Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-21
THE CAR A HERMIT
Russia's Monarch Gradually Separating
Himself from His People.

| huSsiaS monarch Iraoualy separating
Himself from His People.
| Nicholas II. is having a new wall
built to the north of Peterhof Park,
where he dwells every summer, and he
will shortly have the high gates Of
Tsarskoe Selo made still higher. These
are signs and symbols Of his latest
hermit-like phase. At the new palace
at Livadia, whence he recently return
ed, were other hermit innovations,
such as sound-proof doors in the west
wing where he works, and for this he
brought all the way from France the
architect, Robert Chaudet.
These operations mean that Nicho-
las II Is withdrawing more than ever
from human life, and realizing his
nickname given him by his subjects
after the massacre Of January. 1905,
| "Schimnik Nikolai," the hermit Mich
olas. For three years Nicholas ven
tured only twice out of his palace cell,
and then to st. Petersburg. Later he
made some centenary journeys, show
| ing himself to few, and fugitive tours
through Italy and Germany. This
qualified return to the world got bad
check by the assassination in 1911 Of
Stolypin.
Since then Nicholas has been more
of hermit than ever. When the Ro-
| manoff tercentenary was celebrated
last year only few thousand fright
ened subjects saw their autocrat's
| frightened face over the heads Of the
menacing soldiers. Now even the mo-
torcar tours around the palace have
been curtailed, and Tsarskoe Selo be-
comes more and more a monastery Of
gloomy people, who are allowed small
communication with the outside world
and who keep their mouths discreetly
shut.
Russians are reminded Of Nicholas
hermit-like existence by the change in
the command Of the palace. Around
Christmas died Lieutenant General
Diedulin, since 1906 palace command
ant, who was once prefect Of st. Pc
tersburg, and before that was COM
mandant Of the gendermerie. Diedu-
lin succeeded Trepoff. He played no
role in politics, but he did more-he
finally turned Nicholas into a hermit.
He made the monastic life bearable.
Most of Nicholas courtiers are sew re,
timorous and ettiquette-ridden old
men, who could no more joke than
fly. Life was dull.
| When Deidulin came this changed.
The very human Diedulin told stories,
organized games and theatricals, and
made dull Nicholas happy. There was
so much less temptation to go out into
the big world. When Diedulin died,
people said, "the cars merry jailer
is gone; now the monastery will open
up" This has not happened. The
monastery is more monastic than ever.
Nicholas Ills new palace comman-
dant, nurse, and tyrant, is Major Cen
eral Voyeikoff. Nobody knows much
about General Voyeikoff except that
he is good looking sportsman and q
very ideal soldier. He Is the son-in-
law of Baron Friederichs, minister Of
the court and used to command the
Ismailoff regiment. Three months ago,
when the boy scouts or "Potieshniki,"
were disbanded because the political
police feared they might turn revolu-
tionaries, Nicholas ordered Vokeikoff
to organize the national sports on a
safe" that is, reactionary level.
The church was to be asked to help.
Voyeikoff did this very we'll, being a
sportsman, not bureaucrat. Then he
was called to the palace to succeed
Deidulin. For a fortnight Nicholas
appeared daily in his motor car on the
Tsarskoe Selo roads. This suddenly
ceased The "Okhrana" invented the
usual revolutionary peril, and Nicho-
las retired to his cell.
Diplomats, high officials, and the
chiefs of the army regard the imperial
seclusion as a scandal. Angriest Of all
are the diplomats. Some of them have
been in ST. Petersburg a whole dec
ade, and during that decade there have
been only two court entertainments.
The levees, drawing rooms. and court
balls have entirely ceased. st. Peters
burg, once Europe's liyeliest city, is
now the dullest. Big mobiles without
official positions have taken to living
in Moscow as the livelier town.
This is reflected in the reports Of the
police building department, which
show that since 1905 there have been
seven times as many large villas and
good class apartment houses put up in
Moscow as in st. Petersburg. High
politics are seriously affected. Under
Alexander III. and his predecessors,
the foreign diplomats had opportuni-
ties Of talking to the czar every week;
and Bismarck, when ambassador at st.
Petersburg, carried on his most i'm
portant negotiations with Alexander
II. direct. Such a thing is no longer
possible.
| Ministers also have cause Of COM
plant Twice during the present reign
their opportunities Of talking politics
with the autocrat have been curtailed.
Up to 1905 every minister had one
weekly audience, when the czar was
at ST Petersburg, or at either Of his
suburban palaces. He was further
summoned for special audiences. Aft
er 1905 the weekly visit was all that
was left.
During the last year the weekly WIS.,
it's have been cut short. On the days
appointed for audiences the cars
aide-de-camp telephones to the min
ister's quarters, asking if there is any
thing pressing as If not, the audience
may be delayed or a memorandum
may be submitted, on the margin of
which the czar will write his views.
All this is the result of Nicholas now
chronic dislike Of seeing the human
face. When Minister Of Education
Sasso went to Tsarskoe Selo, immedi-
ately after the restaurant scandal, In
which he was publicly boxed by two
|