en of Petrograd strike on February 27, the day
of the opening of the Duma, as a protest against the government; we
know also that to meet this situation, the Minister of the Interior had
placed machine guns in the garrets, in steeples, on housetops, and other
such places where they could command the important streets and shoot
down the mob. The rising did not take place because Miliukov, the great
liberal leader, learned that the Government was behind this move and
that preparations had been made to slaughter the unsuspecting workmen.
He, therefore, addressed them in an open letter calling on them not to
make any demonstration, and they did not. For the time being the strike
was off, but the air was full of discontent and restlessness, and it was
difficult to say when trouble would break out again. With this in view,
a number of representatives of various organizations met to discuss
the situation and to determine what attitude they should take and what
counsel they should give to the labor leaders. Miliukov and a few
others urged that all uprisings should be discouraged because they would
interfere with the war, would cost the lives of many innocent persons,
and would accomplish nothing. There were, however, others, especially
Anisimov, who argued strongly in favor of a strike, saying that this was
the opportune time to overthrow the present regime and to establish a
democratic government.[FN: I have this story from Miliukov.] When
the revolution came off and the papers of the secret police were seized,
it was discovered that Anisimov, who urged the revolt, was the paid
agent of the Government and was doubtless doing its bidding. This shows
that the Government instigated and abetted the uprising. But this is not
all the evidence. Between February 27 and the outbreak of the revolution
men impersonating Miliukov went to the factories, calling on the
workmen to rise against the Government.[FN: I have this story from
Miliukov.] There is still another bit of evidence. In order to give
the laboring classes cause for revolt, the food supply in the factory
districts was reduced and many people suffered from hunger and in their
desperation came out into the streets. During the revolutionary week
little, if any, food came in, but immediately after it the soldiers
found 250,000 "puds" of flour, [FN: _Russkaia Svoboda_, 1917. No.
3, p. 24.] enough to last Petrograd ten days, meat, besides other food
hidden in police stations and els