Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. MONDAY, MARCH 19th, 1917. RUSSIAN COUP D'ETAT.

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 March 1917, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. MONDAY, MARCH 19th, 1917. RUSSIAN COUP D'ETAT.

The dramatic happenings in Russia have caused bewilderment, not to say consternation, throughout the British Empire- Everyone was looking forward to the great offensive" which the Allies were'going to inaugurate in the spring, and which our military experts confidently Imped would end the war this year. All these calculations, however, were based on Russia making a big effort in the ! Eastern Theatre simultaneously ; with that of the Anglo-French.in the west- it was thought that the pressure brought to bear would be so severe that the enemy would simply crumple up under the strain, and the retirement which has been going on for'some time past would become a debacle' Tim question now on everyone's lips is; What influence will the revolution in liusisa have on all the Allies' carefully prepared plans? Xo doubt many probable factors were taken into consideration when arranging the plan of campaign, but a re volution on such a mighty scale as that now going on in Russia might well disconcert all the most skilfully arranged movementsThe news that: is coming from 'Russia through various agencies is of a most reassuring character, but our people have been kept so muclr in the dark concerning the true position of affairs in Russia that we cannot blame them now for viewing all news that emanates. from Petrograd as coloured to create a good impression- In trying to come to some settled opinion on the question we

must endeavour to trace tho genesis of tlio trouble. There have been persistent rumours, for some time past of the "dark forces*' at work within the Czar's dominions, and mention of Iho matter has been made on several occasions by lucre outspoken members of the Duma- The great curse of .Russia has always been the bureaucracy that has held the country in its toils and crushed the people down to the position of serfs. Representative Government such as we understand it was unknown. The governing cbss simply used I heir position to amass large fortunes by means of bribery and. oppression. These ill-gotten gains were invested in Germany and German gold was freely used to keep the people in subjection- 'The trade of the country passed into German hands and the people of Russia became in truth hewers ol si our and drawers of writer for the Huns. The Nihilist movement of which so much has been heard in

conneci'ion with Russian history was an ill-advised attempt Mo rid the country of the oligarchy. The movement meant well, but its methods were too much those of anarchy to ever gain the support of the law-abiding portion of the community- The Government by moans of an elaborate system of secret police were kept well in touch with the movements of the leaders of the Nihilist movement, and the State officials made it an excuse tor plundering' and exiling' many perfectly innocent persons who'were sent to Siberia- Outside Russia accounts of thesehappenings were greatly magnified, and so little was known of Russia that British people were inclined to believe that the subjects of the Czar were divided into two (.lasses—Nihilists and secret police. It is only since the outbreak of war that we have b<*gun io understand tho true nature of the Russian people, and to realise the "real movement that has been .' " ~ 1 I'-.. - -I Iw.

going- on for years to tree the counTrv from' the pro -German clique'in control of the reins of Government. The outbreak of the war gave the people a chance, for it brought more closely to-o-other than ever before the military classes and the people. Both were enthusiastically in favour of the war against Germany, and they watched with suspicion mm growing anger the attempt of the Government io thwart their efforts to defeat the Huns. Several sensational revelations of plots that bad for their sole nun the frustration of liiissian successes made the people more than ever determined to get rid of the incubus that had so long- oppressed il u . m . The hureacracy saw fnat I heir doom was inevitable unless (liov succeeded in forcing Kussia io ' conclude a separate peace-

Unified in their lirsl attempt they went a step further and gathered ~l| H,e food supplies into taeir hands and hehl them back Iron) the people. They believed that huiiirCT wouhl make the people ~;,,,;;• for peace, but they did not ta Ue into their calculations the patriotism of the Russians. lee labour troubles (hat the German emissaries fomented in various parts of the country hrough about a different result iron, what || U , ifuus had anticipated- Ihe Progressives in Russia were not Uiml to what the Teutons were endeavouring- to do. and they skilI'nllv used their plot for their own „„(!'. The revolution that the Huns plotted came to pass, but it was aimed not against the continuation of the war, hut against the bureaucracy that had hampered the proper prosecution of (he struggle and had delayetHho defeat of the Germans. The Duma, which was established in 1 !)()">. has for the first time come into its own. and Russia has now a Government that in truth represents the people. The revolution is popular in every sense of the word, and it has the support of the Xemstovs. or district and provincial assemblies, composed of representatives elected by the peasantry", the householders of the

towns ami the himled proprietors, who have limited municipal or district authority. One pleasing fonture of the revolution so far has been the comparative absence of excesses by th<> revolutionariesWhen wo Consider what the people have had to hear for so Inns? it is marvellous the selt-eon-trof thev are now manifesting '['lie whole movement has been carefully planned and carried out, and there is evidently a mastermind dir"'dimv the whole proceedings which augurs well for its complete success.