The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-05

attempts to correct him he instant.5
 threatens the unfortunate person with
 all kind of punishments.
 His entourage. as well as those of his
 rather and mother, do nothing but fiatter
 him. No one seemssto think of the evits
 such system of education carries along
 with it. nor to reflect on the fate that
 lnenaces the Russian empire should t
 ever come to be ruled by the spoilt little
 boy who is heir to the throne of the Romanoffs
 The Spirit of Independence
 Few years ago an anecdote was cir
 culated everywhere in St Petersburg
 concerning the small Czarevitch. It
 seems that one morning ministers were waiting to be received by the Emperor
 at the palace of Tsarslzoye Selo. Among
 them was M. Izvolsky, at that time head
 of the foreign office. He was talking with another person seated next to him. and did not notice the Czarevitch who
 happened to run through the room. The
 latter instantly went up to Izvolsky, and Tn an imperious tone told him that when
 the heir to the throne crosses a room ministers ought to get up.' lzvolsky be-
 came so confused that he did not know what to do or to say, and his confusion became still worse when, few moments
 later, the Emperor, at the end of the audience which he granted him, asked him what misunderstanding he had had with the Czarevitch. The minister hardly found words to explain, and Nicholas II told him then, with evident pride, Yes,
 later on you will find it harder to deal with my son than with me-"
 Another anecdote was related about tho Czarevitch It seems that he Is always very eager to be saluted by the soldiers
 whom he meets, and by the regiments as- sembling at reviews. Now etiquette in Russia exacts that when the sovereign fS ha 1v is Sa II ted hxrf ba not even a member of his family. The boy did not like this, so that whenever he was present at parade, such as take place at Tsarskoye Selo, on the days when a regiment celebrates its religious feast, he used to run m advance of hls father so as to be saluted before the
 soldiers perceived their sovereign. This was noticed, and upon the repre- sentations of the Grand Duke Nicholas, who told the Emperor that the troops got so confused at this that they did
 not know what they were to do, or who they were to salute, the CZarevitch was forbidden to leave his fathers side. Constant Attendance on Little Boy In spite of a system of education which is only directed towards the care of his person in the physical sense, the little grand duke does not grow healthy child. Perhaps his delicacy Is in part responsible for his peevish temper; per haps it only proceeds from the mistaken way in which he is being brought up. But most certainly the boy is constantly ail- ing. His mother watches him day and night and he is her only care; do tors are seldom absent from his bed side; his father forgets everything If his little son has an ache: but all this does not give the Czarveitch good health. As I have said already the truth Is sad enough, because it is considered cer- tain that there is very little hope that the Czarevitch will reach manhood, alo this knowledge impels heartfelt sympa- thy towards his parents who, after hav- ing longed for so many years for the
 birth of this heir now have to resign themselves to the probability that hIJ days are numbered.