Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-05-24

MOUNT PAUL vASS1LT, a veteran men,
4 Der of the Russian diplomatic service
- who has been familiar with Russian
court secrets and diplomatic intrigue from the
time of the Crimean War to the present day.
has written his memoirs In volume entitled
Behind the Veil at the Russian Court" 1t
Is published by the John Lane Company.
Count Vassili died a few months ago. It
would have been impossible for him to pub
fish this work in his life time and remain In
Russia, for he exposes the msdoings of the
Gear and the Russian official class without
mercy.
The author is no friend of democracy and
he expresses great admiration for many of the
earlier Cars. His frank exposure of the
present Gear is therefore made more interest.
Ing and convincing.
The volume is largely devoted to a dssec-
ton of the character of Nicholas II. We see
at close hand his extraordinary yacillation
his heartlessness in the face OF wholesale
slaughter and cruel tragedy, his disloyalty even
to his most devoted supporters. his childish
belief in superstitions the strange and al.
most insane behavior of his beautiful wife
and the many miseres of their domestic life.
Here is picture of the most colossal tragedy
of our time. 1t leaves no doubt that the ruler
who must exercise Unreasonable power for
evil until the revolutionists destroy the sys
TEN which he represents.
The Cars reign began with tragedy, in
which he revealed his heartlessness in an
astonishing manner. To celebrate his corona
ton, the peasants and laborers were invited
to assemble in a plain near Moscow, where
they would receive some refreshments. The
Car was to say few kind words to them
from high platform in the midst of the plain.
deep ditch was dug around the plain and
through the msmanagement of the officials
many of those crowdng to the celebration fell
into the ditch. There they crushed one an.
other to death and hundreds of them were
killed. Then to keep the dead bodies out of
sight, the officials thrust many Of them under
the platform from which the Car was to
speak.
"The Emperor was expected at any mo
ment." writes Count Vassili, land he could
not be allowed to see all these bodies scat
tered everywhere about. Soldiers requi-
sitioned and they hastily-will such fatal stu
pidity be beleved?-thrust the corpses under
the very pavilion in which the sovereign was to
alight and from the balcony of which he
to witness the feast. Thus by terrible blum
der, of which be knew nothing. but for which
he was ever after bitterly reproached, Nicholas
ii. actually stood for more than five hours
the dead bodies of his subjects, killed in their
endeavors to welcome him."
On the evening Of this tragedy the Gar APP
peared at great court ball without showing
any sign of distress. One of the visiting for
eign princes expressed sorrow at the cata-
strophe, and Nicholas quietly replied. Eyes. 1t
is very sad; but such accidents happen often
whenever there is a great congregation of
people"
Although desperately attached to his auto
cratic power. Nicholas is entirely without the
qualities of successful despot, as the follow
ing instance Of his extraordinary vacillation
will show:
when the Siberian Railway was quite COM
pleted the question arose in regard to the de-
partment to which the administration of this
important line should be entrusted--should It
be administered by the Finance or the War
Ministry?
"At that time Count Witte was at the head
Of the Treasury, while General Homeopathic
was in charge Of the army. Each Minister
wanted to control the railway, each had nu-
merous eloquent arguments in support of his