RUSSIAN CRISIS.

Waikato Times, Volume 88, Issue 13488, 19 May 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

RUSSIAN CRISIS.

_ -DARK FORCES." ORIGIN OF THE TFRMOII

(By Isaac Don Lovfne, in the New Yoik Tribune ot January 21st).

Six weeks ago the news was flashed from Potrograd that for lite first time :u Russian history th' downfall of a Premier has been caused by the Duma, Russia's Parliament. To-day the intelligence comes to us that another Cabinet change, this lime initiated hv the "dark loices" b hind the Czar's throne, has just taken place in Russia. Within a span of less than two months three different men—Sturmer, Trepoff, and now Oolitzin —headed in turn the Russian Government. In the samp space of time several mysterious and confusing events oceuired in the Slavic Empire. Suddenly and unexpectedly the world is treated to the most bewildering news. It is evident that mighty for •:,-, are at work in Russian life. Whai are these forces, responsible for tin l tremendous upheaval that iias shaken Russia to its very foundations? They are the old elements of d.moeraey and bureaucracy, this time disguised as factions whose policies are determined by their respective attitude towards the Avar. Rut this new disguise cannot change the intrinsic value and meaning of their existence. Democratic, libr-ral, radical Russia is fighting autocratic, bureaucratic, reactionary Russia. The struggle between the two camps is not of recent origin. But the beginning of the war has temporarily suspended the bitter contest. Democracy offered an armistice to bureaucracy. Co-operation was to hecome the watchword of the two foes. Victory over Germany was to be their common object. But- bureaucracy failed to live up to the terms of it.s compact with the people. Incompetent and inefficient, it- early demonstrated its inability to meet the unprecedented requirements of the war. Selfish and treacherous, it- brought Russia 10 the brink of total collapse- in the fields aod swamps of Poland .ind Lithuania in 19M i BIRTH Of DEMOCRACY.

Tbeii democracy arose. No more brilliant and marvellous achievement in the prcM'iH conflict ha- been recouled iban the heroic effort of the Russian people to rehabilitate the sy-t.ui which its Government demoralised to an unimaginable degree. The tale of an inexperienced democracy, hampered by an antiquated and corrupt Government, struggling to reorganise a vast plant in a state of chaos, is yet to be told in the world. The Russian, campaign in Austria and Volhynia of last summer is a monument to popular Russia's effort l *. Concentrating all their energies on the success fit i prosecution of the war, the Russian people were determined to bear patiently with the blunders of its Government. For Russian democracy sees in victory over Prussianism the source of a regenerated, progressive, civilised Russia in the future. To the Russian people their allianc? with the democracies of Great Britain and France is an inspiration and a hope. To sacrifice themselves for the cause of democracy and civilisation is to them a soutc of joy and gratefulness. On the surface bureaucracy and democracy co-operated in the prosecution of the struggle. In actuality the former began to crafti';, and treacherously undermine the vcrv ha ••'is of their supposedly common task; The "dark forces" wen called into aerou. Their slogan ww a separate peace hctwapn Rnssb: and the Central Powers. Boris Stunner, the Premier apixnnted iu February of last year, began his rule in an atmosphere that was full of dark and portentous rumor's. In the ten months -nf his tenure of the Premier's office, Stunner's reputation as a Gormanoplulo steadily increased. He caused the dismissal of Sazonoff, Russia's staunched Anglophile. He appointed some extreme reactionaries to Ministerial posts. And he called to office the hated Protopopoff, a political adventurer, who now wields great power in Russian affairs. .Stunner's home policy was that of an extreme* reactionary, favoring a separate p ace, and therefore opposed to the social organisations working for the upbuilding of the army. He .muzzled the Press'. He fought the [social bodies 'bitterly and resolutely. '.He paved, according to his ideas-, a way for the calm reception by the Russian people of the approaching separate peace with-Germany. HOW FAR STFRMER WENT. It is astonishing to what lengths the government of Stunner went in this preparatory campaign at heme. The recent speeches of the leading deputies in the Duma reveal the boldness of the Government's agents. They wen doing nothing less than spreading by spoken and written word all kinds of stories intended to create hatred for the Allies in the heart of the Russian people. Proclamations, printed in Government shops, have been lound which contained false information favorable to Germany.

Stunner thought li ; "as paving a Uii) lor a separate peace. As a matter of fact, he paved a way in 'he outbreak of one ol the mot inomen'.ms crises in Russian hiMun. Cert'-i aly never before has Ru--iu li en n , d 10 such depths. Never before were the various factions and parties and classes in' Russia united a- on November 14. the (lav of the np-ning of the Duma. This opening wus the signal for the beginning of one of (he most dramatic moment'; in the life of the gi at Slavic uai ion.

THE PEOPLE AGAINST Till KKGUIE.

It is well to bear in mind, in order to appreciate fully the significance Vol' all the seemingly puzzling events of the last two months, that a battle royal is being waged to-day in Russian national life between the people and the old regime bureaucrats. It is too early to forecast definitely the outcome of the contest. Both s.dos 1 r.ve scored victories and suffered defeats. As in every other struggle, the Russian political bout had already furnished several dramatic moments, when it seemed that one side or tin 1 nth; r had gained a definite victory. Bui the end is not in sight vet.

On November 14 the Duma took the initiative in the new dev 'lopir.g internal content. Av attal;, unpaialleled in Russian parliamentary annals, was made against Stunner':-. Government. The Progressive Block, which comprises tin majority of the Duma. members, passed a resolution demanding the resignation of the Cabinet. The leader of the Constitutional Dermic tits, Paul Miliukoff, came out with hj ;: row celebrated speech, in which It ■ rented t series of accusations against Stunner.

"He must go!" was the speaker's ei ncluding phrase. The spoch, and many other similar outbursts, was suppressed by the censorship.

Then. Shiilgin, a leader or the Conservatives, mounted the tribune and delivered a spirited attack against Sturmer. It was evident that an unequalled situation had developed in the Duma. But, to crown the unanimity of the Parliament's state of mind, norhing more significant could have occurred than the changed attitude of Deputy Pnrishkevitch toward the. Government. An old anti-Semite, a member <>i the Black Hundred, hitherto a pillar of the old order and one of the most eccentric members of the Duma. Ptirishkevitoli joined the opposition. At the same time signs of the profound bloodless revolution going on deep in th" nation's organism began to manifest themselves. The Imoeriai Council, which is Russia's Upper House, a body whose conservatism was as old as Czar ism in Russia, nstonnd'd the people with its hitter denunciation of the Premier. And the Cnn.u:rc*s of Xobility, representing the large landlords of the nation, mi -i of whom hail from the oldest rainili s in the country, emphatically supported the legi-lative institutions. Nothing like it ever occurred in Rtt?-

-- : a before. Stunner's position was desperate. Tito fight narrowed down to a contest between the Duma and Sttirioi i . One of them had to ::n. There wis no alternative, made an attempt to dissolve the Duma. On November Id. late in the evening,

Hie unsuccessful attempt. In win lliu support of Ins colleagues, Sturmer decided to act alone THE POPULACE AND THE ARMY. But, in order 10 dissolve the Duma, tho Emperor's consent and signature were required, for eight days" lie labored to get an audience with the Czar, bin. without success. When the audience was granted, Jus fa to was already sealed, i lie army and the people accomplished this teat. Tho Ministers ot War and. .Marine suddenly appeared in the Duma and announced tho desire of the army to cooperate with the people in the'successtill prosecution ot the Avar. This demonstration of the army'*, support of the Duma was of immense value. The army is the backbone of the Czar's power. Bureaucracy is helpless without its support. There was nothing left for the Czar to do but dismiss Stunner. When the latter was on his way lo the General Headquarters on November L'nd, he was intercepted by a message from the Emperor, who carried the decreo of hi.s retirement- and the appointment of Alexander Trepoff as Ins successor. Trepoff was not the kind of a Premier Russian democracy wanted to have. He was not a Liberal. But he was decidedly pro-Ally. He unmuzzled, the Press. He stood for co-operation with the .social organisation..-, in laboring for final victory. He stood for the hearty co-operation with the Duma. The Russian democracy, after some protesting, would finally have gone forward half way to meet Trepoff in working for their common goal. But the retirement of Stunner was not, and could .not be, the final defeat of the ''dark forces" in the Russian court. These ''dark forces'' wore a compound of two elements. One of these elements' was composed entirely of one man, the monk Rasputin, The other element was made up of a number ol extreme reactionaries and some of the highest functionaries in the court, Both elements form the so-called "dark forces," whoso activities and influences are dedicated to a separate peace with Gernianv.

is to-day no longer any donlit as to Rasputin's influence over the Czar. From the enormous mass of wifd rumors and talcs in connection with Rasputin's career there stand out certain indisputable facts. The monk was closer to th ■ Czar than any other person. He exerted on the Emperor tremendous influence. .He detected England thoroughly. He favored aseparate peace with Germany as.soon as possible. OJIRMANOPHILES AT COURT. The Germanophile court circle used Rasputin as an agency for the promotion of their cause. When, under the pressure of the Duma, the Army, and the\ Inanco-British diplomacy .' Stur-mr-'s Government collapsed, the "dark force*" w,ere stimulated by the defeat to renewed efforts. These were directed toward the retention in the Cabinet of Protopopofl. the Minister of Interior, whose fate, it has been generally assumed, was seal.d with the retirement of Stunner. It was a stubbor:: -and bitter eontost that ensued over Protopopofl's fate. He was attacked with even greater violence than Stunner. The Premier, Trepoff. was assailed lor keeping Protopopoff in the Cabinet. There are iu- ! dications that Trepoff himself was lielpless against the Minister of Interior. It is certain that Trepoff was not very | well disposed towards Protopopofl'. But, the latter had rallied on his own issue the "dark forces" of the court, and these kept him in office in si>it> of all attacks. Early in December it became clear to all observers that Protopopofl' would not be ousted. He returned from an audience with the Czar with added authority. He defied the Duma and the social organisations. He donned a gendarmery uniform, which no Minister since the days of the assassinated Von Plohvo had worn. It was obvious that the ''dark forces" were again in control of the Czar. Then for a moment- the t'de of, the battle turned in favor of the Duma and the Allies. Sazonoff, the ex-Min's-ter of Foreign Affairs, was summoned to the Emperor. There were reports of his reappointment. But the expected did not come true. Still, the new Foreign Minister, Pokrovsky, was nor a displeasing appointment.' ' Progressive and pro-Ally Pokrovsky satisfied tin nation. The danger of a separate pew seemed to have vanished to a large ex-

tent. APPEARANCES AND REALITIES. But appearances in Russia arc- never i true indication of actual condition*;. Tlic "dark font's" woio determined to return to power. Their agent, the monk Rasputin, was, judging by the latest developments, entrusted with the task of swaying the Czar's attitude in iavor of a. separate p<vaoc. Hut. fortunately for the Allies, Rusputin's machinations could not be carried on in secret. For the Czar passes. Ins time awaj from his court and palaces. As commander-in-chief of tinarmy he spends his days at the General Headquarters, where he is surrounded by the high army officers, win, arc v\ iavor of lighting tho w.w to a victorious end.

Then, toward Urn end of December, the world was startled by the news that Rasputin had been slain in Petrogrnd by some young aristocrats-. »vho are known to favor tho cause of the Allies. That the killing n f the monk was tho organised work of the Russian f>ro-Allirs is not probable. ]du that it. was a cheering message to the PusMan people and a staggering blow to the '-dark forces'' is self-evident. That [repot?, the Premier, was with the people in this episode is shown bv the tact that.tho censorship was lilted'from tho. mysterious personality of Rasputin and that the slayers were not prosecut™ by the Government. But it was just this attitude of the I remier toward the whole affair that served the remnants off the "dark forces" as a weapon against the Duma and the Government, and Trcpoff was suddenly dismissed bv the Czar. The reactionary elements had gathered their last resources for this effort. It proved definitely successful. The dancer of a separate peace between Russia and Germany is again looming large on the Allied horizons. A period of reaction internally is the prospect for Russia m the near future. Prince Dmitri Potroviich GolitzinMuravlin, the Czar's new Prime .Minister, is a membei of one of the oldest most distinguished Rusian families. He is more ol a literarv man than a politician. He achieved considerable success as a poet, dramatist, and novelist.

THE RULE OF PRINCE GOLITZIX. Lacking virility and determination, Lolitzin is destined to play the role of a puppet in the hands of the court circle responsible for his rise. Indeed, the probabilities are that hi* very characteristics furnished tlie chief "reason tor hi.s elevation to the Premiership. He will k- used by the "dark forces" as a tool in the penetration of their pernicious aetiviuos. Already the news come, ironi Potrograd that the real power behind the throne is now Protopopoff. Prince Oolitzin is referred to r>s the ''nominal Prime Minister."

The new Premier has already declared himself against reform.". ' This is the best proof of his true .sentiments in regard to the war, in spite of the professed intention to tight tor final victory. The dismissal of the most liberal member of the Cabinet Count Ignatyev, and his replac ment'bv the arch-reactionary, Kultchitskv. ' also throw tin ominous sidelight on the present Russian situation. Ii would, however, be wrong to imagine that the latest victory of the "dark forces" in Russia is bv an\ means decisive or final. It is onU- a phase of +':-• der.diy battle that is being fought there between democracy and bureaucracy. It is a v'etrsrv that can-

not pioro lasting. Russian democracy has found itself in the course of Hip irresent war. It realise-- now ; t„ potential strength more than ever before. It knows that ultinvt-, victoiTKs not very distant. It feck that Ihe dying bureaucracy is making its last attempt to regain the. pow' r that has r-.aped from" Id for good.