NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE event of the week in Russia has been the split between the Constitutional Democrat ex-Members of the Duraa and the Socialist and Labour leaders. The former in their Viborg manifesto advocated a form of passive resistance which, as Mr. Bernard Pares points out in our columns, is justified by their Constitutional doctrine. The latter are in favour of active revolution, and have issued an appeal to the Army and the Navy to join them. It reminds the soldiers that they themselves are of the people, and calls on them to standbeside them in the coming struggle. "Any man who shoots at the people is a criminal, a traitor, and an enemy of the people." A revolutionary manifesto has also been issued to the peasants declaring that the Government by its Dissolution of the Duma has declared war upon the people, and calling upon them to remove, all local authorities, and to place all State funds in the bands of elected repre- sentatives. The first-fruits of these appeals was witnessed on Monday night in a mutiny which broke out in the fortress of Sveaborg. The artillery joined the mutineers, and the number of killed is estimated at several hundreds. This mutiny, which was apparently intended to prepare favourable conditions for revolt in places of greater strategic importance, was crushed on Thursday night, and the mutiny at Kronstadt proved abortive from the start. So far the first victories lie with the Government. Meanwhile it is reported that M. Stolypin is endeavouring to prevail upon the Octobrist leaders, including Count Heyden, to join his Government.
