New-York tribune., 1910-01-17
RUssLA's LEADING sr,rrs,,,n

0pie interested In Russian affairs will
90 well TO keep their eye on Minister of
nance hokovtseff, who for several weeks
past mas oeen not only the object of all
oi TOKENS OF imperial favor but pos
sesses Just now the car of the E,nnpero,. TO
greater degree than any other Muscovite
statesman In recent years While in IL
vadia, after his return from Mancb,,rta
"raere ne had been present at the assassi-
nation or Prince Ito. the Car. instead Of
according TO him one or two audiences
which is about much as ministers see
OF their ruler when summoned from the
capital to make their reports invited him
every day throughout his stay to luncheon
and to dinner famille with the imperial
couple and their children; in addition TO
which he accompanied Nicholas on several
of the latter's long walks Compared 10
this the reception accorded TO Premier
Stoiypin TO Minister OF Foreign Affairs
iswoisky and TO Minister of War Suehem-
hkoff at Livadia was distinctly cool
hokovtseff is q. renla rkable man. and is
now occupying the post of Minister of FL
nance for the second time-a unique record.
since usually when ministers 20 out of
office in Russia their political career is at
an end. The chief lieutenant of Count
Nitte when the latter was at the head of
the Muscovite treasury. he has always been
Identified with the Liberal party; and Rus
sIa is indebted to him for every one of the
reforms in penal legislation. in the organi-
cation and in the management of its pris-
ons, that have taken place during the last
quarter of century. Russian prisons are
still far from bearing any comparison with
those of America, but they are incompara1
bly, better to-day than they were twenty
five years ago, and the mana cement on the
whole is humane, any abuse of authority
being due to the difficulty of maintaining
honesty and discipline among the officials
charged with that particular branch of the
government administration.
1t was in 1890 that Kokovtseff first be
came identified with the treasury depart
n1ent. and from that time forth he has had
a very active share in the direction of the
economic and financial policy of the EN-
pire, is acquainted with the leading for
eign bankers and enjoys q reputation in
the various money markets abroad that is
superior even to that of his former friend
and colleague, Witte He is about fifty
eight years of age, renowned both at home
and abroad for his integrity and sterling
honesty and has possessed in an altogether
exceptional degree the confidence and favor
of three successive Emperors of Russia
namely, Alexander II. Alexander III and
The title of Minister of Finance conveys
little idea of his power and the extent of
his authority. Thus. the government drink
monopoly, which yields revenue to the
treasury of no less than s7oa. .000, 600 is under
his control the customs are also under
his rule. and in connection herewith he
exercises supreme command over the So
called frontier guards. a military corps
specially enrolled for the protection of the
many thousands of miles of Russian coast
line and frontier. All new railroad projects
and concessions have TO be thoroughly in
vestigated by him and TO receive his ap-
proval before being issued. while the two
great railroads of the Far East-namely,
the Transcaucasian and the Transsibe
rian Iines-are entirely under his direc-
ton. Still another responsibility resting
his shoulders is that of sanctioning the
loans contracted either at home or abroad
by the municipalities of the various towns
end cities. No city can borrow without
his consent, and once that is given the
lean is virtually guaranteed by the state.
hokovtsef denies that the Russian gov
ernmenT needs any money from foreign
money markets, but of course welcomes
the invasion of foreign capital especially
American and English, for gold mining,
railroad building and other industrial en-
terprises.
SWEDES BLAME THEIR KING.
Queen Victoria of Sweden has spent so
much of her married life abroad that she
cannot be expected To be in touch with the
| people OF the land of her adoption or 10
understand their views and prejudices.
/ Otherwise she would certainly not have in
sisted the attempt made to hold Il def
ier-cour at the royal palace on New Years
Day, such as that which takes place on
every first of January at the imperial pal
ace at Berlin. While these things are all
very we'll in Germany, they are absolutely
contrary to popular sentiment at Stock
holm, and indeed throughout Sweden; IN
fact the atmosphere throughout SCandna-
via is essentially democratic. Within mem
ory of the present generation only two such
defilers-cours have ever taken place at the
court of Stockholm. namely, one on the oc-
cason of tie silver jubilee of King Oscar 5
succession to the throne. and one on the
occasion Of the accession Of the present
ruler. The latter. when he became King.
gave great satisfaction by announcing that
he purposed TO dispense with the ceremony
Of coronation, on the ground that il was
an extraVagant and utterly useless an
achronism, no longer in keeping with pub
lie sentiment IN Sweden, and his subjects
were still more pleased when he abolished
a number of expensive offices a court. sim
pIided much Of the ceremonial and did
away with many dignities that were as
useless az they were costly.
The announcement. therefore, By the
Grand Master of the Court. Just before
Christmas that a deEler-cour would be
held at the palace on New Years Day and
that every one holding any official posi-
ton was commander to attend aroused
no end OF criticism. and the move was at
once and rightly. ascribed TO Queen Vic
toria. who is a German princess by birth.
! The Swedish press Of every shade of polit-
/ ical opinion has been outspoken in its con-
I demnation, many of the pers boldly de-
/ claring that the bowng, scraping and
/ crawling-in fact. all sorts Of subserviency
/ are entirely foreign 10 the Swedish char
! acter. In spite OF this the defler-cour
! took place on New Eear's Day, but was so
! sparsely attended that it is doubtful wheth-
/ er the experiment will ever be repeated
MAROUISE DE FONTENOY.
NOTES FROM TUXEDO PARK
lBy Telegraph TO The TriE-ne.I