With the Birth of Democracy and Industrialism,
a New Day Will Dawn
For the Great Slavonic People.
Lewis Nixon, who has been suggesting plans for the reconstruction of the
Russian navy, believes that democracy is the proper medicine for the
Czar's distracted country. The people have been dwarfed by despotism, he
says, but they are now making wonderful progress in manufacturing and
opening up their enormous country. In a recent interview, Mr. Nixon says:
Russia needs two things to enable her to feed the rest of
Europe--cheap money and cheap transportation.
With railroad enterprise, such as that of J.J. Hill, lower
Russia and southwestern Siberia could raise wheat for the
world. But I believe that with the adoption of the new idea
of participation of the people in the government so
sincerely determined upon by the emperor, Russia will settle
down to tranquilly building up the empire and developing the
arts of peace instead of the arts of war.
The great difficulty in the Russian form of government is to
find great men equal to the task of carrying it on. Public
life, as we know it, has not existed there.
With the institution of the Douma, the strong men are bound
to make themselves felt, and the results will be that the
Czar will not lack for competent advisers and
administrators.
I am convinced that as soon as the Douma gets going
thoroughly a new day will dawn for Russia and her people.
There is bound to be wonderful commercial development, and
with this will come an awakening of intelligence and
exercise of limited constitutional government, which is
bound to result in peace and tranquillity and the
restoration of Russia to her high place among the powers of
the world.