The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-30
opened his window into Europe and

opened his window into Europe and
Russia turned her back on Asia,
Poland became a standing menace to
the peace Of Europe" Poland was
torn by faction; poor. uneasy Poland.
and the Russian troops entered her
territory ito protect her liberties
Turkey declared war on Russia: 1T
was a conflict between cripples." The
partition of Poland became Inevitable;
Russia acquired the region known as
White Russia. LIS square miles and
nearly 1000, 900 people on thesDwina
and the Dnieper. The treaty OF peace
with Turkey gave Russia lands to the
south, the right to navigate the Black
Sea. protectorate over the Christian
population OF Moldavia and Wallachia,
and a useful leverage on the internal
affairs Of Turkey. Even taking the
view most derogatory to the Empress.
that she "a only a igurehead. she
was at least pointing the direction Of
the Russian ship Of state-toward the
Slav-Anglo-Ceit coalition against the
Teuton menace of 1914. II may seem
an illogical c~ol.ocation. but admiration
for the woman who stood as the re-
sponsible head of this expansive en-
terprise. more useful In its results
THAN noble in its conception, dictates
notice Of the physical and moral cour-
age shown by Catherine when In 1853
she had the English Thomas
Dimsdale come over to st. Petersburg
to inocu.ate her and her son. the
Grand Duke Paul. against smallpox:
1t was a lesson In modern civilization
to the people Of Russia. then still
STEPPED in Ignorance and supersti-
ton" and a lesson that called for
rheroism in the teacher-all thu more
heroism. is 1t not permissible to say.
because unquestionably the teacher
herself had misgivings strong enough
to make her insist upon secrecy until
the %populace could be informed OF the
trial with Of its complete
success. without letting the Empress
know what he was doing. the cautious
Eng.ishman experimental on two mill
tary cadets: who. although they had
shown splendid courage. appear to
have regarded themselves as martyrs
to science"
At O'Clock one evening a messenger
arrived. ordering Dimsdale TO be at the
palace at 10 and bring the necessary
virus. Accompanied by his son. who car
ried a child who had been successfully
inoculated. he was conducted up a secret
stairway into the presence of the En-
press. She was quickly inoculated. on
the following day Dimsdale was taken to
Tsarsko Seloe. where the Empress had
gone with a very few attendants. ostensi-
bly, for the purpose of looking after some
~
courticrs followed. and the Empress be-
came alarmed lest they might get small.
poN from her. She asked Dimsdale's nd-
Vice. and told him that although she had
desired to keep her incubation a secret for
, the time being. she would not conceal her
/ condition for a moment II he thought
| there was any danger Of Infection. She
therefore proclaimed publicly that she had
been inoculated. Both the EN-
press and the Grand Duke allowed others
to be inocula;ed with their own virus. and
as D!msdale Justly remarks. II was thanks
to this thai the foolish Russian popularl
superstition tina; the person from whom
matter was taken must die was broken
down.
Then of course vaccination became
a fashionable fad in the capital. But
Catherine showed here the same cour-
age that in 1850 inspired the declara-
, ton of armed neutrality" which
Fl, Catherine "soiemnly asserted" was
her own. original idea. intended to
protect her trade and shipping from
the depredations Of ~belligerents and
England's assumed right Of search"
and that guided her through the maze
| of conflicting interests involving Eng
land. France. Prussia and Sweden.
and another war with Turkey.
The enthusiasm Of Mr.. Brayiey
Hodgetts is contagious. He has the
/ dangerous gift If ability unconsciously
to make a rather uncritical estimate
seem perfectly authoritative. He is
a delightful companion on a trip
through territory where perhaps an
other would he a safer guide. Gather
inc cultivated and elevated Russian
nationality. Her reign was indispen-
sable in the vote face Of Russia from
Oriental submergcnce to European
Powership.