New-York tribune., 1903-07-19
RUSSIA'S NEW PILOT.
Meaning of the Impending Appoint-
ment of Count Witte as Chancellor.

Cabled announcement to the effect that the
Car has determined TO revive the Office of
Chancellor Of the Empire, which has been va
cant since the death of Prince Gortschakoff and
TO confer it upon Count Witte is hailed with
satisfaction by all those who have the welfare
of Russia at heart and who are imbued with
the love OF peace rather than Of war among
the nations OF the world. For Count Witte is
of all Muscovite statesmen the most enlightened
and progressive who is alive to the vital
Importance of preserving his country from be-
soming embroiled in any foreign war, which
could not fail TO arrest its economic and in
dustrial development and to inhict such injury
on the prosperity of the empire as would re-
uure at least fifty years to undo
without entering here into the question as to
whether not Count Witte is a of lofty
political principles and imbued with a high
sense of honor and of humane liberalism. his
experience as Minister of Finance and as Con-
troller 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 dignitary OF the Russian crown
into contact with the money markets and with
the princes of finance as we'll as of industry
OF foreign nations by the frequency of the
loans which he has been obliged to negotiate in
Western capitals he realizes better than any of
his colleagues how urgent it is to convince the
world at large that Russia is power that may
be depended upon to fulfil her pledges, financial
as well as political. No understands more
fully than this able minister that the failure
of his government TO comply with its solemn
treaty obligations creates apprehensions in
financial circles abroad TO the dependence to
be placed upon the payment by the Muscovite
Treasury of its colossal foreign debt, apprehen-
sions which naturally render the negotiation of
any further loan a matter of difficulty, pro-
foundly humiliating to the national pride of
Russia.
He has found also that domestic maladminls-
tration resulting in public disturbances and in
popular disaffection is of nature to discour-
age foreign capitalists from investing money in
Russian enterprises. and without the assistance
of foreign capital the immense latent resources
of the empire of the Gar, in the European as
well in the Asiatic portions Of his dominions,
must remain undeveloped and unproductive for
ages to come. Count Witte who has worked
his way up from the very lowest rungs of the
social and official ladder, beginning life as the
ticket clerk of the railroad station of a small
town, is a thorough business man, in the Ameri-
can sense of the word, and such compre-
hends the policy of maintaining unimpared the
credit and the good name of Russia abroad all
the more as taxation having now reached, ac-
cording to his own admission, the most extreme
limit not only the Russian Government, but
likewise the industry and trade of the empire,
must for many years to come remain dependent
upon foreign investors.
That is why the appointment of Count Witte
to the Office of Chancellor OF the Empire will
mean so much not only to Russia but also to
all nations that entertain diplomatic and eco