Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-24

THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
M. DeWitte the Man for the
Hour.
OF SOLID DUTCH STOCK
HIS GRADUAL RISE TO THE I'M
PERIAL CABINET
He is Honest and Frank and Incurred
the Hostility of the
Grand Dukes.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

NJ. De Witte (the name is pronounced
Day-Vittey), who seems to be the man for
The crisis in Russia, is native of the town
of Tifiis. the capital of what is known as
the Trans-Causasus section of Russia,
that narrow strip of land dividing the Cas-
pian from the Black sea and lying upon the
northern border of Persia. That is the oil
country, and Tifis is the principal station
upon the railroad that connects Batum, on
tie Black sea, and Baku. on the Caspian,
the centers of the petroleum trade. He is
not of peasant origin, has frequently
been published. He comes from solid
Dutch stock, which emigrated from Holland
to the Black sea country in the earlier part
of the nineteenth century, and his ancestors
have always been, far he trace
them back, enterprising and successful mer-
chants His father was a banker and mer-
chant at TifiiS and sent his son to the Uni
Tersty of NovorOssiskoe, aslittle town on
the north coast of the Black sea near the
sea of AZof. ..-s.e ~.
De White graduated from that institution
In 1870 when he was twenty-one years of
age with degree of engineer and entered
the railway service of the government as
ststing in the construction of the road
which now crosses the peninsula and hauls
the products of the oil country for ship
ment at Batum. When the war with Tur-
key broke out six years later he was en-
troops and in 1879 was appointed member
of a commission to recommend plan for
the extension of the railway facilities in the
southern part of the empire. He wrote the
report OF that commission and formulated
the recommends tons which have since been
partially carried into effect During the
next few years he was employed in the prep
aration of code of laws and regulations
for the government of the state railways
which are still in force. Having completed
mat task he was made superintendent of
the government railways in southern Rus
sla and, in 1889, was called to st. Peters
burg to be chief of the railway bureau of
the ministry of finance In January 1892
ne was promoted to the cabinet as minister
or communications, the post now held by
Prince khilkoff his particular friend who
was educated in the United States.
III december OF the same year De Witte
was promoted to be minister of finance,
ana from that time until eighteen months
ago was the most influential man in the
ministry and q controlling force in the
Russian administration.
Incurred Hostility of Grand Dukes.
By his honesty, his candor, his friendship
for the Jews, his hatred of official corrup-
ton and his habit of speaking the truth at
all times, he incurred the hostility of the
grand dukes, NJ. Pobedonostzeff procurator
of the holy synod, and the late NJ. DE
Plehve, the minister of the interior. who
was assassinated last summer. These
forces drove him from the cabinet by mis-
representations to the ear, just as they
compelled the resignation of NJ. Sanger
the minister of education who prepared
ana secured the cars assent to a compre
bensive plan for the ednca ton of the
masses. To carry out this plan between
twelve and thirteen million dollars a year
was spent for several years, and Nicholas
IL was deeply interested in the movement.
The empress was wrapped up in it also.
1t was fad of the imperial couple. and
they would have been gratifed If free
Gnh bod ,lfe!,A
village i'll Russia. Already more than
3O0o.oGO children were being taught in
nearly 10000 schools when Pobedonostzeff,
who represents the orthodox Greek Church
IN the ministry, and is, perhaps, the most
conservative of all the advisers of the
czar, declared that free education was I'M
dermining the influence of the priests and
endangering the throne. His position was
Endorsed by De Plehve and the holy synod
over which the metropolitan or pope of the
Greek Church presdes. and the ear was
fnally convinced that his scheme of educa-
uon must be abandoned. Sanger was dis
missed from the ministry Of education and
VI. Lukianoff adherent of the holy
synod, was placed in charge last February.
1t has long been the theory. of the con-
servatives in Russia that education breeds
discomfort, which is as true as gospel; for
the moment a Russian peasant learns to
read and write he begins TO, realize the mis-
cry or his condition and to rebel against it,
klpling once said that as long as a Russian
wears his shirt outside his trousers-as the
peasants dO-he is loyal subject but the
moment he knows enough to tuck il in he
becomes dangerous to the state That re-
mark also is strictly true. AS long as the
mujiks. or emancipated serfs. remain in ig-
Ho4nce they are devoted to the little
father" as they call the ear, and are
fanatical in their religion
By No Means a Liberal.
De White did not synpatilize with the
broad and phllanthropic plans of Sanger,
his colleague. and the czar He is by no
means liberal. He is firm believer in
the autocracy, and is opposed to every
democratic tendency. In conversation with
Americans he is in the habit of expressing
MS disapproval of our system OF govern
ment with great candor and he freouentlv
Goes the same with his French friends In
iSz ne told me that the greatest weakness
IN the American system Of government was
uhivers2l suffrage, and declared that the
masses OF the people could not be trusted
lie, used several of the South American re-
puohcs as illustra tons, and when | ex-
planned to him the difference i'm cdnca+to,
character and disposition between our peo.
pie and those of the LATINA merican ma
lions he dissented. and declared that the
United States would not exist mere than a
century longer without some change in our
electoral system. He asserted that its mod
ifeation had already begun in the southern
states. and that the northern states would
soon be compelled to disenfranchise all nom
taxpayers, just as the southern states had
disenfrahchised the black man in order TO
secure good government. 49, 80.
mad asked him for an interview express
ing the sentimentssof the Russian govern
ment concerning the policy of the United
States in shutting out OF our markets sugar
THAT had been raised under the Russian
bounty system, and he discussed the sub
ject very freely.
He explained that the increase in the Rus
sian tariff. which was construed as retail
alton for the action Of Secretary Gage in
shutting out Russian sugar had never
been intended for that purpose but was
entirely for the protection of several large
manufacturing enterprises which had re-
Gently been established In Russia by Amer
lean capitalists at his invitation. He ex-
planned at great length his policy of build
ing up mechanical industries in Russia by
state assistance assd by encouraging State
moEopoiies. He is man of gfuf manner.
and speaks with a. franlsnass which Is
sometimes offensive, but no one could spend