Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-12
GLiMPSES OF WHITE.
An Estimate of the Greatest and Most
Famous Russian.


ID. White places exactly the correct est
mate upon NJ. Whites so-called triumph
at Portsmouth. Whatever may tie said of
the Russian special Ambassador. how
ever he certainly fills the largest field in
the public eye with the single exception
of Theodore Roosevelt. He is the most
remarkable living Russian. chiefly be-
cause his methods are wholly lIn- Russian.
He has acted with all the keeness of an
American and has exacted more from the
foes of his country than any other Mus
cOvite could have done. He actually did
more to improve the internal conditions
of the vast empire during the short time
that he was Minister of Finance and
Reutern, who held the post in the six
ties" Serge Yulevich Wittt-if You want
to pronounce the name correctly please
say Vit-te-was born in Tifis. that re-
| markably interesting capital of Caucasia,
situated midway between the Black sea
| and the Caspian. 1t is on the direct road
| to Persia A railway gives IT easy access
to the two great seas. Whites father was
an official in the Agricultural Department
| and had money enough to send his son
| to the university of Odessa. After grad
| uation the young man entered the service
| of the Southwestern railways in that
town. He was thus inconspicuously en-
gagged during the struggle between Tur-
key and Russia. but in 1878 he was called
to st. Petersburg and made director of a
newly organized Railway Department.
His emergence from Obscurity was due to
NJ Visnegradsky. then Minister of FL
nance. and upon his retirement soon after
White succeeded his patron. His selec-
ton by Alexander Ill. was not popular
with the aristOcracy and every imagin
able attack was made upon his character.
abused. but plebean though he was White
never fiinched and went straight ahead in
his work of putting money in Russia's
strong box.
Much has been written about the chief
Russian member of the Portsmouth con
ference. | am aware, but all accounts
have overlooked the extremely demo-
cratic character of the man. His ire
meniouS frame and height have nothing
to do with the impression he makes upon
the American who meets him several
times. One soon discovers that his dis
dain for Formally or ceremony is as
sumed. He is playing politics las distin-
guished from diplomacy every moment.
He invites the confidence of everybody
he assumes that time will come when
every person he knows can be put to
the clever Russian assumes that some
body can be reached through hnl-some-
body who will be of value. When in pow
er. however, he showed the Tartar phase
of his character. One after another he
found means to punish or completely
crush nearly every man who thwarted
him. His relentless pursuit went as high
as Grand Dukes. When some of his enc
mics took refuge in other parts of Europe.
as. for example. his deadly foe-M. Cyon
who published a library of anti-Witte
literature. he induced the Car to ex-
patriate the man. This is the side of the
Wife character that we did not see.
First NJ. White took the Russian Bourse
by the throat. as some future Secretary
of our Treasury will have to grapple the
New York Stock Exchange. He fixed the
gold standard by minting d whole series
of new gold coins. interchangeable every
where for paper on the basis of one and
one-nalf doubles. This was denounced as
reputation by the hoarders of paper
rp0OIlht-
able Minister'S work proved tremendously
beneficial to the country at large He
was as fertile of ideas Il Roosevelt.
He made few mistakes. He reduced the
interest on Government loans to 4 per
cent: and the way in which he managed
the State liquor monopoly would have de-
lighted Senator Tilman Of South Caro-
lima
The rest of Europe has general idea
that Russians drink little else than tea;
The condition of affairs at Hardin and
Port Arthur showed that they are greedy
consumers of vodka and champagne. Mr.
Wife had every detail of the liquor
the Russians We're hard drinkers and
he put the screws on inebriety. with the
result that he soon had 100,0O00oo roubles
in the strong box from that source alone.
He did something that will surprise One
Suspender Ben when he learns it, He
absolutely suppressed the sale q spirits
for consumption on the premises" in
one half of European Russia The traffic
was restricted to high-class restaurants
and buffets. If one wants a glass of
vodka in st. Petersburg today he cannot
procure it outside hotels. restaurants and
railway Bullets except in a sealed bottle,
which he is not allowed to open on the
premises where purchased NO cork
screws"-a sign in several languages
confronts him. An attempt to enforce
such a law in England. France or the
United States would insure revolution.
BY a stroke Of the pen Witte reduced the
number of wine shops in st. Petersburg
from $50 to 17s. The bottle goods trade
doomed. Russia drank more than ever
before and the imperial Treasury got the
money.