The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-07-04
THE RISE OF M. DE WHITE.


 story that is curiously characteris-
 tic of M, de Witte is told in connection
 with the publication of M. de Cyon's M. l Witte ct lee Finances Russes,' book | which threatened at one time to cause | great excitement in Paris M. de Cyon,
 Katkof's great friend and ally in former
 days, Is, perhaps, the most vindictive of
 the Russian minister's many vindictive enemies; and his book Is one long, fierce
 attack on him and his policy. What gives importance to the work and rem 1 ders it the more dangerous is that it Is direct appeal to France to refuse to
 lend money to Russia so long as M. de Witte is finance minister. M. Cyon tells the French nation roundly that De Witte has deceived them again and again that
 he has deliberately played on their love of Russia to extort money from them, betraying them to Germany the while favoring Germany at the expense of France.
 It chanced that just when the book was on the point of appearing-in Janu- ary, 1S95-a presidential crisis occurred l in France, whereupon M. de Cyon gave orders that the publication should be l stopped, not wishing. as he said, to add to the embarrassment of the French government by bringing the Franco Russian alliance into discredit. At the same time he sent contidentially copies of the book to four members of the Rus sian state council, in the hope, as he somewhat naively confesses, that one of them might fall into the hands of the Czar. Instead of that, one fell into the hands of M. de Witte, who straightway sent word to its author that if he did not publish his book in Paris, and at once, he, De Witte, would publish it for him in St. Petersburg; ay, and would dis tribute copies of it gratis all round He sent too, an announcement of his inten- ton to the Figaro, and the result was that the book was hopeessly dscredited before ever 1t was published.
 Sergius Witte-the right to the de" was acquired in quite recent days-is a self-made man. He started life without either wealth or influential friends to help him on his way. He was born in 1S49, and belongs by birth to the lower middle class, his father, who was of German origin, holding some minor office under the government. He spent some years as a student at the Odessa uniyer- sity, though without, as it seems, distin- gushing himself there in any special degree. When he left Odessa he ob- tained a post in the state railway de- partment, where he speedily won the fa- vor of his superiors by doing their work for them, and much better than they could do 1t themselves Promotion fol- | lowed promotion, and in every office he held he gave proof of his marvellous skill | as an organizer. He was once installed | as station-master in quite an unimpor- tant town, and before many months had | elapsed he had transformed his station | into a model for the whole empire.
 Then came the Turkish war, and that | gave him his great chance in life for his | chiefs in the railway department lost | their heads completely under the strain | of transporting troops to the front, and | the result would have been disaster had | he not come to their help. But come to their help he did, and very effectually, for long before war was declared he had, 1t seems. without saying word to any one, quietly done what his superiors ought to have done--that is worked out the details of various schemes for the transport of an army against Turkey This proof of forethought on his part created quite sensation in, official cir cles, where people are not accustomed to looking ahead or doing else on their own initiative. He worked night and day while the war lasted; and when it came to an end he had already made a reputation for him. self, and was on the highway to fortune Pail Mall Gazette.