ch
so long has been renounced by practically all classes of the Russian
people. I have pointed out elsewhere that this Second Act of the great
drama of social transformation in Russia was to be expected in
connection with the present war. It is not surprising that this Act,
like the first--the Revolution of 1905--is accompanied by an
irresistible demand for the cessation of the persecution of the Jews
and other minority races. The first Duma, that of 1906, demanded
unanimously that all these races be given absolutely the same rights
as other Russians. The rise of Liberalism during the war, in
connection with military necessities, had already abolished a number
of Jewish disabilities. There is no longer any question that the Jews
will be given equality. Without exception the anti-Semitic
organisations were supported by the pro-German party, the money which
was alone responsible for the pogroms was furnished by these same
organisations, and now this Party and these organisations are forever
overthrown. It was Dr. Dubrovin, for example, who year by year carried
out the murders of the leading representatives of the Jews in the Duma
and who almost succeeded in having Milukov assassinated a few weeks
ago. Dubrovin was one of the most important of the sinister forces
supported by the money of the German Czarina's court party--which was
organised by Baron Fredericks and other notorious Germans masquerading
as Russians.

The re-birth of Russia which is now taking place cannot be understood
apart from the Jewish problem. As Russia's leading Liberal statesman,
Prof. Paul Milukov--who is well and favorably known in America because
of extended visits here--points out in the article he contributes to
the present volume, the anti-Semitic parties coincide with the
anti-constitutional parties. At first this seems a strange and
unaccountable fact, but a brief glance at the history of other
countries will show that the party standing for the persecution of weak
foreign neighbours and the oppression of minority races within and
without a country has always and everywhere been the party of reaction.
As Milukov says, there was no need for an anti-constitutional movement
until there was a constitutional movement. As soon as Liberalism
appeared, however, and gained support among the masses, it was
necessary to fabricate some counter movement, and the governmental
bureaucracy fixed upon anti-Semitism as a primitive means of appealing
to the m