Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-04

stories. The magician could create, put ne
could not control the monster. De Write.
people who know him well tell me. Is
great man. probably the greatest admins
traitor they have In Russia today, but ne
lacks the genius for organisation he Is
clear-headed far-sfghted and wise, but
could not prevail with the car against the
influence of the dowager empress, the grand
dukes, Gen. Trepof and his enemies In the
ministry.
De Witte was succeeded by Ivan Loghin-
ovich Goremykin, typical bureaucrat OF
ordinary ability, who has been In the en-
ploy OF the government for more than forty
years and has been advanced step by step
from a clerkship In the interior department
to the ONCE of prime minister His career
In this respect has been parallel with that
of De White. who began as surveyor on 9.
railroad.
Goremykin comes from a noble family,
and has very large estate at Novgorod,
about thirty miles from st. Petersburg. he
has herd of several thousand high-bred
cows. and sends q trainioad OF milk and
other dairy products to ST. Petersburg every
morning All of the principal hotels and
restaurants, the grand ducai establishments
and the aristocracy and nobility are sup
piled with milk and cream from the prime
minister's dairy, and wagons bearing MS
crest are driven from house to mouse every
morning OF course. Mr.. Goremykin gives
no more personal attention to this business
than Levi P. Morton, who furnishes the
principal clubs and hotels OF new 1ork
with milk, cream and butter from MS farms
daily, but both gentlemen are interested IN
breeding the highest classes of dairy cows
and both keep as closely In touch with their
farms as their other affairs will permit
Goremykin's characteristics.
Personally the prime minister of Russia
is a very amiable, generous good-natured
man, of very mild manners and charming
dNsposition. but he is in very poor health.
He is SO delicate that he cannot work more
than two or three hours at time without
living down to rest He spends most of his
time and receives most of his visitors re-
clining on lounge In his once. ne is
rather effeminate also. and MS naeuIai
gentleness and delicate health unfit him TOT
the stern duties that are required Oh the
prime minister of Russia. He lives the sec
ond house from United States AmpasSaoor
Meyer on Sergiuskaya, one OF the 1ashion
able streets of petersburg, anu mas OH q"
tractive family.
Goremykin's physical weakness is OF long
standing Six years ago. during the great
famine when shiploads of wheat were sem
over to Russia from the united States, dc
minister of the interior he had charge OF
the relief measures, but concealed the eX-
tent and severity of the distress from the
car. His majesty had practicaIy no Iuea
about II. When he learned the facts from
outside sources he sent for his minister OF
the interior and rebuked him In the Sc
verest manner Goremykin was so over
come that he is said to have fallen on his
knees before the car and with tears In MS
eyes to have begged for pardon. Then ne
fell over in faint and the car had the
Job of restoring him to consciousness
His Former Administration.
Goremykn was protege of De Witte,
but is charged with having betrayed him,
Or at least of neglecting to support him
during the Plehve cabal, which drove him
from the ministry of finance in 1903 Gore
mykin also has had the favor of the en-
press dowager. She has pushed him for
ward whenever she had a chance and 1t is
said that his appointment as minister OF
the interior in 1895 was due to her infiu-
ence. While in that office he did a great
deal of good. His administration was lib
eral and there were very few disturbances.
He caused a relaxation of the restrictive
laws concerning the liberals; he did good
deal to modify the regulations concerning
the Jews, and among other things provided
that those who had a university education
or a mechanical trade could leave the pale
and i've anywhere In the Russian empire.
He took the first complete census of Rus
STA In 1897 and was largely instrumental in
securing the first convention of the peace
conference of The Hague In 1898. Upon
leaving the interior department he was
made president of an agricultural COM
mission to study the wants and conditions
of the peasants. He has been considered
ports on that subject are said to be very
but have never received any at
tention. while none of his recommendations
for the relief of the peasants have been
carried out.
Mr. Goremykin is responsive to the slight
est within of the car. and will fulfill to the
best Of his ability every wish of his i'm
perial master He is considered absolutely
disinterested. loyal and obedient,
but 1t requires a man of different caliber
and character to guide the ship of state
through the stormy seas that are now
overwhelming Russia. The car is too
much that kind of man himself. He is
quite as effeminate and timid as his prime
and naturally the two of them do
not make very strong team. From all
indications Goremykin will have given UP
the Job and retired from office before this
letter is published. He is utterly incapable
of managing the situation.
Regard for the Gear.
There is only one opinion about the car.
There Is friendly disposition toward him
among all classes of Russians. Even the ,.
revolutionists have high regard for his
character. although they have no
respect for his ability or qualifications.
Almost everybody admits that he is hon
est and well-meaning, but weak. vaciliat-
Ing and the tool of his ministers, easily
humbugged and the almost continuous vic
tim of Misrepresentation and bad advice
Mr.. Meyer, our ambassador thinks very
highly of the car, and had an unusually
good opportunity to judge him during the
personal negotiations that preceded the
peace conference at Portsmouth Mr.
Meyer insists that he has much stronger
character better abilities and greater
familiarity with public affairs than is
usually credited to him. In his converse
tons and discussions with Mr. Meyer the
car showed himself TO be we'll informed
upon the important topics of the day and
was particularly familiar with the events
OF the war. Mr.. Meyer also says that his
majesty has a deep vein of religious senti-
ment, and is very domestic in his tastes
And l have heard others say the same
thing. who know him as well as Mr. Never.
but everybody admits that he DOG nat oo-a