Ambassador Meyer to the Secretary of State.
St. Petersburg, June 11, 1906.
Sir: The situation here continues unsatisfactory as to the outlook for a better understanding between the Government and the Douma.
On the vital question of the land the Douma is practically unanimous in favor of expropriation. It is equally united as to the abolition of the death penalty. The sentiment of the body has been expressed by the adoption of an order demanding the suspension of capital punishment and stating that pending the settlement by the cabinet of this question an execution would not be an act of justice, but simple assassination.
The house has declined to limit or restrict the agrarian debates, realizing that on this most important problem it is essential that every member that desires to express his opinion should be allowed the opportunity.
The Government now proposes to give the peasants about 10,000,000 acres in place of the 180,000,000 asked for, and for an equal amount (10,000,000 acres) belonging to private estates whose owners have already declared their willingness to sell through the peasant’s banks, deferring payments for several years.
If on the opening day of the Douma this proposition had been made from the throne, with a liberal amnesty for political prisoners, it would have demonstrated to the members of the Douma at least a willingness to assist in the problems that confront them to-day. Now the Douma regards the Government as a hindrance to helpful legislation, and neither is in a yielding mood.
The Socialists have been endeavoring to induce the peasants to indorse and support a proposal which aims at the practical annihilation of all property.
The constitutional Democrats, who have so far had the support of the peasants, are seeking to find the foundation for a fair settlement.
It adopts the principle of expropriation where the vital requirements of the local population demand it, and expressly stipulates that the basis of a division shall be a living farm.
The Douma is now debating the fairest methods of applying expropriation and the dealing of lands expropriated. A committee of eighty-six has been appointed from the Douma to study the entire agrarian question. This committee will be subdivided into small committees, to be apportioned to different parts of the country, who will report in the fall to the entire committee and that committee in turn to the Douma.
[Page 1261]This last week the scheme of the Socialists to refer the agrarian question at once to local committees elected by direct universal suffrage was defeated, and the vote showed that the peasants had refused to follow the socialistic leaders. Thus the apprehension has been quelled for the time being of the spread of socialistic influence among the peasant members.
The attitude of the workmen is, however, changing. Where they have heretofore held aloof or boycotted the elections for the Douma, meetings are now being held, adopting resolutions in favor of support of the Douma in its conflict with the Government.
While outward order is maintained at the present in many parts of Russia, in the Baltic provinces and in the Caucasus advices are coming of murder and arson.
I have, etc.,