New-York tribune., 1909-07-10
THE CZAR AT P0LTAVA
TALKS WITH PEASANTS.
No References to Politics cs-LOyalty
to the Ruler.

Poltava July s-The hopes of those who
expecting important political announcement to-
day in connection with the celebration of the
ond centennial Of the battle of Poltava were disap
pointed. Emperor Nicholas this evening spent two
hours among forty-two hundred peasant delegates
who had assembled here from Central Russia, in
formally conversng about their needs, but this
occasion, in his responses to two addresses pre-
sented to him during the day, he avoided all ref
to present problems in Russia and kept the
historical Importance of the celebration always to
the fore.
The day passed without incident The elaborate
police precautions apparently unnecessary,
except to keep the spectators within bounds. The
most significant feature of the festival was the
spirit of loyalty exhibited toward the Emperor in
the keart of Russia Those who have been for the
last few days among the peasant delegates and
other visitors have neither heard disloyal phrases
nor observed any trace of the political indifference
common at St Petersburg and Moscow.
Almost equally important the rebuff admin
istered to the reactlonary organizations. whose
leaders had hoped to turn the celebration into
demonstration for the abolition of the Douma Ihe
Emperor barely noticed these delegates, who had
assembled with banners on the battlefield and at
the church, and pointediy avoided passing before
the deputation. which aligned itself with the troops
at parade.
Tomorrow will be purelysa military day. with
parade and luncheon given by the cadet corps
The Emperor will afterward start for St. Peters
burg. stopping for few hours at Kien the cradle
OF the Russian Empire
The celebration opened here this morning.
The train of Emperor Nicholas and imposing
suite of grand dukes and foreign attaches stopped
at the site of the battle where the Emperor found
the historic regiments drawn up into the positions
which had been held in the combat with the
Swedes. His majesty drove directly to the church
which erected at the burial place on the bat
tlehed and inspected the monument on huge
mound covering the bones Of 1,35 OF Peter the
Greats soldiers. His majesty then reviewed
parade OF all the troops at Potava-
Ffara has Irnrb Inc frlUe a
peror Nicholas was kept busy all the afternoon in
visiting the churches the monument 10 Peter the
Great, the exhibition of peasant handwork and IN
dedicating the monument 10 Count Kclen. the com
mander of the garrison at Poltava during the siege
before the battle. Returning 20 the battlefield, his
majesty visited the monument erected to the falen
Swedes.
The day was bright and sunny and the whole
expanse of the battlefield. with its miles OF troop
formations visible from the grave mound The
field has changed little since the battle occurred
The wood which hid the approach Of the Russians
is standing as also is the oak tree under which the
wounded Swedish King carried after the bat
tie Obelisks mark the sites OF the redOubts hastily
erected by the Swedes and Russians. Around the
mound the invited guests were assembled These
included Premier Stoypin, NJ. khomyakon. the
President of the Douma: the Poltava nobility.
many peasant Deputies and about three hundred
members Of the Reactonary Russian League with
banners and crosses. No attempt at demonstrs-
ton was made. the leaders having been sternly
warned to try to use the occasion for partisan
purposes.
St Petersburg July 9.-Epperor Nicholas left
ST Petersburg this morning. The imperial train
stopped al Iuminez Pinsk. where his majesty
received a deputatlon OF ten railway machinsts
who brought tFe traditional Russian Offering OF
bread and salt Tn, Emperor shook hands with all
the members OF the deputation and talked with
each OF them. At the station at Starny his ma
es,v received the marshals OF nobility, the repre-
santatives OF the Polish aristocracy, including
Count Potocki. Prince SangusZko Count Czabskl
and Prince I.ubo.uirsk. well as Zemstvo depu-
tations from the provinces OF Nolhynia, Podolsk
and kien. There also numerous deputauohs
Of village elders rHbbs, prominent members OF the
Jewish community and groups Of school children al
the station to welcome the Emperor.
4 series OF pubic works Ni be started In 81
Petersburg in connection with the Potava bicen-
tenary Among them the new NeVa Bridge
costing sZ5GaOo0. and a municipal primary schooi
which will cost S50o 90. the foundation stones OF
which bearing the name OF Peter the Great. were
laid to-day Two statues OF Peter the Great viii
lee unveiled the Admiralty quay tomorrow.
one of them represents favurte pose of the Tor
mer Emperor and the other commentaries MS act
In saving drowning fisherman. The latter statue
faces the place where the event occurred ana Is
the work OF the Russian sculptor Berenstamin
CmTT pAMpANT