains. This place wo unfortuiuitoly cannot locate, but assuming that the Japanese skirted the eastern siilb of tho Taling Rango, they would emerge nearly duo cast of Mukden, and from thence bo a powerful factor in tho reported onvclopiny movement, as the extreme right of Kuroki's right wing. It will be noted that Oko on tho left has not yet been Heard horn, though if the movement be general he must have Deef! heavily engaged. His effort will presumably bo to double up tho Russinn right, while Kuroki, if ho signally defeat Linevitch, will strivo to interpose between Kuropatkin's main hno of defence and Mukden The winter is hardly past, and if there should come a late- access of snow and sleet tho snftorings of the wounded, whether on the field or in retreat, will bo frightful.