CZAR'S LAND TAKEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12063, 19 July 1917, Page 8

CZAR'S LAND TAKEN.

. J I,ATGE TRACTS TXVQLVED-. i | J ELVISH PROBLEMS DISCUSSED. \

PROGRESS TS siu,.. The Government. has drafted, and j s about to promulgate, another measure, which, besides closing the period of harsh rind bitter injustice, will give. a. powerful stimulus to economic progress in Russia. This measure is tho abolition of all restrictions, whether political" "or educational, economic or legal, imposed on national or religious ground. There is no time to dwell now on the errors, sms and crimes of the old regime in the matter of oppression of nationalities. All that could have been looked forward to ;i, month ago was a gradual and fretful relaxation of oppression. Viewed in this, light of the possible slow and painful evolution of the bureaucratic regime towards greater liberty, the problem seemed hopelessly complex. Now, with themnveiJing of broad, sunlit horizous, with the destruction of the power that oppressed both Russian and all other nationalities, the problem has suddenly become simple. No half-measures are now possible. Any partial abolition of restrictions would only create fresh difficulties for the new regime. The generous and .just' solution is the most practical.' It is the Jews who are most affected by the new measure, and in a. less degree the Ukrainians, Poles, Mohammedans and other nationalities. The reconciliation of tho Jews to Russia is a most important asset in the cause of the Allies, and a. very considerable factor in the solution of the Jewish problem throughout the world. It is impossible to estimate how. much of the opposition to the Entente cause, both in Allied and neutral countries, was due to Jews rendered invetorately hostilo to Russia, by her unremitting onpregMon. True., many Jews were farsighted enough to see that the just elements in our cause would triumph in the end, but on the whole the. Jewish opposition was one of the most serious and subtle dangers we had to reckon with. In Russia, itself the Jewish problem •was greatly aggravated by the war. and in the chaos of conflicting passious it! seemed incredible thai- any issue could be found. The effects of tin's emotional conflict and of the attitude to the Jews so assiduously cultivated hv the old rcErime, will not immediately die away. Difficulties remain, but the sting is token out of the Jewish problem in Russia. The field is open now. Tho degrading results of the congestion of the Jewish population in the pale, and the exclusion of the Jews from the privileges of citizenship, will cease. The power in Russian national life of the commercial attitude of the Jews will find abundant, application in the economic development of the new and greater Russia, and in free, competition and cooperatjan with other nationalities the Jews will be able to find their ricditful place. The harsh and -intolerable restrictions of the old Russian Government once removed, we shall be ablo to see the real dimensions of the Jewish problem; we shall see whether there really, is any serious Jewish problem after all.