The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-05
SERGIUS
WITTE
Fstst Russian People Have Gained
BY His Selection as Peace
Commissioner.

|.LAN... NN#H.e
ffgm Harper's Weekly, by Special
P~ermission.1
Every friend OF the Russian people
~treathed q sigh OF relief when It vas
announced that at las the Car had
~z0nsented to nominate Minister witte
~ tho place of NJ. Mnrayieff; of re.
Mel not unrnixed with apprehension
tiiat. at tha last moment, the wind that
has ysered SO often might change
nnce more. throwing the hopes Of re-
nosisfruction for Russia back into the
xriter Of conclusion and anarchy.
That Eitte should have been so clear.
~ distinguished amid this surging fog
Of missshtements, -suppressions, ex.
H~ggerations, commissions. is a singular
tribute TO his great worth and to the
x1gafity or International opinion. That
opinion Will be notable strengthened
xiieu x more clearly realize that to
abe initiative Of NJ. witte. and to him
aimc, was due the great act OF reli-
Eioas liberty which marked the fes,
figai OF Easter this year, and which
granted 70 the dissenting sects and
e nou4orthodox religions something
Hike liberty Of conscience and freedom
Of Worship.
AS President OF the Council OF Min.
isfsrs Witte conceived this great, lib.
rrai and beneicent measure; he him.
zeif drafted the terms OF the new law;
and II was wholly due to his great
prestige, even when overshadowed by
imperial d~isfayor, that the law at last
Sassed triumphantiy over the head
Of all the elements of reaction, with
Pobiedcnostseff as their most stub.
born and fanatical representative. Let
\ ne widely known that this measure
al religions liberty was at Whites
measure and his alone, and the esti.
nation In which he Is already held
saa grow 10 something like enthusi.
usm-
Y IS another testimony to the mans
f1ree that on every point which will
zume before the peace commission he
WI he qualified to speak with more
than the authority Of first.hand knowl.
edge; u is close to the truth to say
taaf he himself created practically all
dde values that will be involved from
he first step Of the negotiations to
fhe last.
Though he was from the first head
al the peace party nevertheless NJ.
White has all along been the presiding
genius OF Russian expansion in the
Exsf but this policy he advocated.
not iii tn. spirit OF buccaneering ad.
senture' which seems to have ami.
z1ated Alexieff. but as a serious econ.
nmic measure In nowise intended to
prDnle Japan, hut rather destined to
ssrusy serious dangers from Russia's
future path.
Witte NOT only presided wei the
hrst conception Of the great Siberian
uiiroad, but 1t was he who, as Fl.
aauce Minister, paid for practically
saaerg mile Of the permanent way,
nhictti stretches for SO many thousand
nftfas around the girdle of the globe.
ny not only paid for 1t, but paid for
Il out Of earnings and savings, SO that
y left his hands as a practically clear
mvestment. an asset of the first i'm.
portance to the national exchequer.
1t was he also VINO supervised the
Entire construction of the i'll fated
Manchurian line. and one of his last
sficiaI acts as Finance Minister was
70 visit Manchnria, examining that
line in detail and reporting on every
bridge, every station, every gradient
VI the two branches of the line. He
knows more than any man living of
Che resources of the different regions
81 Manchuria, both those OF which
viii come under the aegis of Japan
and those which, penetrated by the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES line, will inevita.
bly, remain more or less under Rus
SIAN influence.
When the question of indemnity
ome up Witte will once more be the
4 araarf ,,o.x..