New-York tribune., 1908-09-16
EMPRESS ALEXANDRA
Real Reason for Her Present Life
of Retirement.
Copyright, 1908 by the Brentwood Company

! inflammation of the veins which at times renders
| 1t impossible for her to remain standing for any
! prolonged time, and II is this more than any
thing else that causes her marked absences from
those great functions and religious ceremonies
which necessitate standing for hours together on
| the part of those compelled to figure therein or
course, her nervous system is very seriously i'm
| paired by the constant anxiety TO which she has
been subjected concerning the safety of her husband
and children. But she is perfectly well and happy
| and cheerful when during the weeks which
she spends cruising with them in the Gulf OF Fin
land each year. On her return, however 20 Krasnoe
Selo the Peterhof the ST. Petersburg suburban
homes between which she divides her year she be-
comes at affected by the terribly depressing
climate of the entire metropolitan district. There
are many others who influenced more or less
in the same way by the climatic conditions of the
Russian capital, and that is why many Russians
hold aloof from it. preferring TO reside at Moscow,
their estates abroad, while foreign diplomats
always entertain alarm with regard TO their own
health and that Of their families when appointed to
St Petersburg. Perched swamp at the mouth
OF the Neva, IT is difficult TO conceive anything
more unhealthy depressing.
In the of the Czarina this depression takes
the form of reluctance to meet people not entirely
congenial to her. Thus she longer anything
much Of her imperial relatives. and the Grand
Duchesses Stana and Militia with whom she was
formerly very intimate and constantly
in her company no longer figure in her entourage
This is largely due to the fact that Grand Duchess
Stana is the wife of Grand Duke Nicholas Nco-
laievitch the acknowledged chief OF the reaction
party. and who bitterly the fact that the
Emperor has emancipated himself from his infu-
ence and turning ear to his advice, is listen
ing to that OF the liberal minded Premier Stoypin
In fact. the relations between the Czar and the
Grand Duke have been quite strained for some
months past, especially since Nicholas II de-
clned to express his dsapproval of the overwheim-
Ing vote of criticism passed by the Douma upon
/ the conduct Of the Grand Duke in his capacity
vice-president OF the army council The Domna
even went so far to suggest that the Emperor
should relieve him of the office. and the Czar. after
due consideration. complied with this recommenda-
/ ton. Grand Duchess Meltza, being the sister OF
Grand Duchess Stana-they both daughters Of
the Prince of Montenegro-naLurally sides with her
and the Grand Duke against the Emperor and En-
press
Nor are the relations OF the widowed Csarina
with her daughter-in-law particularly cordial That
is 10 say, they appear together seemingly upon af
fectionate terms on the very occasions when
, Empress Alexandra takes part in any court
state function But otherwise mother-in-law and
daughter-n-aw little nothing Of each
other. The Czarina Dowager only goes to Peter
hof or to Tsarskoe-Seo for court ceremonies. and
otherwise divides the time that she spends In Rus
STA between St Petersburg and Gatchna. which
might be thousand miles from Peterhof for ali
the intercourse that there is between the two
places. good part Of the year the widowed En-
press spends abroad chiefly at Copenhagen and
her married daughters. the Grand Duchesses
Xenia and Olga who were formerly always with
Emperor Nicholas, his wife and children now live
altogether with their mother.
The young Empress and her children therefore
spend very secluded existence, restricted. indeed.
TO the company OF the immediate members of their
household who treated by them with degree
of intimacy and aTectonate cordiality that might
convey the idea that they and dear
friends instead of dependents and retainers. Chief
among them Is favorite maid OF honor OF the
young Empress. a Mile. Tanetewa. who married
last spring young officer attached 10 the service
of the Emperor. This lady shares all the EN-
press's tastes for music for singing. for painting
and sketChing cartcature and literature. and
the newly married couple have been assigned villa
in the palace park at Peterhof and another at
Krasnoje- the Empress Alexandra continues 10
good deal Of her friend Another favorite
OF both the Emperor and Empress. and who is al
ways with them, is the enormously fat, hugely rich
aud always CHEEKY and good tempered Prince Orion,
Of the one-eyed general who for many years
represented Russia France ambassador He
is devoted heart and soul TO the Emperor and EN-
press and is held IN particular affection by the i'm
perial children while It is TO him that Nicholas II
owes his conversion to automobng.
WHAT RUSSIA OWES TO THE CZARINA
What I wish to convey is this that while the
young Empress IS suffering from impaired nerves
and from Inflammation Of the veins that has
become chronic, she is neither crazy nor to
such an extent invalid that she is precluded from
taking part in the life OF her husband and OF her
councillor and constant companion and 10 the
youngsters as a very devoted and sensible mother
who is bending all her energies to the bringing up
the little In the most simple and whole
some manner possible The pictures of her daugh-
ters and OF her attractive little boy show this
Moreover when she feels that people In sym
pathy with her she makes hesitation about re-
ceiving them, and at the very time last summer
when she stated to be most I'll she invited the
Bishop Of London who visiting in Petersburg
l,ar fia Pet Thnr hHr she
kept him for more than couple of hours con-
versing with him in the most lively, interested
and interesting fashion.
The fact of the matter is that Empress Alexan-
dra has been quite alone among all the members
of the imperial family in encouraging and urging
her husband in the direction of liberalism. The
initial moves OF the Gar in this path of progress
were followed by much violence, disorder, outrage
anarchy destruction OF property and general
chaos, from which Russia is only now emerging,
and which were all laid by the members Of the
imperial family and by the principal dignitares
of the Russian court at her doors, and ascrioed
10 her influence over her husband Al one mo-
ment it looked as If the Emperor himself feared
that he had made a mistake in listening to her
counsel and the impression was created that the
reactionary elements in the reignng house had
prevailed with him. But, working hand IN glove
with Premier StOlypin, whom she sees every time
that he visits the Emperor, she has carried the
day and though she has incurred the anger there
b,, Of the grand dukes and grand duchesses. who
see their extra-legal powers shorn by parliament
srv forms Of government we'll as the hostility
of all those bureaucrats and courtiers VINO, thanks
TO the former freedom from Legislative super
vision had been able to fatten on corruption ana
TO cruelty Cypress the people Empress Alexandra
will live In history as having played the same
role in Russia helping to secure for the Musco-
ytte people a popular and enlightened FORM or gov
n,aa,t as did the murdered Empress Elizabeth
in Hungary in obtaining home rule and seif-goV-
ernment for her beloved Magyars.