Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1905. THE RUSSIAN CRISIS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 October 1905, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1905. THE RUSSIAN CRISIS.

Ax interesting .sidelight is thrown 01, the temper of public opinion in I,'us sia by a cablegram published in an other column, wherein it is stated that Mr W. T. Stead, at the Zeiu" stovs Conference, vainly endeavorec 1 to pacify the disappointed Constitutionalists. The Duma scheme, whei first propounded, was hailed with do light, but since (lien the proposal hasbeen considerablj r modified so as U. bo a a midway policy between ilu two cxtremo parties—the Autocrats and the Constitutionalists. This, in turn, has caused the latter party l< suspect the Czar's sincerity in tin matter and this feeling latterly ha: given away to open dissatisfaction Sir Donald McKenzie Wallace, a no ted authority on Russian affairs, ex presses the opinion that there are but two methods of dealing with Uiv situation. One is "prompt, eneige tic repression," which, after .'ill. means, if successful, putting off the vil day; for the present antiquateo form of Government cannot pcrnian entry resist the rising tide of modern V.-ls and desires, especially since it h as shown that it is incapable ol „ r „p P li„ B with any of the problems economic, social or military, winch r luu taken in hand. The other corns, i, Ijhhto and real as well as judicious concessions to the popular feeling*- : ,„d demands. Sir D. McKenzie Vallacc, who is no unkindly critic o. Russia or its rulers, believes thai really the one alternative to cxplu sion is to "relieve the pressure' bj naking solid concessions to the Cor, .litntionalists—more solid and far reaching that the Duma scheme, but ',,. Czar and his Government hfyvt chosen neither vigorous repression nor sensible relief. They have baited between two opinions: they have drifted, now this way, now that; and "by this policy of dirfl tin- have encouarged the hopes of all, have ■■islied nobody, and have diminish ed their own prestige. Sir Donald tribes in his book "Russia,"' as r. mistako the idea that the reluctance ~, (he Czar to adopt the Liberal programme is attributable to the adverse influence r-( the Empress-Dow-ager and of the Grand Duke Vladimir: the so-called Grand Ducal party is treated by him as "a recently invented fiction." Although "when in difficulties the Emperor may consult individually his nearest relatives, there is no coherent group to winch the term party can be applied": and sometimes he takes critical steps

limit consulting even his Minis ters. Thus, wo arc told, when " that extraordinary pronouncement," the Imperial manifesto of the 3rd March last, announced I hat any chancres made would be for (he " consolida:on of the Autocracy" as well as for the..welfare of. the people, " 110 one was more astouislivd and dismayed than the Ministers, who had known nothing of the manifesto until they saw it in the official Gazette." On the point of Autocracy the Czar is inexorable. It is a principle he has inherited from abler and more vigorous rulers than himself. " From his boyhood he has been taught, that Russia owes her greatness and her security to her autocratic form of

Government, and that it is tho sacred duty of a Czar to hand down intact to his successors the power which ho holds in trust for them." And now he has come to a pass when ho must either consent to limit the autocratic power, or —go overboard, like the captain and officers of the Kniaz Potemkinc. Presumably Sir 1). McKenzie Wallace—who was political officer in atendance on Nicholas 11., when, as Czarevitch, he visited India and Ceylon in 1890-1 —knows what and of whom he is speaking. But lie cannot venture any prophecy as to what is likely to be done by an ambiguous monarch, or what is likely to happen in a land of paradox and strange and sudden developments.