The evening times., 1899-02-18
czAR YET AMERICAS FRIEND.
Former Ambassador Hitchcock on
Russia's Fidelity.

MUSINGS
New York, Feb! 1S.-The World this
morning prints the following:
Ethan Allen Hitchcock, recently United
State Ambassador to the Court Of The
Czar or Russia, returned on the Teutonic
yesterday to assume the duties of his new
post as Secretary, of the Interior He APP
peared TO regard with complacency the
change from the palace on the Newski
Prospect to the dingy little whitewaShed
room III the Patent Office at Washington.
reporter boarded the Teutonic in the
Narrows and gave Secretary Hitchcock the
first information about the sudden death
of President Faure. Mr.. Hitchcock was
exceedingly shocked, and exclaimed:
'Alasi More trouble for poor France."
Did you return by the way of the
French capital?" was the first enquiry.
Il did not. ! came through Berlin and
Cologne. It is more direct. l had been in
Paris for some time only a few months
ago. The French people are in a strange
condition of unrest. There is no cohesion.
All are individuals, with personal ideas of
monarchy and republicanism. l deplore
the position of France, but l decline to
predict return to the empire. No evil
dences that President Faures death is due
to plot? | rejoice at that, because in
such an event revolution would be inevi-
table OF course, am speaking quite un-
officially
What was the sentiment in Russia re-
garding our war with Spain ?" was asked
In official circles the victory of the
united States was regarded as a foregone
conclusion. The great masses of the Rus
sian people knew little about the conflict
Newspapers are not read in Russia to any
great extent. Information travels slowly
The feeling of steadfast friendship for the
American people that is found everywhere
is nANDlirah hla- hut ~ I>-
by any diplomatic influence that any f IL
ropean power could exert. 'Toujour fidel'
is the phrase that every citizen of OUR
country ought to write or utter whenever
the name of Russia is seen or heard"
is she averse TO our encroachmeats
in the East"
Not in the slightest. She has her own
plans regarding China; but they are com
mercial rather than imperial. She will not
express joy or annoyance regarding the
annexation of the Philippines; but she
will stand ready to endorse our course at
the time moral support is needed"
Are any Of the great powers unfriendly
TO our occupancy of the Philippines ?"
Il think not, was the cautious rejoin-
der Il cannot say exactly what frances
feelings were but she is so torn by inter
nal troubles that even if we knew her at
titude TO have been pro- Spanish we ought
" ONt!lOph II lOE the SAKE Ol tue past.
While the soon tO-be Secretary was
making out his baggage manifest contain
ing four trunks and a handbag his per-
sonality could be studied. He is about
medium height and has the Missouri drOop
in his left shoulder. His hair and mus
tache are gray, but his blue eyes are keen
and Indicate his age 10 be about fifty five
years. He wore a black derby hat, his
oveTcoat was Of smooth finished cloth Of
he HEr, T.
spectors was purely formal and he finished
it b. signing his name.
Tell me about the Cars peace pro-
gramme was the first suggestion
1t Is sincere and is so accepted by Dip
iomatists Who represent nations unfriend-
ly 10 Russia, said Mr. Hitchcock Il had
my last audience with the Gar three
weeks ago al Moscow and ne expressed in
formally the utmost hopefuIness regard
ing the outcome Of the commission. Even
though it should fail, vast amount OF in
formation will have been gathered as to
the temper Of the various powers the
views of their rulers and cabinets That
Peace Conference Will be an epoch-makIng
assemblage. If the United States is TO be-
come the world power that is now indicated
the work OF that conference Will be OF vital
interest to every citizen of this land
Tell US about the Siberian Railways
progress" was suggested
1t is one Of the greatest commercial
enterprises Of the century. The minister
who IS building il told me a month ago
that trains would be running from Irkutsk
10 Fladivostok in 1902. He told me the
earth then could be crcumnayigated In
forty days. This is four years earlier than
was originally expected but the import-
ance Of The road has become. so manifest
that the utmost urgency has been euforc-
ed II is wholly surveyed and the rails are
going down as fast as they can be got to
their places, 1t is quite possible to travel
by rail now from Mini Novgorod. on the
NolSa- 10 lrkutSk-nade familiar 10 the
civilized world by Jules Verne in Michael
SJrogoff
What will be the final terminus on the
Pacific
1T hasn't been officially promulgated.
but you can say that it viii be Talienwau.
a fine harbor in Manchuria. little known
which Will be made absolutely Russian
Port Arthur wouldn't suit, though branch
line OF railway viii be run TO that place"
What is the traffic -
Passengers rather than freight. Where
they originally intended 10 run one train
a day each way they are now running SIX
The towns among the Siberian steppes are
quite populous The rates of fare ia Rus
sia are much lower than in any other part
of the world. 1t is the intention of the
hussidh government 10 make through
rate from the Neva TO the Pacific of ahout
sou. The distance will be nearly > .0GO
miles. Here the rate from New York to
Chicago, 900 miles, seems quite cheap"
Was it very cold at st. Petersburg
when you left?"
Not as we understand cold OF course
the Neva was frozen solid and teams were
crossing it, Evergreens are set out in the
ice 10 mark the continuation of streets
across the water and present a very pretty
picture. The opera, the theatres and the
cafes are aglow with life in the coldest
weather.
Speaking of The cold, is it the cause
OF the reported famine in some of the prov
inces?"
Not at all; lack of ntercommunication
is the cause. famine in Russia is diff
ferent from what we understand by such
a term. 1t is as if Minnesota had an
abundance of grain and Ohio great pota-
to crop, but a drought and a grasshopper
plague had existed in Missouri that had
destroyed potatoes and all kinds of grain.
Distances are enormous in Russia, To try
to relieve Missouri by pack trains from
Ohio and Minneapolis would take time and
many people would die of starvation be-
fore the relief arrived That's what a
Russian famine means. Whole provinces
prove sterile some seasons, and then un-
less the citizens hurry away many of them
will suffer actual want. Money will not
buy what is not in existence
Cumberland Apprehensive
Cumberland. Md, Feb. 1S-The thaw
was very rapid yesterday, though but little
rise in the Potomac river has yet raculta1