M. STOLYPIN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 149, 20 December 1907, Page 3

M. STOLYPIN.

I THE MAN OF THE HOUR IN RUSSIA. A CHARACTER SKETCH. When 31. Stolypin, then Minister of the Interior, rose to bis feet for the first time in the.fhst Duma. to answer the tcrlible indictment made by Piince Urussoff concerning the "pogrom"' activity in the Depaitment of Police, he made but a poor impression upon his audience*. « "Whatver may have occmred before," M. Stolypin .solemnly declaied in his highpitched voice, "it shall not be repeated under my Ministry. That I promise, and my promise I will always keep — within the limits of legality." "But have you all pow er in your hands?" asked somebody fiom the deputies' benches, ironically hinting at the existence of the Court Camarilla then led by Trepoff, who had his own agents in the Depaitment of Police. "Yes." answered M. Stolypin in the same high voice, with his face fixed like an immovable mask. A sceptical taiigh arose fiom the audience as the tall, 'commanding figure' of Stolypin moved towards the Ministerial seats. His finely-shaped head, with its regular, handsoins featuies, well-trimmed black beard, and small, deep-set eye devoid of b"iow6, voie its usual expression of stony immobility. ' STOLPYIX'S STROKE. - The first Dunw (writes the Si. JPetersburg eonespondent of the London Tiibune) treated the Ministry with undisguised contempt, invariably bsstowing upon it one and the same giceting : ""Resign !" But a little while later, in the early hours of a Sunday morniog, when many deputies were away in the country, and Rodicheff, Aladinc, and Anikine were in London, the doois of the Duma were closed, and an Imperial Ukaso' appeared, announcing its dissolution and investing M. Stolypin with the Premiership. "The dissolution is Stolypin's doing.'-A daring stroke, aimed with perfidious running." said Rodicheff to me, upon his hurried return from London. ' Eight months passed, and the second Duma gathered. ■ M. Stolypin's stately figure again rose, more oolemn than ever, and he spoke again, this time not defending himself,' but delivering a. speech expounding his and -the new Cabinet's programme. There Avere no disparaging glances; no scornful muimur whs heard iii the House, which had lost its "belief in the active support of "the nation. An expression of intense and eager curiosity reigned on all faces, while Stolypin, • in his 'high voice and with an appearance of solemn sincerity, enumerated the variou? points of hi-« Liberal programme. And when he passed to (he possibility of a fierce opposition on the side of the {lien numerous Extreme Left he .turned his face towards those irreconcilable enemies, and with a sudden "flame in his eyes shouted aloud : t "You will not, frighten us!" An invincible, feeling swept through the House that this man was indeed not to be frightened, that he is a powerful and implacable adversary. ■A relentless -struggle eimied between Stolypin with his desire for an obedient Duma, and the Duma with it* demand for an obedient Ministry. And when it became clear that .the second Duma had a will of its own, M. Stolypin brought about ■a coup d'Etal. The Duma was the ruler of. the people's mind, but Stolypin- ruled the armed forces. With these he surrounded rue Tuiuida Palace, partly dispersing, partly ai resting the people's lepresentatives, and, breaking the Constitution, changed the electoral law in ouch a manner as at last to obtain an "obedient" Duma. "'lt- is a masterpiece, the new Electoral Law,"' say the Progressive papers now. "However great the majority of elcctois for the Reform Parties has' proved, the mniority of the deputies- in the next Duma will be reactionaries and Conservatives." A SUBMISSIVE DUMA. The opening day of the thud Duma is rapidly approaching. This time, at last, Stolypin will be tha -real mr.eter, the leader of tb^ House. Will his leadership be fruitful? Will he succeed in passing Ihosa very moderate, but still beneficia 1 rofprms' for the renovation, of Russia which he- promised more than a year ago to the second Duma? Or will he, at the height of his triumph, fall a miserable victim to the 'intrigues of the reactionary party which he helped to conquer the Duma, and which, after all, is using him only as a powerful tool against the emancipation movement? Time 'will show. 'But 1 have never forgotten tne map of Russia which M. Stolypin showed me when I saw him. in his villa more than fifteen months ago, shortly after the dissolution of the first Duma. It was almost entirely painted over in various coloui-s showing tb*i different degrees of martial and minor siege, and* siege l.iwg by which older was> maintained in the different" prounces. Only the icy plains of Xoithem Russia and Siberia were white, meaning that theie it :was> possible to keep the handful "of inhabitants in older without the api>heation of exceptional laws-. "My aim," said Stolypin portentously, "is to make the whole of Ru?su white '."' Alas! Since then the coloured portion of the map has not diminished. ■ On the contrni\. _\nd th.it. very morning I have rend in the papci that two new jpot& on the confines of- Asia aie added to the number of districts mlod by siege law, while hot one of tho numeious pinniped reforms which Stolypin then exposed to me have been realised. THE COURAGEOUS BUREAUCRAT. M. Stolypin is a well-meaning, enlightened, and courageous bureaucrat, bur still a Russian bureaucrat to the core. When ,thi'C3 or four years ago Governor of Saratoff, Stolypir did not use bullets against the unarmed crowds of peasants during agrarian disorders. In such cases, ai"rivinc: on the spot with Ihe military, he. would throw himself also unarmed info the crowd, and, swearing lustily, would seize the ringleader and order* the rest, to secure them. His audacity acted like magic. The crowd, lamed and bewildered, would ohey his behe«t. Then the bureaucrat showed himself. With increasing oaths he would threaten the rioteis with mw-t terrible penalties until the whole crowd wan upon its knees begging meicy of (he conqueror. But w ill methods victorious over primitive peasants prove efficient against the enlightened opposition of cadet h and socialists on the Left and the intriguing reactionaries of the Extreme Right, suppoited by the Court? Whatever the outcome of thp struggle within the thiul Duma, it will be full of pathetic interest.

For Chilttrrn's Hackinsj Couzh at night, Wooilt' Uitat reouermmt Cure. 1b bd. — Advt