Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-07
Telegraph Keeps Him in In
slant Touch With All
His Forces.
HEADQUARTERS SITE
IN A FORLORN PLACE
Russian Peoples in Region Live
Wretchedly and General Distress
Is Plainly Apparent.

PETROGRAD, via London, November
Sin a white. two-story building in
city of perhaps 10000. but resembling
more nearly an overgrown village. is
stationed the staff which directs the
defense of Russia against her enemies.
The director-in-chief is Emperor Mich
olas, and to this forlorn place from
the Imperial Palace to Tsarskoe SeIo.
he for the time being has banished
himself. in order that he may live in
daily touch with the affairs of his
armies in the field, advise with the
officers and supervise the conduct of
the war.
Although many hours journey by train
from the nearest battle line. the emperor
and his staff are in almost instant COM
munication by telegraph with all points
this building that the daily official COM
munications to the world are written.
Chief Of Staff Modest.
The chief Of staff, Gen Michael Alexieff.
is modest man. about sixty years of
age. who shuns self glorifcation. To a
correspondent who asked him to relate
the routine Of his days work he replied
commander-in-chief and he merely a
subordinate, nothing that he did from day
to day could, In his opinion. be Of the
slightest interest to any one outside the
army.
A casual visitor to the town in ques-
ton finds little to induce him to pro-
long his stay. The hotels, of which
there are several-the best leaving
much to be desired-are pre-empted by
the military. The town is crowded
with strangers. who have come from
the territory overrun by the Germans.
Place Wakes Up at Night.
1t is only at night that the place
wakes up. Until nearly midday the
many little shops that crowd each
other along the two main thorough
fares keep their doors locked and their
windows shattered. Anticipated 'fzvos-
schiks," as the public hacks are CALL
ed. shamble out Of the way Of screech-
ing high-power automobiles carrying
onicers. the cars appearing incongru-
GUS in the century-old setting of cob
bled streets and high-windowed and
dingy stores.
Around the white STAFF building there
IL solemn Stiffness Sentries guard
the entrance and open space in front.
and none without Official business NAV
pass.
Moves With Precision.
Everything moves with military pre-
cfsion within the walls. No dilatory
tactics are permitted. and one is made
to feel that the time of. the officers is
valuable. The Associated Press corre-
spondent had occasion to consult the
same officer at headquarters at 10
O'Clock in the evening and 10 o'clock
in the morning without previous ap-
pointment. which may be taken as an
indication that the staff officers BUSH
ness hours are long.
The distress of the people growing
out of the war is apparent on every
hand. The floors of the railway wait
ing room at night serve as a sleeping
place for scores of weary wayfarers.
Old men, women and children lie close
ly huddled, leaving a narrow aisle for
the stream Of traffic to and from the
trains.
Farther up the line the lights from
campfires at night disclose hundreds of
people living in wretchedness in crude
board shelters, which only partly pro-
tect them from the freezing winds