ting one of
many possible issues from the present chaos.

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

By Frank Alfred Golder

The intelligent public that has been watching the erratic courses which
the Russian ship of state has been sailing during the last few years
suspected that something was wrong with it, but not until after
the March revolution did it become fully known what incompetent and
irresponsible officers were in command. It was then learned that a great
part of the time the Emperor was either drunk or doped, that the Empress
was hysterical and on the verge of a mental breakdown, and that they
were assisted by senile Sturmer, mentally unbalanced Protopopov, and
profligate Rasputin, none of whom could read a compass nor lay out a
course and steered the ship as they willed. All the passengers, first,
second, and third class, grand dukes, intelligentsia, and laborers saw
the danger and shouted warning but the officers neither saw nor heard.
In order to save themselves and the vessel each class of passengers,
quite independent of the other, resolved that at the first opportune
moment it would throw the officers overboard and take charge of the
ship; but while they were plotting the crew mutinied, arrested the
officers, and left the ship to drift in sight of the breakers.

Nicholas Romanov is to blame for the plight of his country and for his
own misfortunes. He was warned, he was given his chances, but he abused
them all. When he entered on his reign he was popular and had the good
will of his people with him. For some reason or other it was assumed
that he was liberal minded and that under him the people would breathe
a little more freely than under his autocratic father. This hope was so
strong that it was unconsciously accepted as a fact. Stories were told
that the Tsar fraternized with students and workmen and that he was
determined to destroy the bureaucratic wall which kept the people from
him. It was on the strength of this report that the Zemstvo of Tver
petitioned him that in the future it might have direct access to him and
have a say in the government. Here was a great opportunity but he turned
it against himself. His reply was, "It has come to my attention that
recently some people have been carried away by senseless dreams that the
representatives of the zemstvos should take part in internal affairs.
Let it be known to all that I shall guard the autocracy as firmly as did
my father."