and life awaits an
answer to them from the thought and conscience of Russian society.

It is not our intention to discuss the necessity for the removal of
Jewish disabilities from the humanitarian standpoint. However
majestic may be those "elementary principles of law and morality,"
which have been achieved by mankind on its long historic road and
which are now the very basis of civilisation, in the eyes of many they
are still little more than "fine words," stylistic embellishments of
highbrow talk. Of course, the atmosphere of discriminations is equally
pernicious for those who suffer and those who are privileged: did not
serfdom corrupt the master as well as the slave? All this is eminently
true. But there are arguments, which we regret to say, are more
appealing and convincing. It is these arguments that we shall treat in
the present paper.

The reader is well aware of the fact that in these days nothing has
been discussed more vividly than the necessity of developing Russia's
productive powers. The intimate connection between the general
prosperity of our country and its economic progress has penetrated
into the consciousness of people at large. It is the war, evidently,
that has driven this truth home to us: namely that the ultimate
success of the conflict depends not only on the activity of the
armies, but also on the economic stability of the belligerent
nations. The economic difficulties which are being experienced by
Germany, strengthen our faith in our final victory. More than a
quarter of a century ago the Russian Minister of Finance, who took
great pains to develop our industry, wrote in the explanatory memoir
which accompanied the project of the state budget:

"I believe it to be the duty I owe Your Imperial Majesty to express my
firm, clear, and profound conviction that economic prosperity of the
people even when coupled with a somewhat imperfect military
organisation will be more useful in case of war than the most complete
military preparedness combined with economic weakness. In the latter
case, the people, however eager they may be to sacrifice both their
life and property, can bring to the altar of the fatherland their life
only, but they will be unable to furnish the necessary financial means
for the State."

It is from this standpoint of economic interests that we shall
approach the painful Jewish question. The time is long since past when
it was possible to say with the Empress Elizabeth Petr