The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-08-09

4
WILL HOLD RUSSIA IN THE
HOLLOW OF HIS HAND"
He is the Grand Duke Nicholas.
commander-in-chief of the Rus
sian army and a cousin Of the
car.
Cousins, but they care little for
each other. 1t was only because
| the car knew that there was no
one else In all the Russias that
| could handle the army, as 1t
should be handled, that he placed
his cousin. Nicholas Nicholavitch,
in supreme command.
And the grand duke took cont
mand only with the full under
standing that it was to be SUI
preme command. He brooks no
interference. HE DOES NOT
FEAR THE CZAR.
He Is u picturesque, almost
startling, figure of IA man,
for he stanGs six feet six
inches.
In wOnderment ones eyes
run up his lean, sinewy fig
ure, clad i'm army gray, to his
gray face. His eye is cold
and stern. His features
aquiline. His close cropped
hair is gray.
But the Iron Duke" cares
nothing for the picturesque. lie
love
him because to them he is little
father" In the field he lives
practically as one of them. If
near the railroad he makes his
headquarters in an ordinary rail-
way coach or in one of the COM
mon round tents, such as the SOL
diers use.
To understand the grand duke
one properly must understand
things military-and particularly
the Russian soldier--for Nicholas
has been a soldier all his life.
He fought with distinction IN
the Russo-Turkish war, although
then only a youth in the twenties.
Later in the Manchurian CAM
paign he was an inspector OF cav
airy.
In times of peace he has Kept
In touch with army life as COM
mander of the military district of
Petersburg. When he took hold
of the army the raw material was
there aplenty, but it needed a
strong hand to whip 1t into shape.
His was the hand.
He caused vodka to be abol-
ished, with the result that when
he massed his men to meet the
Germans they fell into line with
clear eye and head.
Then when he took the
field he gave great trouble
to the Germans, because he
/ planned his campaigns, not
|, by accepting standards, but
by his own battling stand
ards. His staffs work up CAM
paign plans. Nicholas takes
i, them, changes them slightly
and moves once clear to mill
itary experts become most
elusive, but generally effec-
tive.
His officers admire Nicholas
but they do not love him. They
fear him too much for that. Let
one be careless, even ever SO
slightly, and his career is at an
end.
In the field the grand duke
might almost be said to be mo-
rose. 1t is work, work, work
with him and he has little time
for pleasantries for his officers.
Knowing how dissolute many of
his high officers are inclined to
be he keeps them we'll in check.
Yet, often he will stop worn TO
stroll through the lines. He will
stop and ask a soldier for a light
for his cigaret. Then gravely he
will hand the man a cigaret for
himself.
If he sees an officer upbraiding
private he will stride to the
scene. listen gravely, and then if
he thinks the officer justified
stride away again as swiftly as he
came. But woe If the officer be
wrong.
His father, also a Grand Duke
Nicholas, was the brother of Gar
. Alexander 1.-The car who freed
: the serfs and then was assassinat-
, ed by nihilists.
= Nicholas, the present car OF
Russia, is the son of Alexander ii
Il d. n