19 MAY 1917, Page 1

All this was discouraging, but a great improvement came when

the Socialists consented to join the Provisional Government. The composition of this Coalition was annoa need in the papers of Thurs- day. Prince Lvoff is still Prime Minister. M. Kerenaky, the Socialist Minister of Justice, becomes Minister of War. M. Miliukoff is succeeded by the Finance Minister, M. Tereshtchenko. Two new Ministries, Labour and Munitions, are formed, and are to bo entrusted to Socialists. Six old Ministers remain. The new Minister of Agriculture is also a Socialist. The formulas on which the Coalition bases itself are : (1) Unity of all the Allied fronts. (2) The full confidence of the Revolutionary democracy in a recon- structed Cabinet. (3) Plenitude of powers for the Government. We have no right or desire to criticize. All we can say is that if the Socialists in the Government will earnestly and resolutely engage to defeat Germany—an undefeated Germany means death to Russian liberty—they will be the best men who could possibly be in power. Russia obviously needs a real democratic Government, and we hope she has got it. Democracy should not be confused with Petrograd operatives who may happen still to be recalcitrant. The danger, in our opinion, is not a separate peace, but a general paralysis of a Russia with right intentions.