The Washington herald., 1909-01-24


four years hence. OF the Tercentenary OF
the election Of the house OF Romanon 10
the throne OF the Cars. Among the many
suggestions put forward is that of hold
ing a great international Worlds Fair
at Moscow. and there Is no doubt but
what an enterprise Of this kind would
appeal TO manufacturers here in America,
and in ali other parts Of the world
For il would afford TO them an un-
rivaIed opportunity Of getting into touch
with consumers in an empire which
from an economic point Of view IS as
Vet in its infancy Its bOundless re-
sources. most Of them latent, have only
Just begun 10 be developed Fer several
generations 10 come it must be dependent
on foreign nations for all sorts of man
ufactures. especially machinery.
Hitherto the foreign producer has found
il difficult. if not impossible, 70 bring his
goods 10 the notice Of the Russian con
sumer in such a fashion as TO interest the
latter. All sorts Of obstacles nave been
put in his way. He has not been able TO
reach those with whom he could do bUsi-
ness
An International exhibition. if held al
Moscow, would bring about the necessary
meeting. would furnish TO the Russians
who have neither the facilities nor the
inclination 10 travel abroad. an occasion
70 acquaint themselves with thousands
upon thousands OF cOnTivances Calcu-
lated 10 assist them in increasing the out
put from their fields. their mines, their
oil wells. SC would enable the foreign
manufacturers 10 ind out Just what the
8iUscovite consumer needs and desires.
and would. in one word, revolUu0nize the
trade Of the world with Russia much in
the same way as the international exhi-
biti0n Of 1851 in London did for England,
that Of 1856 and OF 1861 at Paris did for
France, and that Of 1876 ar Philadelphia
did III the United States
Next 10 China, the Russian empire
constitutes the greatest market in the
world for foreign manufacturers. by res-
son OF its immeRsiJy. and of the vOlumin-
Gus nature Of its resources, now lying
faIiow and awaiting development II Rus
sia can pledge herself 20 grant the usual
customs facilities 10 exhibitors, and
adequate protection for their patents and
trade marks. the projected Worlds Fair
at Moscow, which VIII draw visitors from
all parts Of the dominions OF the Gar
viii prove economically and politically one
Of the most important enterprises OF the
twentieth century.
People have become so accustomed 10
look upon Peter the Great as the founder
Of the now reigninE house Of Russia.
that they fail 10 realize that the Roman
offs had exercised sovereign sways over
the Muscovite empire for almost q hun
dred years before he performed the dar-
ing feat OF calling the new great city Of
s. Petersburg into existence on the then
desert swamp al the mouth OF the Neva-
The first Of the RoEanOfs 20 occupy the
throne Of the Cars was Michael Of that
name. who at the age Of sixteen was
elected by the Botars 10 he their ruler
in March. 1913, al MOSCOW II he was
chosen. il was on the nomination OF
Demetrius TroUbetzkOi. after the latter
had declined the crown. and he was
prompted in putting forward the lads
candidature by the virtues Of the y0E1g
fellows father. the Archbishop and
Metropolitan. Theodore Phlarece. and
partly. too, because Of the boys descent
through the female line II is true, from
Rurik.
The dynasty Of that Scandinavian con
temporary Of King Alfred the Great, who
by establishing himself as Grand Prince
Of NOvgorod. may be said 10 have been
the first Of all Russian rulers. became
extinct in the male line with Gar FeOdOT
in 1855. FeOdor was the son Of Ivan the
Terrible and Ivan's sister. AnasIasia. had
married NiceIss R0manOff
The offspring uf this union was The
archbishop and metropolitan OF Moscow
Theodore Philarete, who married Mary.
or Marta. a princess Of the House OF
lRurik- u was their son. Michael Roman
OF. who was elected in 1913; and through
the marriage Of his ancestor. Ivan III
win sophia PalaeoiOgos, daughter oi
Thomas Palae0Iogos. brother Of Constan-
the XIII. the las- of the Greek en-
perors Of COnstantinople. he had likewise
in his veins the blood Of the famous BY
zantine dynasty.
Il IS. indeed, on the strength Of Tho
descent of the Romanons from the Pa
laeologos. through the marriage Of War
III with Sophia Of that illUstrious house
that the Russians base the P-etcnsion:
Of their ruler 10 the possession Of Con
stan-inople- As the PaIae0logOs becam,
extinct in the male line with the deatf
Of SOphie-s father Thomas not l0nl
after the fail Of ConstantnopIe- there i
no one to-day who can show a more
clear and uninterrupted descent from Jh'
old Greek s0vereigns Of the Eastern EN-
pire or who have a greater priority Z
Ihe rights Of the PalaeolOsos 10 Con
stsn1inople. than the present Gar o.
Russia
Michael RomanOf, on his election, was
shrewd enough 10 associate his father
the universally revered Theodore Phi
Iarete, patriarch OF Moscow. and metro
poIitan OF the orthodox church in Rus
sfa- in his power. He caused him 10 81
al his right hand on the throne. and Is
sued all eGicts and ukases in their Join
names. thereby giving his decrees no
only temporal but likewise e,clesla sJica
authority. Michael was succeeded by hi
son. Alexis. who was twice married 2!
his first wife, Maria AIiloslavskaja, h
had TWO sons. Feod0r and Ivan, and ;
daughter. Princess Sophia
After the death Of Czarina Maria, h
fell in love with Natalie Narishkine dur
ing one OF the latter's periodical visit
10 her godmother. Nine. Matvieff. al Mos
COW He married her. and Of this uniOl
was born the prince who afterward be
came Peter the Great Alexis was sue
ceeded by MS eldest son, Feod0r. who
though reputed a man Of weak mentality
inflicted one OF the most crushing blow
upon the MusCOWite nobility ever sus
tanned by the aristocracy Of any country
I'D 20 that time no noble could TAX
anv Office which was inferior % any on
which his ancestors had held. or C0ul
accept a place subordinate 10 any on
Who had fewer fOTbeaTs than himself
This question Of ancestry and OF pedigre
led 10 inteTminable Guarrels. both a
court and in camp so much so tha
Car Feodor al length invited all n