Social-Democratic Labour Party, on the understanding that it
should retain its independence on all matters affecting exclusively the
Jewish population.* It now possesses a very ably-conducted weekly organ,
and of all sections of the Social-Democratic group it is unquestionably
the best organised. This is not surprising, because the Jews have more
business capacity than the Russians, and centuries of oppression have
developed in the race a wonderful talent for secret illegal activity,
and for eluding the vigilance of the police.

* The official title of this Bund is the "Universal Jewish
Labour Union in Russia and Poland." Its organ is called
Sovremenniya Izvestiya (Contemporary News).

It would be very interesting to know the numerical strength of these
groups, but we have no materials for forming even an approximate
estimate. The Liberals are certainly the most numerous. They include the
great majority of the educated classes, but they are less persistently
energetic than their rivals, and their methods of action make less
impression on the Government. The two Socialist groups, though
communicative enough with regard to their doctrines and aims, are
very reticent with regard to the number of their adherents, and this
naturally awakens a suspicion that an authoritative statement on the
subject would tend to diminish rather than enhance their importance in
the eyes of the public. If statistics of the Social Democrats could
be obtained, it would be necessary to distinguish between the three
categories of which the group is composed: (1) The educated active
members, who form the directing, controlling element; (2) the fully
indoctrinated recruits from the working classes; and (3) workmen who
desire merely to better their material condition, but who take part in
political demonstrations in the hope of bringing pressure to bear on
their employers, and inducing the Government to intervene on their
behalf.

The two Socialist groups are not only increasing the number of their
adherents; they are also extending and improving their organisation,
as is proved by the recent strikes, which are the work of the Social
Democrats, and by the increasing rural disturbances and acts of
terrorism, which are the work of the Socialist-Revolutionaries.

With regard to the unorganised Nationalist group, all I can do towards
conveying a vague, general idea of its numerical strength is to give
the numbers of the populations--m