OCR Text |
Show RUSSIA MAY BE GREATREPUBLIC Tremendous Changes Have Occurred in the Land of the Czar. PETROGRAD. March 16. via- London. Lon-don. March 17. 6:47 a. m Unless improbable im-probable events occur. Russia has today to-day become a republic. The outcome j 1 depends on how the manifesto of the new government is received by the 6.000,000 soldiers at the front. LONDON, March 17. 3:15 a. m. A Reuter Petrograd dispatch says that prior to his abdication, the Russian emperor transferred the supreme com mand of the Russian armies to the Grand Duke Nicholas PETROGRAD. March 16. 1 30 p. m., via London, March 17. 3:14 a. m Emperor Nicholas abdicated at midnight mid-night last night on behalf of himself and the heir apparent. Grand Dukej Alexis, in favor of Grand Duke Michael' Alexandrovitch. At 2:30 o'clock this afternoon Grand1 Duke Michael himself abdicated, thus; bringing the Romanoff dynasty to am end. The government, pending a meeting1 of the constitutional assembly, is vested vest-ed in the executive committee of the duma and the newly chosen counc il , of ministers. A manifesto to this effect ef-fect was issued by the duma today and Iff it will be telegraphed to the general army headquarters this evening. The House of Romanoff is descended descend-ed from Andrei Romanoff, who is said to have gone to Moscow from Prussia! in the 14th century. Mikhal Feodoro- Vltch Romanoff was the first of the, family to ascend the throne. This was1 in 1613 when he was 17 years old. The1 direct male line of the Romanoffs terminated ter-minated in 1730 and the female line in 1762, when the Holstein-Gottorp branch came into power and has since ruled. PETROGRAD, via London, Mar. 16. 9 55 p. m. Today Russia appeared to be in a fair way toward solving the greatest problem with which, perhaps, any nation was ever confronied. Order Or-der is growing with incredible rapidity out of the chaos of the last week, and the new government, gathering up the broken threads of national and municipal munici-pal life, is striving to set the organization organi-zation of the country' in motion so that the conduct of the war will suffer as little as possible from the revolution. The members of the new ministry I alreadv have assumed their posts and the government buildings, empty and deserted for four days, are again open for official business. The banks, all the commercial and financial houses, and some of the factories already have responded to the new government's govern-ment's appeal, opened their doors and expressed a willingness to do everything every-thing In thir power to effect as quick a recover' as possible from the paralysis par-alysis of the last week. The soldier policemen are guarding the streets in place of the old gendarmes. Hundreds of messages have been received from all over the country declaring de-claring the allegiance of important cities cit-ies and fortresses to the now regime. Moscow, Kharkov, T6aritsn, and Vologda Vo-logda already have formally acknowledged acknowl-edged the new government, and, so far as is known, not a single section of the country stands out for the old order or-der of things. Supported by unanimous unani-mous vote, tho present government is in reality a government of the people According to the latest information, the executive committee of the duma and the committees of soldiers and workingraen's deputies have reached a full agreement, or at least have decided de-cided temporarily to waive all minor difficulties until the meeting of the constitutional assembly, which will decide de-cide Just what form the new government govern-ment of Russia will take. Meanwhile, it is reported that the government of the country will rest I for three months in the hands of a committee of twelve, and It Is stated I that the monarchy, for the time be- ing, will be abolished. Paul N. Milukoff, one of the new leaders of the government, in outlining outlin-ing its alms to the Associated Press, said : "We assume control of the government govern-ment in order to bring victory to the Russian arms. "It was a crime for the former gov-I gov-I eminent to behave in such a way as I to bring the country to the brink of disaster, endangering most seriously the issue of the war. The growing I danger was the real cause, which, strongly influencing the people toward J dissatisfaction, finally expressed itself in such an outbreak of popular indignation indig-nation that it brought triumph in such a short time and in so bloodless a manner as perhaps In no other revolution revo-lution in history. Moral Victory for Russians. "The reason for the decisive step so quickly achieved, was the complete j lack of confidence in the former pow-er. pow-er. Not one element has risen to defend de-fend the government. Even from Tsar-skoe-Selo itself everybody has rallied about the duma. The duma has proved prov-ed itself the great center of attraction for tho popular will. I "It was a splendid moral victory. I During the first few days wo had no power but moral power. Now it is 1 different. Now we are organized. With every hour our security grows " It is felt that whatever minor dif-I dif-I ferences may continue to exist be- tween the two committees that havo . assumed control of affairs, a firm foun-f foun-f datlon has been laid for the future of Russia. There appears disposition on i both eidea to make concessions. |