Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-12-14
BY The United Press.

TETROGRAD, Nov. 14-CBy Mail
10 New York; Nicholas Nikolaie-
witch is the big surprise of the war.
Cesp'te the fact that he is a Grand
Duke, he has not only proven himself
an allie commander-in-ch but he
has won the affectionate regard Of
the people of Russia.
Before the war, Nicholas was just
gigantic, good-looking, typical
guardsman, and necessarily nothing
else. according TO the then prevailing
Russian opinion. Now he is the ma
tional hero.
They call him "Belshoi Nikolai"-
Big NichOlas"-and they regard nim
as the savior of the country. The
grumblers Vfo when he was chosen
TO head off the German advance. de-
nounced the Grand Ducal system il
the army, are now silenced. His
mastery defense Of Warsaw and the
skillful mo. in which I've turned
apparent Geieat into triumphant vic
tory, have stamped him as a fighter
and strateeis of marvellous ability.
all take the blame, gentlemen.
he said quietly, but firmly, when his
staff almost unanimously questioned
the wisdom Ct his decision first to
retreat to the Vistula instead of meet
ing the Germans in Silesia.
He never hesitates TO override nj
staff when he believes he Is RICH; 81.
as events proved him TO be in this
instance iii take the blame" he
said again WREN the Russians were
being badly pressed by Auffenberg
at Krafnik ano Lublin and his gen
erals had counseled retreat.
big Nicholas" decided to hoin
on refusing to sacrifice the comm !,
victory near Lemberg for the sake
Of safety in less important posi-
ton. His judgment was vindicated,
for Auffenberg was finally forced
back and Lemberg fell.
The Grand Duke possesses three
qualities which SuvOroff said Are
needed by all generals, most of all
by s-steadfastness, stead
fastness, steadfastness." He also has
the courage TO buy victory with risks
the lack of which was responsible for
Kuropatkins failure in the Russo
Japanese war
Nicholas foresaw the result. and
suggested that he himself should take
command. But timid councils pre-
vailed. II wouldn't do for a member
of the Imperial family to run the
fisk of failure. He impl0red anc
protested, but to no avail. How
ever. when the great European wal
broke out, the Grand Duke had hi,
own way.
Nicholas always was a rlsker
When a lieutenant in the Pavlovsk!
| Guards, he once set his horse &,
! lump a wall. The jump was easy
but behind the wall a few yards Of
was a deep ravine. Failure TO LAM
truly would have meant death. rh
Grand Duke jumped and succeeded.
In the present campaign he ha
developed into a soldiers general
Some officers think he is too muc
so. He treats everyone in the army
irrespective of rank, in the sam
way. Here the rank and file ar
still addressed as Thou" a forr
not permissible with men Of position
The Crank Duke uses Thou" nc
only to soldiers, but also TO the off
GERS, which pleases the soldier
greatly, but which displeases tn
officers.
big Nicholas" Is on the job ever
minute. The train with nine cal
which constitutes the staff headqual
ters flies from one corner Of Polan
TO another. During the big battle ,
the end of October, the train move
|, all along the Vladmir-Vo
ynsk line. At every station sheay'
of kilograms were received and sen
As the train steamed out of Bres
Litovsk, the commander-in-chie
! sharp eye saw a sentry who W;
standing in an attitude not in accoI
p with regulations. He caused q
train to return. jumped out. took Il
sentry by the shoulders and put hi
] in the proper position. He then sun
= moned the officer of the day and az
! ministered a personal rebuke. I
2 is a strict disoiplinarian. but not
/ martinez. and he demands that a
b. his officers shall be disciplinarians.
= AS a soldiers general, the Gran
! Duke rejects the notion that a corr
) commander should be twenty mile
. behind his men, an army commando
) fifty and a commander-in-chief
! hundred. When plans are beir
' drawn up big Nicholas" keeps we
behind; but when the fighting is q
5 ing on, he oftens appears among Il
= fighters.
= During the terrific fighting arour
Koshenitza, the Grand Dukal aut
mobile. marked by a blue and viii
: flag. drove slowly down a road upc
G which German shells were fallin
= The Siberians, with whom the cor