88 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR 
mining fixed prices, then the zemstvo will be unable to guarantee a 
sufficient area of cultivation in the spring of 1917, and on the con- 
trary fears the occurrence of food riots.” It so happened that the 
prophecy of the Orenburg zemstvo was fulfilled, for a month later 
food riots actually did break out, only not-at Orenburg, but at 
Petrograd, culminating in the Revolution. 
It is not easy to determine precisely how far the zemstvos were 
right in striving to dictate a food policy to the Government. In this 
matter, institutions of local government, as representatives of those 
classes which were engaged in food production, were naturally an 
interested party. Besides, it cannot be denied that in time of war 
the organization of food supply requires a vast amount of central- 
ized control, such as we observe in every other country that took 
part in the War. It is true, on the other hand, that there were 
plenty of good reasons for the hostile attitude of the zemstvos to the 
Government quite apart from the quarrel over the food supply 
policy. The steadily increasing chaos, for which the Government 
was wholly responsible, was adding fuel to the disaffection not only 
in zemstvo circles, but in all classes of society. To this we have to 
add the effect of the consecutive defeats suffered by the army at the 
front, the struggle of the Government with the Duma, and the moral 
corruption in court circles and among the highest officials. 
In speaking of the war activities of the zemstvos it is impossible 
to distinguish between the zemstvos and the Zemstvo Union. In pro- 
viding for the needs of the War, the zemstvos were working loyally 
and in full harmony with the Central Committee of the Union, 
while locally the organs of the Union were acting in full accord with 
the zemstvo assemblies. The zemstvo boards were everywhere mem- 
bers of these committees. It is impossible, therefore, to state defi- 
nitely where the work of the individual zemstvo ended and that of 
the Union began. Consequently, as we go into a more detailed de- 
scription of the different branches of zemstvo work, we shall make 
no attempt to distinguish between the zemstvos and the local organs 
of the Zemstvo Union. 
We shall commence our account of the combined work of the 
zemstvos and their Union with their activities in the organization 
and relief of the population in the interior of Russia, after which we 
shall consider the development of the Union’s activities in the war 
zone.