Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-12
COUNT Won W|TTE
TALKS OF RUSSIA
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram TO The Star
BERLIN. August 11.-Reports having
been widely circulated to the effect that
Count White. who has been travelling
through continental Europe in an auto
mobile. will be recalled to Russia to take
charge of matters there, a newspaper cor
respondent interviewed him while travel
ing in an automobile between Aix-Les-
Bains and Vichy. American newspaper
men who met the count at the time of
the peace conference at Portsmouth, N. H.,
will remember the Russian diplomats de-
mocracy. In order to obtain complete rest
from the trying events Of the past twelve
months he receives none but old friends.
The ex.premier is accompanied by Count
ess White, his married daughter and
son-in-law. They occupy Villa Russie
near Aix-Les-Bains Already he looks
much brighter and better than when he
left st. Petersburg some two months ago.
turn to Russia to take charge there I'M
der existing circumstances. he said:
II am merely patriotic observer.
must not render the task of those in con-
troll of Russias destinies more difficult by
what may say or do. They all know
that I would willingly give my life If
necessary to help my Russia.
Personal recriminations are peculiarly
harmful at present. All patriotic Russians
should work In the selfess spirit of him
who exclaimed. We are all of us little, the
CduSo dlOn0 Is great. ana the cause we
have at heart is identical with all that is
noblest In patriotism, religion, humanity.
It should. therefore, be an honor to serve
such cause, and the reverse OF honor
to make 1t subservient to personal aims
"AH administrations are but changing
means; the public good Is the fmmutable
end; but do strongly hold that the mere
adoption by a cabinet of the principles Of
government accepted In Western Europe
will not suffice to ensure success. There is
no sesame Of that kind available Every
cabinet, be 1t ever SO liberal, will be con-
fronted by the revolutionary wave and
win inevitably be swept away unless it
possesses some better sources of strength
than the profession Of certain political
In defending his administration against
those who criticised his financial policy,
the ex-premier said:
Brave words cost nothing, and white
should not. however be forgotten that to
do better Is much easier than to do well
The financial system, which has provoked
their criticism, has been tested by time and
not found wanting. 1t withstood the terri
Bile strain Of a foreign and unsuccessful
war. and at the close of the campaign, IL
nothing else had supervened, the finances
would have quickly become as sound as be-
fore. But the general strike. the armed
instruction. and the consequent stagna-
ton in trade and industry. threatened the
very source. Yet here, too. the dangerous
strain was successfully borne. Then came
the severest ordeal Of all. aIIude to the
systematic campaign cleverly conceived
and perseverfngly waged against Russian !
finances for the avowed purpose of reduce
ing the government to bankruptcy. These
venomous efforts put more of strain
upon the national resources than even the
war with Japan. Yet even now, and I'm
spite of all these adverse forces the
finances have not given way. II other
states in Europe, Asia and America had
had to submit to equally severe ordeal.
how many of them would have emerged
from II unscathed, and In what plight
would the remainder find themselves to-
day? My financial policy. therefore, has
been tested severely. and has proved
strong That Is why the loud-sounding
structures Of duma deputies have provoked
no echo outside Russia so far; against
facts fancies are powsrless."