The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-20
RUSSIAN GRAND DUKE
ONCE A JOURNALIST

&c ilou Deen allowed TO nave his way
In inausurating tho many reforms
which he advocated. the Russian navy
would have made far better showing
In the baltic Of Tsushma.
Grand Duke Alexander has already
once before visited America. For he
was lieutenant on board one of the
RUSSIAN warships which came to New
YORK some twenty years ago, to at
tend the Columbian celebration 1t
1t was on his return that he married
the Grand Duchess Xenia, eldest sis
ter OF Emperor Nicholas. BY this
union he has seven children; Il daugh-
ter. now eighteen years of ase. of the
name of Irene, and six boys. Accord
ing to the statutes of the reigning
house reorGanized by Alexander I'LL,
they do not inherit the grand ducal
title. nor the predicate OF imperial
highness, which are enjoyed by their
parents. but have to be content with
the dignity of princess and princes OF
Russia and the prefix of highness.
The Grand Duchess Xenia and her chill
dren spend much OF their time III Eng
land. at Biarritz and on the Riviera.
The grand duke is younger
brother OF George. married to the only
surviving sister of King Constantine
Of Greece, and of Grand Duke Michael.
who makes his headquarters in Eng
land. and who is married monganatical-
ly to the Countess Torby. AS a brother
OF the widowed Grand Duchess Anas-
tasia Of Mecklenburg Schwerin, he is
an uncle OF the Crown Princess OF
Germany.
His father was that universally be-
loved old Grand Duke Michael Nicho-
laiovitch. who. as Viceroy at Tins,
where Grand Duke Alexander was
born. did so much to popularize Rus
sian rule in the Caucasus. His adj
ministration, indeed, was regarded as
too kindly and toe liberal Sy the adj
visers OF his nephew, Alexander Ill,
and he was superseded by a governor
general. whose methods were such that
a sanguinary insurrection ensucu
The present Emperor entertained the
most profound affection and reverence
for his grand uncle, who was the pa
triarch of the reigning house of Rus
sia at the time of his demise, at
Cannes, three years ago.
The old grand duke warmly support
ed the present Car in all his schemes
of liberal .sform. He made point
of being present at all the meetings of
the council of the empire, held to dis
cuss the granting OF the Constitution,
lighting vigorously the opposition OF
some of the other and younger grand
dukes. AT one of these sessions. when
Alexander Narishklne, one of the
principal dignltaries of the imperial
court, and Il most influential member
of the old nobility put forward tho
plea that the aristocracy was EN-
titled to special prerogatives and priv
ilegcs under the new Constitution. in
recognition of it's services to the en-
pre-" the grand duke angrly Inter
rupted him. and In that loud and So
norous tone of voice which distin
:pamIvIoX9 seourLelln SUI peuslu5
IF l mad been in the place of Alex
ander Alexandrovitch. 1 would not
have ventured to speak of the services
OF the nobility to the empire. Where
are the services? The mobiles have
bled the pcasantry to the very mar
row, without giving them anything
whatsoever In return, not even the
slightest attempt to improve their con-
dition or their education The mobiles
have monopolized all well-paid gov
eminent offices, and, through their in
tolerable neglect, have brought con-
fusion into every branch of the admin
istration. The mobiles were only to he
found when there we're any loaves
and fishes to be distributed. They
have done nothing whatsoever for the
empire, and are mainly responsible for
the present unfortunate and chaotic
condition ot affairs 1t is perfect
nonsense to talk of the services of the
mobiles to the empire"
While in America Grand Duke
Alexander, although incognito, will
enjoy. by virtue of the law of nations
and of what is known as international
comfy. the same ex-territoria1 pre-
negatives as the foreign amba ssadors
in the United States. That is to say.
he is exempt from all civil ara GRIM
inal jurisdiction uf this country. and
enjoys immunity from arrest and from
any molestation whatsoever by the
authorities: fact which the police
intrusted with the arrest OF motorists
violating the speed laws would do
we'll to bear in mind. Even were he
to commit crime hers. the authori-
ties could do nothing beyond request
ing him to leave the country.
Copyright. 1918, by the Brentwood
Company