New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-03
EALF-TRUTHS.
a RrssoMAN1AC ON RUSSIA.
rprrrH ARouT RUSSIA. BY W. t. Stead. o.

TRUTH ABOUT RUbolh- Ds
DID. 464 Casseh o. ~
After visit Of some two months TO Russia
tho editor Of . Tho Pail Mall Gazette was better
ettod than most men % write book about the
.ountrv. for II the current belief is Trustworthy
.J,;s enterurisne Journalist enjoys means OF In
formation concerning the Cars Empire whicn
w. denied IN travellers less closely animated
With the Northern Government MoreoFer' MI
stead with a discrimination which might nave
ronald him better had the condluons Deen ouiier-
,yiSe has confined himself Tor IN" moso parV
70 reporting what the Russian au'nor' uee-uipiV,
matists. army officers, heads OF department. anu
other accredited personages-told MIN; ana Oh
personal observation he gives nt,ie Deyonu "n"O
,ha average Cooks tourist might gamer save
In regard TO his story at the mouse Oh OounO
Teon ToIstoj Had Mr.. Stead not taken WIN
hin, N Rnssia the reputation OF being already
strongly briefed for the defence OF tnao ROVER
ord the vindication of its external policy in
nor.iorIar there can be no doubt that his polemic
,,onId have mora forccful and the Importantly
30 his conclusions less open to Suspicion bu1
this is NOT the only obstacle to the acceptance
80 his views. With an righteousness whicn
,nears we'll for his faith in his fellow-men' out
which is liable TO detract from ms StahoinR "s
nm advocate. he has adopted the prihc,pic vi
applyinR directly to the people charged WIN
malien intentions, frankly asking Them II Ihey
are guilty, and then tRiumpnantV c'.ins .ner
prompt disclaimers IS Conclusive pr'oi u ''''ii
innocence.
This naive method Mr. Stead apphes in .ne
case of General Ignatief, with results whicn
must assuredly have provoked ineAunsulsnsUo
laughter in the circles-both Russian ana Eng
lish-where the facts are known. Inc unques-
81 Iona aaN N
tionably great talents Of General Agnaueu arc
commonly supposed to have failed OF tneir aue
effect in consequence of en- unfortunate oeiec'
of character defined by his enemies as an Inability
70 speak the truth. In Asia Inc bore the SQUIRT,
ouet of ~-Mentir Pacha." and another l1-naVureo
So,s,sr,o ,or him has been The Father OF Lies"
n has been asserted that his Official career was
,u.arrun ted n not brought 20 close, by the
present Cars prejudice against those tortuous
,netbods Of Iocution ascribed to the author OF
,ho Treaty Of San Stefano. Mr.. Stead made up
bs mind to ascertain once for OIL how much,
n any. truth there was in these injurious reports
20 no amlied 70 General Ignatiet in person, ana
mt the question In effect Are you really the
uncomfortable pervertcr Of the truth popular
oninion makes you ont to beT One cannot but
admire the apomb Of tho man at whose Ieet
,bis bombsheu was exploded Mr.. Stead tells
ne that the General rose 20 the OCCASION
II win tell you ell about it, said he pleas
antly and then he proceeded 70 eApIain ,nAO
be was called The Father OF Lies for no other
-oason than that il was his invariable practice
20 sncal, the truth There Is nothing said
10 = that PEOPLE believe 90 little, that seems SO
incredible TO them. as the TRUTH And presently
be said seriouslys-aI tell you that have
made a point never in all my life 90 say any
thing that Is not true' Mr.. Stead Describes
General Icnatieff as the Russian Gladstone, aud
again as q compound Of Mr.. Gladstone ana mr.
Labouchere: though, be says, the dimcuIv IN
dealing with him Is 10 decide accurately where
Mr.. Gladstone leaves of and where Dir. Labouchere
begins
No doubt That must be rather embarrassing
and since Mr. Stead intimates thaethe 0hdstonian
resemblance In General Ignatief Is carried even
to the doubt concerning yeracity, possibly Mr.
Gladstone may not feel grateful fer the com
carlson. whatever Mr. Labouchere docs. Nor
does IL appear that the General quite removed
his interviewer's doubts. The fact that inc
Car had laid the diplomatist on the she'll wcigheu
ON his mind. II Is true that he had no means
Of knowing the real reason for this; but he
considered that the current explanation OF II
might be true, and his immense respect for the
Judgment and integrity Of the Czae prevented
him from altogether deciding the question. But
the principal motive for his visit 20 Russia was
20 find out what the Governments foreign policy
WINS especially on the Eastern question. Of
course the officials were delightfully."- frank and
omen with him Contrary TO the vulgar In
pression they had no State secrets. All the world
wns welcome 20 know Russias mind upon any
issue that could be named Take for example
the sick mar. Did Russia coyct Constantinopie
Certainly not. She would hardly take 1t as GIT
All she wanted was control OF the entrances "a
| the Black Sea- Let her fortfy them, and she would
| ask nothing more. But II she controlled the
Black Sea, might she not be tempted 20 gather
| n powerful feet there and then some day issue
forth and sweep the British flag from the hediter-
rauean Nothing OF that, / was always assured,
| WINS dreamed OF by the Russians Defence, not
offence. was their ideal They were much more
likely TO dismantle the Black Sea feet IL they
held the keys OF the Bosphorus than to I'll the
| Euxine with preparations for naval war" In
| short. nothing could be more peaceable and lamb
like than all the external policy Of Russia. and
IL is scarcely necessary to say that Mr.. Steads
MINI was Immensely relieved By these pacific
| assurances.
Then as TO no Bulgarian question. He was
| told that nothing could induce Russia TO inter
| fere there forcibly Moral suason might indeed
! be possibly employed. Ferdinand Of CoburG
would have to go in any event. and naturally
Russia might favor one Of the candidates for
the vacant position. But she could never dream
of using underhand means to compass her end
and IL the Bulgarians did not want the mar
| OF her choice that would be the end OF II. The
| plain truth WIS that Austra, not Russia, was
| az the bottom of oil the Bulgarian trouble
Wicked Austria WIS driving things there toward
an impossible situation, and II Germany persisted
in backing Austria serious difficulties might arise
some day. As for Mr.. Stead himself, he has
no deeper conviction thnn that the House oil
Hapsburg is the real disturber OF Europe. and
the fact that he does not share this view with
many people renders him al the more insistcn'
in advocating it. Austria, according to him
is the one dangerous Power IN Europe. Bou
hanger lin whom Mr. Stead believes with a per
fectly orthodox and canonical faith viii not