New-York tribune., 1906-05-20

authority in the affair, and that he undertook to
remove him from his post in order TO appease
the Kaiser.
Il is probable that Nicholas was perfectly sin
cere III denying responsibility for Lamsdorffs
telegram to Cassni and for the attitude of The
Russian delegates at Algeciras. For il may be
remembered that some time previously Count
Lamsdorff had taken upon himself TO send
through Count Cassni an extremely curt and
almost discourteOus negative TO the inquiry made
ty the United States government On the occa-
sion of the Kishneff massacres, to whether
The imperial authorities would object to the
distribution among the victims Of money raised
ty public subscription in this country for their
relief Yet at the very time when the State
department at Washington vas receiving the
iHtimation that the proffered American relief
las distasteful to Nicholas, his brother-in- law
The reigning Grand Duke of Hesse, who is at
The time his intimate friend and crony.
was publicly sending large subscription to the
fund raised at Berlin for the Kishineh sufferers,
together with letter to the committee in charge
q the affair. expressing sympathy with its ef-
forts. Those who aware of the close rela-
1ions existing between the Gar and the Grand
Duke know full well that the latter would never
tave contributed 10 any such fund without the
4iIroval Of Nicholas, and il follows that if the
car entertained no objection the public par
patton Of his brother-n-law in a Kishinen
fund al Berlin he could not possibly have
opposed 10 fund for the same purpose
..seI IL America. The only inference to be
from this that Count Lamsdorff,
.lch speaking in the name Of his master,
4cted in The affair without his knowledge or
sent. and this presumption was subsequently,
s..aD to have been wei founded.
While mis- may appear a first sight incredible,
81 il VIII BE- readily understood and believed
those who are cognizant of the condition of
\ i-s IN Russia Count Lamsdorff, like his col
.esgues n the Cabinet, kas been in the habit
seeing his sovereign about once week ana
tafu perhaps for only half an hour or so-jGst
l.tr eucush To slte orief summary of the
foreign affairs Of the empire supplementing HIS
written reports. Now. ,he Car has been so
5Etr.. helned with work and anxiety in connec-
with the inauguration of a parliamentary
form Of so.ernment in Russia that he has
Irclahv had little time thought for any
tlilg els and having been given 10 under
and that Russia had little interest at
stake in Morocco ne in all likelihood gave little
heed 10 the conference at Algeciras. The sud
den transformation Of al empire 50 vast as Rus
sia from autocracy into constitutional
monarchy. involving Ihe concession for the first
ti..e of al sorts Of rights and privileges to its
resrle naturally brought up thousands upon
Thousands of questions Of every conceivable
r.aracter. each one Of which had TO be decided
The CzaG in person, since no one but himself
could assume the responsibility Of signing away
t.e oRn sovereign prerogauves. To him the
,.... ~ Of Il parliamentary form of government TO
The nation meant even more than the emancl-
patton Of the se-fs by his grandfather 1t was
a f.-versal of the entire system Of autocracy ere
:.,s8 l,y Peter the Great and the transformation
Il Russia from an Oriental into a Western
tower one can readily comprehend, therefore,
tf..t il rnonopolzed the attention Of Nicholas TO
the exclusion of the Congress Of Algeciras, about
which he probably never bothered his head until
he stir caused by the publication Of Count
I.arnsdorff's dispatch.
II is because William has thus been in a
nc assure responsible for the retirement from
Office of Count I.amsiorn that the suggestion