The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-09
FATES DENY HIM son
THE GEAR OF ALL THE RUSSIAS
THE FATHER OF THREE
GIRLS
CAN'T DICTATE TO THE sToRK

DIR. Schenck Denies That He Was
Consulted Before the Birth of the
Imperial Pairs Third Daughter
Who VIII Succeed Nicholas If No
Son Is Ever Born to Him 3-Duke
George Present Heir.
AS the stork lowered over the palace
of the car all Russia waited in suspense.
Twice before the stork had visited the
palace, but the first two children of
Nicholas were girls. While there Is a
male heir to the succession in Russia, a
brother or nephew, no girl child can
ever become a ruler of all the Russias,
says the New York Herald
And while Russia waited, while Russia
wondered whether 1t were true DR..
| Schenck had really learned the secret of
! the Fates, the news was flashed around
the world by the cable that the czarina
for the third time had given birth to a
girl. Welcome though the little girl I'M
doubtedly was, all the world felt that it
| must have been a great disappointment
to Nicholas that Fate had still left him
without sons. There was recalled the
| words he had uttered when his first
daughter, the Grand Duchess Olga, was
born:
1.-The czarina and 1 are extremely
| pleased to have a daughter. This child
is ours, and ours alone. If son had
been born he would have belonged to
Russia
The significance of the BIRTH of third
| daughter is apparent if we remember that
female heirs cannot ascend the throne of
Russia as long as there is a single male
heir. Now the car has no sons, and
the question which thousands are asking
is Who will succeed him on tbs throne
if he should die without having any son?
The answer to this question seems at
first glance very easy, and yet some of
the kindest political prophets in Europe
would hesitate to give it.
DUKE GEORGE PRESENT HEIR.
The present heir to the throne is un-
ouestionably the cars brother, Duke
George. He, however, is said to be a
confirmed invalid, and, furthermore, he
has never shown that he possesses any
! of those qualifications which ruler of all
the Russias should possess. Now, the
Muscovites, more than any other race In
Europe, are accustomed to strong suzer-
aims, and a weakling would never find ia
vor in their eyes. There is no doubt that
they would pay due allegiance to Duke
George If in the normal course of events
he were called to the throne, but there
| is equally no doubt that they would re-
main FESTIVE under his sway.
&c hot ho ia
Ill fitted to hold the reins of government,
! and those who know him best are conf
dent that he will at an early date re-
nounce his claims to the succession. Nay,
they maintain that the only reason why
he has not done so before now is because
he hoped that the child just born to his
brother would be a son, and he naturally
thought that in such an event he could
peacefully and without attracting undue
attention waive his own claims to the
throne.
If he is resolved not to succeed his
brother the question is, who will take his
place? According to the present statute
the crown can descend only to male heirs,
and not until this source OF supply is ex-
hausted can 1t be transmitted to direct
female heirs. Some persons may think
the question is rather premature on the
ground that a son may yet be born to the
present cZar. This, Of course, is entirely
possible, but European statesmen are not
concerning themselves with vague future
contingencies. but with cold, stern facts
and the fact which stares them in the
face at present is that the ozar has no
male children and that the actual heir to
the throne is Ill and, In all human prob
ability, will never become car.
TOO MANY CLAIMANTS.
But are there not other heirs to the
throne? 1t may be asked.
There are, and 1t is precisely because
there are so many heirs-or. rather,
claimants that the outlook appears omin-
Gus to those who have kept in touch with
the political situation in Russia True
the law states distinctly that the right Of
succession is confined to the cars near
est male relative, but in the absence of a
son, nephew or brother. this right may
become the subject OF dispute, and espe-
cially where there are several persons of
royal lineage, each Of whom has some
sort of claim to the throne. Very IN
definite this claim Is in many instances
but more than once persons who had not
a much better claim have made trouble
in Russia, and, while there IS no likeli-
hood that any such trouble will arise
again, the czar's subjects and all Europe
nevertheless feel certain that the only
sure way to avoid such trouble is to have
the question of succession settled with
out delay. So 81
I If this ID not done 1t Ia thought posi-
BILE that some ambitious Romanoh may
follow the example of Grand Duke Niche