Show RUSSIAN REFORMER TELLS OF SITUATION IN REALM OF CZAR paul russian reformer and a leader in the liberal party who was exiled a few years ago for his lectures at the of moscow and sofia against the autocracy has written bis views on the present situation in russia in a book russia and its crisis the advance sheets ot which were issued from the university of chicago press the book for the most part la an exposition of the causes of the pres ent crisis but the author sums up the situation by declaring the forces of op position still are not strong enough to replace the government by a violent overthrow prof writes political reform this now Is the general cry of all shades of political opinion in russia but Is this only an opinion are there no interests no organizations ready to fight tor political freedom are there no impell ing forces to extort it from a reluctant government we have found the answer in the present situation yes the impelling forces are there and they are two told the material crisis and the po disaffection russia Is passing through a crisis she Is and her illness Is so grave as to demand imme diate and radical cure palliatives can be of no use rather they only increase the gravity of the situation to pretend all Is right in russia ex capt for a few persons who are making all the fuss la no longer ridiculous it Is criminal increased and united as they are the forces of opposition still are not strong enough to replace the govern ment by a violent overthrow but they are strong enough to make the use of violence continuous and by in creasing this to preclude any further peaceful work of civilization russia wants a political represent atlon and guarantees of what are called the fundamental rights of in freedom of belief and of speech the right of association and public meetings liberty of the press a strict regime of the law and the free course of justice which implies the repeal of arbitrary edicts and reg lons the abolition of extraordinary tribunals and last but not least a habeas corpus act security from abbl arary arrest and domiciliary search comparing japan with russia the professor says things that with us took centuries to pass away in japan appear to have been crowded into a short space of time now one of the consequences of this rapidity of progress Is that the ancient tradition of japan as it were had not time to die out and has kept enough of its vitality to be able to enter into some degree of alon with the elements of new life and culture one explanation of the difference may be that society in japan Is not so much democratized as in russia it may be that it Is not so much demand ed by public opinion in japan as in russia but another explanation la that much more Is given japan en joys the elementary condition of ress a free political life which we are yet striving to attain in the preface prof writes serious men for years and year have worn a state robe the beauty of which was clear only to a few concur ing wiseacres and millions of men groaning under the burden of its cost have mournfully kept silence watch ing the silent procession until an un toward event has come like the child in andersen s tale to tell the whole world that the wisdom Is counterfeit and the wearers of the robe are nak ed this event Is the war well the only advice we can give to these people Is to put on new clothes and do it as soon as possible |