Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-13
CARS RIGHT HAND
Sergius White is Russia's
Business Manager.
HIS GREAT ABILITY
WHAT HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED FOR
HIS EASTER
Runs Banks and Rai1waysEEnormous
RevenuesIGovern
Monopolies.
HIS GREAT ABILITY

greatest man In Russia if not the greatest
man on earth. His name Is Sergius White,
| he is the right hand of the czar, and the
business manager of the great Russian
| empire. He handles all told IN the neigh
| borhood of billion dollars year, taking
| 1t in from thousand sources and distrib-
| uting 1t with an even hand to the necessi-
! ties of Russia in Europe and Asia.
| He is one Of the worlds greatest bankers,
being at the head of the treasury of Rus
STA and of the vast government banking
system whose capital runs into the hun
dreds of millions. He is one of the world s
great railroad men. having enormous
network of state lines in Russia. in GEN.
trail Asia and in Siberia the longest line
of the world. From the cars crown eS-
| tates he collects about $40,OOO,OOO a year.
and from the debts owing him gets a rev.
enue of $16,O00,OO0. He handles the mines
belonging to the crown and drags forth
gold and silver, iron and coal in the tens
of millions from the bowels of the earth.
He Is in charge of the tax system and the
customs duties and he is a mighty manu-
facturer. Stranger than all he is the
greatest saloonist of the world He does
an alcohol business which dwarfs that of
the American whisky trust making and
selling, a government proposition. every
ounce of alcohol consumed by more than
100, 100000 people.
A Self Made Man.
All this Witte does ably, honestly and for
his master the czar. He has acquired his
prominence by his own work, and is what
would be called in America a self-made
man. He came from the southern part
of the empire, born of parents comparative
ly poor. He had fair education and be-
gan life as a clerk in railroad office
This was at Odessa on the Black sea. He
did his work well and rose to be manager.
Then he was advanced to another road
which ran from Odessa to Moscow and
managed that. His ability here was such
that he was recommended again and again
to the government, and finally became
government director of railroads. He re-
vised the railroad tariff, reorganized the
routes, rebuilt many of the lines and
showed himself to be the ablest railway
man of the empire. He was then put in
charge of the board of public works and
railways, the position now held by Prince
HiIkoff, and a little later on was made
minister of finances or by far the most i'm
portant officer in the cabinet Of the car.
This was eleven years ago, and since
then Witte has almost revolutionized the
financial condition of Russia. He has
pushed its trade into all parts OF Asia, and
has reorganized the business at home. He
has completed the Trans-Siberian road, has
extended the roads in Turkistan. has put
Russia on gold standard and has filed
the treasury, without depressing the peo-
pie. He is today full of new ideas for
the improvement of the empire, and he Is
slowly but surely lettering the country in
commerce and industry along the lines
of modern development
How Sergius Witte Looks.
1t was through the American ambassa
dor to ST. Petersburg that got access to
Mr. White. He received me in the finance
department. a great brown building not far
from the Nevski on Moika street. He Is
busy man, and o'clock had been fixed for
the appointment.
At five minutes before that hour I stepped
from my droschky and was admitted to the
department by two stern-looking Russians,
long haired and long-bearded. wearing top
boots, and liveried coats which fell al
most to the instep. One of them helped me
off with my overcoat, the other took my
hat and umbrella, and both directed me
to the top floor. There was no elevator,
and I walked, hearing electric bell ring
ing, announcing. as l supposed, my ap-
proach. On the third floor I found more
funkieS, in livery, and also a bright young
official in uniform, who spoke English
f1uently. although he was a Russian. He
told me that the minister was expecting
me, and a moment later opened the door
of his excellency's office and asked me to
enter. l did so, and was in the presence
of the Russian secretary of the treasury.
MIR. White rose, came toward me and
held out his hand. He made me welcome
and gave me a seat near his desk and then
sat down himself and talked with me
through an interpreter in response to my
questions. I had good chance to study
him during the interview. He is very i'm
pressive, but simple and transformations.
He talks quietly, does not get excited and
apparently has himself well in check He
is big man. He stands six feet one in
his stockings. and his frame is strong
lmbed and muscular His forehead is
very high and full, with brown hair rising
from it and combed straight back with
out a part. He has a rich brown beard
and brown eyes rather thoughtful than
otherwise. He was dressed in a morning
suit at the time, but in asking for his sig
nature on a photograph he wrote 1t on
one representing him in his court dress.
which is covered with medals and gold
lace.
He smoked a cigarette as he talked and
I noticed beside his chair tea table with
a glass OF tea with lemon floating upon
it, such as the Russians drink everywhere.
The American Invasion.
NY first question was as to the Ameri-
can invasion wanted to know something
as to the chances for American capital and
American goods in the land of the car.
His excellency said:
There are plenty Of openings here for
foreign capital in the way of manufac-
lures We already have some American
factories. and others could be introduced
at a profit. Russia is on the edge OF its
development. We have a vast number of
people and very large country, and the
growth must continue for a long time to
come. As to the profits, they will depend
largely ON the management Of the business
Russia Is glad to welcome foreign capital,
and to do anything that will materially i'm
prove the condition of the country"
Els capital safe in Russia? ?" 1 asked.
cit is as safe here as anywhere" said
Mr.. White. Tho only questions are those
of management and business ability"
How about American trade with Rus
sia-can 1t not be increasedT'
THAT is difficult question" replied the
minister of finance. RUSSIA and the United
States are of much the same character.
We both have an abundance of raw ma
teria1. such as grain. lumber and minerals.
We have petroleum. and so have YOU The
result IS you do not need what we have to
sell. and there Is not that mutual exchange
of commodities that forms the basis of
profitable commerce. Nevertheless many
of your manufa etures are In demand here.
This Is especially so with your farming
and other machinery"
The Tariff.
How about the tariff which YOU have re-
Gently put on American goods Win 1t at
feet our trade to any great extentr'
That tarfR was one Of the necessities OF
Az