84 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR
the Government. At the close of September, 1916, the Minister of
the Interior sent to the various zemstvo institutions the draft of a
law setting up a small zemstvo unit and requested their opinions
on it as soon as possible. The Central Committee of the Zemstvo
Union invited the best authorities to examine the bill and then dis-
patched a lengthy memorandum on the volost to all the provincial
and district zemstvo boards. However, even now there was delay, so
that it was only on May 21, 191%, that is, after the Revolution, that
the Provisional Government was finally able to promulgate the law
on the volost zemstvo.
The Zemstovos and the Government.
The War inspired the zemstvo workers with genuine patriotic
enthusiasm and a unanimous desire to support the Government in
the prosecution of the War. Nevertheless, sentiments of opposition
were aroused among the zemstvo workers from the very outset of the
activities of the Zemstvo Union, after such sentiments had, subse-
quently to the Revolution of 1905, almost completely disappeared.
This feeling of antagonism was due to the fact that the Government,
fearing the growth of civic organizations that rallied the popular
masses and competed with the official bureaucracy, was placing ob-
stacles in the way of the Union.
The Central Committee of the Union was acutely aware of the
Government’s hostility. Whenever it was found that the authorities
were absolutely helpless to do anything to meet new emergencies,
and no one seemed willing to take the initiative, everybody looked
toward the Unions for relief, and these were never found want-
ing, but grappled with the work in every way possible and never
shirked responsibilities. No sooner, however, would the crisis be
passed and the Government feel more secure, than the authorities
would forthwith remember that the Union of Zemstvos had been
sanctioned by the Emperor only for the purpose of aiding the sick
and wounded soldiers. The next step usually would be to give pre-
cedence either to some bureaucratic organ or to a committee pre-
sided over by some grand duchess. While the Government was un-
able to dispense with the services of the zemstvos, the appropriations
for these services would be made only through the medium of some
charitable organization having nothing whatever in common with
the zemstvos or through the provincial governors. On these occa-
