The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-24
QUARREL OF CZARINAS
WIFE AND MOTHER OF NICHo-
LAS ARE BITTER FOES.
Struggle for observation-disclosures
Most Frequently Go to the Dow
ager Marie Feodorowna, Who
Has Her Sons Ear in
All Things.

All Things.
London World.
That a mother-in-law and a daughter
in-law should look on each other askance
is no new thing. Eve was probably on
none too good terms with her sons wives.
The two Czarnas, however. the mother
of the Car and his wife, do not con-
tent themselves with looking on each
other askance; they are openly at war.
In ST. Petersburg society glances are ex-
changed and smiles whenever 1t Is of1-
cially announced-as it Is for forms sake
just from time to time-that these two
august ladies will be present at any Ger,
emory or festivity. For all the world
knows full well that. although one OF
them probably will be present, both of
them certainly will not; that the one or
the other will discover, in fact, when the
appointed day comes round, that she has
a headache. a touch of fever, or some
thing of the kind, which renders II i'm
possible for her to appear in public
There is a tacit understanding between
them, 1t seems, that wherever the one
goes, the other does not. Czarina Marie
Feodorowna broke through 1t the other
day. it is true. for the sake of gratifying
NJ. Loubet; for, although 1t was her turn
to stay away. she insisted at the last mo-
ment on going to the great review and
thus threw all the court arrangements
out of gear. Czarina Alexandra. however,
always adheres to it strictly. She makes
no attempt, indeed. to conceal the fact
that she diSlikeS meeting Czarina Marie
Feodorowna and that nothing but sheer
necessity will induce her to go where
meet her she must. And that 1t should
be thus is by no means extraordinary
considering how very trying is the posi-
ton in which she finds herself whenever
she and the Dowagec Czarina are to-
gether.
The Car is devotedly attached to his
mother SO attached that his first care,
when he assembled the throne, was to pre-
vent any loss of prestige being entaled
on her by the fact of his taking his faith
er's place. tThe way Kaiser William had
demeaned himself toward his father s
widow, when he assembled the throne, had
excited much severe criticism at the Rus
| sian court) In defiance alike of usage
| and etiquette. therefore, he at once gave
| the court officials, and all others whom 1t
| concerned. to understand clearly that II
was his will and pleasure that she should
| retain all her rights and privileges as
| sovereign consort, and take precedence
even of his wife when he should have
| one.
On Cars Right Hand.
| The result is that upon state occasions
| even now, 1t is Czarina Marie Feodorowna
| who sits on the Cars right hand and
| IN professions walks by his side on the
| right. while Czarina Alexandra must sit
| and walk where best she can. 1t is to
1
| the first honors are always rendered, the
| first homage always paid. 1t is to the
| former. too, not to the latter, that all
/ who have wrongs to right or faVors To
gain address themselves; for every one
| in Russia is well aware that the Car
| never turns deaf ear to his mother s
| pleading. whatever he may do his wife s.
| NJ. Loubet, it may he noted while con-
tenting himself with exchanging formal
greetings with Czarina Alexandra, hur-
| ried off as soon as his feet touched Rus
| sian soil to pay visit to CZarna Marie
| and have long conversation with her,
| The two Czarinas have both MANY good
| qualities; the one, as the other, is kindly
| and clever, eager to make life pleasant
for others. Still. they differ from each
other SO fundamentally that there could
| never have been much sympathy between
| them even if circumstances had not
| raised up barrier Czarina Marie is one
| of the ablest women in Europe; and
grandmother though she be. one of the
| most beautiful and fascinating. Hell
| whole life long she has lived in an at.
mosphere of alteration; her mother. Queer
Louise, idolized her, and so did her hus
| band. the late Gear. to the day of his
death: while her father idolizes her still
| Even as a child. in Denmark, she could
always by dnt of smiles and tears make
| those around her do what she would; and
| once in Russia. it was a case of veni
| vidi. vici-she took the hearts of the whole
| people by storm. Never has there been
| SO popular a CZdTlnd. mus. not uUDdl-
| uraly, perhaps, she has come to look
| upon it as her right that she should be
| loved and made much of, consulted on all
| points. and that Difference should be
| shown to her opinions. For she has opn-
| ions, clearly defined ones, too. Though
| seemingly with no thought in her head
| beyond chiffons. she is in reality a keen
| politician, just as her mother was before
her-a politician, though. of the old
| Srande dame type, not of the latter-ddY
| female suffragist. She attaches more i'm
| pOrtance to privileges than to rights, and
| pins her faith to persuasion rather than
| to argument d means of gaining her
end-a fact that accounts. perhaps, for
| the many victories she has scored.
Czarina Alexandra, it must be confess
| ed, is by no means so Well-equipped as
| her mother-in-laW for playing a leading
role in court life; for although more
beautiful than the Dowager Czarna. she
| is infinitely less fascinating, and although
more intellectual she is less clever, less
| adroit less worldy-wise. What is more
| important still, perhaps, she has none
| of the subtle charm of manner that
| stands her rival in such good stead, for
| she is painfully shy, so shy that when
| strangers are presented to her her hands
| trembe visibly, and she seems quite un-
| able to make them even the simplest re-
| mark-she hardly addressed a single word
| to NJ Loubet during a long state ban
| quet at which he sat by her side. Then
| she has no more idea than child OF
|
| ing to win popularity; for that she is too
| straightforward, TOO uncompromisingly
| honest.
| 1t is a pure waste of time to seek Ia
| induce her to express admiration for what
| she does not admire, liking for what
| she dislikes She simply loathes every
| thing that smaCks of intrigue. and would
| turn against her own best friend were
| she to detect him scheming even for her
| benefit Thus she is soingularly ill-fitted
| by nature to hold her own in such a
| court as that of Russia. especially when
at the head of the forces against her is
a general of such consummate skill as
| Czarina Marie.
The war between the two Czarinas has
| been going on now for nearly eight years
| for the beginning of it dates back to the
day when the younger of the two, then
| Princess Alix of Hesse. crossed the Rus
| sian frontier at the summons of the dying
| Car. Alexander III. Whether Czarina
| Marie had opposed the sending of this
| summons no one knows, out she certainly
| seemed to resent the fact of its being
| obeyed for the welcome she vouchsafed
| to her future daushter-in-law was of the
| coolest
In the first private interview she ever
| had with her indeed, she is said to have
| brought strong pressure to bear on he'
to induce her to break of her engage