Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-09
M. White, W ho is Now I'm
perial Chancellor.
FILLS MANY OFFICES
WONDERFUL ABILITY AS RAIL
WAY MAN AND FINANCIER.
He Is the One Upon Whom the Gear
Depends More Than
Any Other.

Written for The Evening Star.
About two years ago court circles at
St Petersburg were upset by a quarrel
between the Grand Duke Michael. brother
to the car who Is heir to the Russian
throne falling the birth of son to the
reigning monarch. and NJ. White, the car 8
famous minister Of finance.
At a state ball the grand duke ignored
the minister's bow and gave him what
Englishman call the cut direct" M. Witte' s
face showed no trace Of annoyance. He
passed on through the crowded ball room
as if he had not noticed the public affront.
Highly placed officials who had fawned
upon him the day before fell away from
him. They avoided conversation with the
man whom they thought to be disgraced In
the eyes of his imperial master, and gath
cred Instead around the grand duke M.
Whites isolation was as complete as that
of Richelieu on the Day OF Fools, When
not single courtier attended his levee be-
cause they all thought the king had quar-
relied with him finally.
Like Richeieu NJ. White was the victor.
Next day he sought an audience with the
car and placed the facts of the case be-
fore him. Because. in his capacity of finance
minister he had felt 1t his duty to refuse
the grand duke certain large sums or
money for military purposes the latter had
publicly insulted him Unless the grand
duke apologized to him privately and made
atonement as public as the insult. he would.
he declared. be obliged to leave the car 8
service.
The car appealed to him to reconsider Q! der
this decision. and pointed out how difncult
IL would be, In view Of the dignity which
hedges the Russian imperial family, TO
make the grand duke apologize.
II appreciate that, SIRE" M. White an
swered in effect, land 1 make no demand
for an apology. You will. then, allow me
TO retire from my Offices. My usefulness
to you and to the empire is ,n necessarily
authority can be left to me. y
Grand Duke Apologized.
But the car would not dispense with his
best servant-the maker of modern Russia
the handspring of the empires industrial
and commercial activity. He sent for his
brother and talked to him privately. When
they returned to the room in which NJ.
Witte was waiting. the grand duke apollo
gized freely and graciously. At the next
court function he made a point of greet
ing the finance minister warmly before the
latter had time to bow to him
1t is evident that the man who can bend
to his will the autocrat of all the Russias
and his probab BILE heir must be a remark
able person. Sergiej Juliewitsh White has
risen by sheer force of merit to the highest
position which a subject can attain in
Russia. He started his career without any
of the advantages of high birth and in
fuential connections, which count for more
probably in the cars service than in any
other public service in the world.
NJ. White is not even Russian. He
was born at Tinis. in Transcaucasia in
1S49. and Is, therefore, an Asiatic by
birth His origin is German. The latter
fact has proved heavy handicap to him all
through his career. His numerous enemies
have a strong appeal to Russian prejudice
always ready to their hands-''Why should
&c 10
e. But Sergiej Witte soon broke his births
invidious bar" He was educated at Odessa
and astonished his teachers by his genius
for mathematics and physics. Leaving col
lege he entered the service of private rail-
road company. He could not go into the
army or the navy or the civil service be-
cause he was not nobly born or connected
with any public officials.
He showed great talent for the organiza-
ton and administration OF railroad affairs,
but only his fellow workers knew of his
ability. 1t is supremacy difficult for any
man to make reputation in Russia unless
he is either a public official or a nihilist.
But when he was twenty-Seven Witte' s
chance came
When His Chance Came.
The Russo-Turkish war broke out. and
the Russian railroads proved hopelessly in
adequate to the task of transporting the
cars troops to the front Road after road
was choked UP by commissariat supplies,
while the regiments for which those sup
plies were destined were waiting thousand
miles away for transportation and generals
were losing battles because those regiments
did not arrive to reinforce their armies.
In the midst of this muddle one man kept
his head. Sergiej White was still a subordi-
nate, but he was the only railroad official
who understood the situation and possessed
initiative.
He had things done before his superiors
started to think of them" said man who
knew him at that time. The audacity of his
orders took everybody's breath away. He
sidetracked dozens of trains which had been
ordered through at top speed by great per-
sonages. and he rushed soldiers through in
stead. He countermanded many of the or
ders given by his official superiors, but they
dared not rebuke him. for he Strengthened
things out. and the heard of his work
and personally thanked him"
After the war NJ. Witte was called to st.
Petersburg and given high position In the
railway department of the civil service. Ii
had been shut against him when he started
on his career, but now II was only too glad
to have him. In a few years he became
director Of the Russian southwestern rail-
ways; two years later head OF the railway
department. and then, by rapid promotion
minister of means of communicat ton chair
man or the tariff commission, minister of
finance, and finally. a few weeks ago i'm
perial chanceilor-the crown of his gre IT
career.
Cause Of His Success.
why has he r;sen?" said a Russian Of
hcer in New York, who is well acquainted
with him. Simply because he has never
been afraid to do big things on his own re-
sponsibility. Nothing is valued in the Rus
sian service more than initiative, just be-
cause IT Is 50 scarce there
M. White had a great advantage over his
rivals. in being q practical man. He knows
all about railways. from the oiling of a
truck. or the driving of locomotive, to the
planning of new transcontinental road
Other Russian officials. especially in the
railroad and industrial departments, may
De immensely clever men, but they are
merely theorists. They would regard 1t as
beneath their dignity to consort with me,
chanics and engineers in order to learn the
practical details of the railway business.
remember once, several years ago
when | was In ST. Petersburg the car
wanted TO consult with NJ. White in a
hurry. He n ha