Evening star., 1903-07-22
RUSSIA'S NEW PILOT
IMPENDING APPOINTMENT OF
COUNT WITTE AS CHANCELLOR.
Car Will Revive the Office Which Has
Been Vacant Since Gortscha-
koff's Death.

| From the New York Tribune.
| Cabled announcement to the effect that
| the czar has determined to revive the ONCE
of chancellor of the empire, which has been
| vacant since the death Of Prince Gortscha-
kor and to confer it upon Count W1tte, Is
hailed with satisfaction by all those who
| have the welfare of Russia at heart. and
who are imbued with the love of peace
I rather than of war among the nations OF
| the world. For Count Witte Is. OF all
| Muscovte statesmen, the most enlightened
| and progressive, one who is alive to the
vital Importance of preserving his country
| from becoming embroiled In any 1ore!gn
war, which could not fail to arrest its eco
| nomic and industrial development and to
| intiict such injury on the prosperity of the
| empire as would require at least fifty years
! to undo.
Experience With Foreigners.
Without entering here into the question
as to whether or not Count Witte is a man
of lofty political principles and imbued
! with a high sense Of honor and of humane
liberalism, his experience as minister or
finance and controller Of the RUSSIAN
treasury has taught him the necessity of
maintaining the credit and good name of
his government abroad Brought more
than any other digntary of the Russian
crown into contact with the money mar
kets and with the princes of finance as
well as of industry of foreign nations by
the frequency of the loans which he mas
been obliged to negotiate in western capl-
tails he realizes better than any OF hs
colleagues how urgent it is to convince the
world at large that Russia Is power that
may be depended upon to fulfill her pledges.
financial as well as political. NO one I'M
derstands more fully than this able minis
ter that the failure of his government to
comply with it's solemn treaty obligations
creates apprehensiOns in financial circles
abroad as to the dependence to be placed
upon the payment by the Muscovite treas
ury of it's colossal foreign debt. apprehen-
sions which naturally render The negotia-
ton of any further loan a matter of DIFF
fculty, profoundly humiliatinS to the ma
tional pride of Russia.
Alien Capital Needed.
He has found also that domestic malad-
ministration resulting in public dlstuco-
ances and in popular disaffecuon Is or
nature to discourage foreign capitalists
from investing money in Russian enter
prises, and without the assistance Of fof-
eign capital the immense latent resources
of the empire of the car, in the European
as well as in the Asiatic portions OF MS
dominions must remain undeveloped ana
unproductive for ages to come. count
Witte, who has worked his way up from
the very lowest rungs of the social and of-
fetal ladder beginning life as the ticket
clerk of the railroad station of a small
town. is q thorough business man. IL the
American sense of the word, and as such
comprehends the policy of maintaining IN
impaired the credit and the good name OF
Russia abroad, all the more as AK ttion
having now reached. according to his own
admission, the most extreme limit not only
the Russian government, but likewise the
industry and trade of the empire, must tor
many years TO come remain dependent upon
foreign investors.
Count Witte's Authority.
That is why the appointment of Count
Witte to the Office of chancellor OF the en-
pire will mean so much not only to Russia
but also to all nations that entertain diplo-
matte and economic relations with her.
There is such thing cabinet at st.
Petersburg, In the European and American
sense of the word. The ministers aIe en-
trely independent of one another, are ap-
pointed by the emperor, to whom they re-
port directly and to whom they are aloi 2
responsible, and instead of working in uni
son have been accustomed, at any rate
since the death of Prince Gortschakoff, to
work one against another, to the detriment,
of course, of the natural interests contided
to their charge. Indeed most of the diff
cultes which Count Witte has encountered
since his appointment to the post of min
lister of finance some twelve years ago have
originated with his colleagues, who, jeaI-
Gus OF the confidence reposed in him both
by Emperor Nicholas and by the late cZar.
have devoted energies that should have
been more uscfuily employed to the under
mining of his position at court. in the vain
hope of securing his dismissal and disgrace.