1909-03-10 RUSSIAN OPTIMISM

London Times, 10 March 1909, p. 5: RUSSIAN OPTIMISM. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ST. PETERSBURG, MARCH 9. (Excerpt) That the Russian Government does not desire war is shown by the fact that the newspapers to-day are authorized to publish extracts from the speeches made in last night’s debate in the Duma on the army and navy vote, in which M. Guchkoff and General Rediger stated that the high command in the Russian army were not yet all that they should be. The Extreme Right violently remonstrated, declaring that the words were disloyal. M. Guchkoff thereupon congratulated the Minister of War on his manful admission of facts which it was the loyal duty of the Duma to elicit. The House then voted the sums asked by the Government.