The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-19
SCRAP BOOK FOR TO-DAY

Russia's loyal sons throughout the world will celebrate today the forty fifth birthday of NichoIa IT, the Great White Czar of all the Russians. As for the Emperor himself he will prob ably be perfectly satisfied if the cele- bration of his natal day passes with out some festive nihilist casting a bomb in his direction. The Russian ruler was born May 6,-which corre- spends to the 18th of May, new style, -1s6s, and was twenty-six when he succeeded to the throne on the death of his father, Alexander III. His mother was the Princess Dagmar, daughter of Christian, TX of Denmark, and a. sister of the late Frederick VIII of Denmark, the late King George of Greece, and Dowager Queen Alexandra. of England. His wife, daughter of Ludwig ", Grand Duke of Hesse, is a granddaughter of the late Queen Victoria Despite his relationship to the British royal family, the Cza- is popularity credited with entertaining a cordial hatred of the English, and es- pecially of King George. Some years ago Count Rodinoff, a. former body guard of the Russian ruler, published a magaz zine article in which he quoted the Czar as saying:
 CT believe that the future belongs to Russia, China and the United States the three greatest countries, geo. graphically, in the world. The great ness of Great Britain is only nominal Canada, Australia, India. and the South African colonies are just as good as independent republics. Al though, personally, I hate George, this Is merely on account of his conceited attitude toward me. He has said to Prince Heinrich of Prussia that I am, with my religious faith and belief in the supernatural, a boy. He thinks am uneducated as compared with him. I once asked him if he really thought that his creed of intellect solves every problem of human life; and he looked at me so patronizingly and haughtiIy that I decided to ignore him entirely thereafter Eng land has never been of use to Russia. It is a hypocriticaI, cunning coun- try.'
 The alleged reference of the Czar to his religious faith and belief in the supernaturaT' gives to the statement an appearance of verisimihtude, for the Russian Emperor is pfouS to the point of blind credulity. No other monarch of Europe approaches Nicholas in re- ligiolls fervor King Georges ''creed of intellect is said to incline him to- ward the higher criticism. Alfonso of Spain, influenced by French ration a,lisrn, has often openly fouted the faith of his fathers. The Italian King has often been described as g; free thinker The German Emperor, in his preachments, has driven emphasis to the value of Christianity as a bull wark of the state against Socialism, rather than to it's service 1f the saliva ton of souls.
 ious of rulers, with the possible excep- tion of Memed of Turkey, whose en- tfa1siasm for NIohaInmedanism ap- breaches fanaticism. Nicholas not only believes in miracles, but he holds that the day of divine interference with the natural order of events is not yet past, and that miracles occur as freuuentIy now in Biblical times. He surrounds himself with self-styled 's<aints'', whose crude legerden1ain and famatical mysticism are accepted by the Car as manifestations of the grace of God. The mad monk of Tsaritsin, IIidor the Saint, Germogen the Bigot, and other saints, sooth- savers and fortune tellers, have in turn imposed upon the creduhty of the (.zar. and have now been succeeded by Rasputin, ''the New Savior" :"
 Mexico's first empire had its begin ming ninety-one years ago. May IS, 1922. when Augustin de iturnloe, tne liberator of the country from spanish domination, proclaimed himself Elm peror Augustin I. The coronation ceremonies, which were marked by great splendor, ponp and display, took place the following July. In leading the patriot forces of Mexico in their Successful warfare for liberty, Itur- bide had not been animated by spirit of self aggrandizement- When the Spa nfards were defeated and driven from Mexico, Iturbide issued a mani festo, called the Plan of 1guala, by which Mexico was to become an inde pendent kingdom with one of the Bourbon princes of Spain on the throne. The plan was accepted by Juan O'Donoju, Spanish viceroy. and f0 lima nd VII. He refused and, in the light of subsequent events, proved by his refusal that he was not without wis dom- Failing to find an European prince for his brand new throne Itur- bide decided to sit on 1t himself The