Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-01-29

blessing tnem anu eucoirdBluS DisCre~
tion Is thrown to the winds. Several times he
has penetrated to the battleields of Poland and
would have exposed himself to the shrapnel OF
the Prussians had not his encourage skillfully
rendered this impossible.
His dress is simple and he Is often seen in
peasant garb-that is n suit of some fine ma
teria cut in peasant blouse style, manly-look-
ing costume of which the true Russian is very
proud.
More remarkable still, the queen. always be-
fore the most exclusive of royalty, has gone
among her people, visiting the sick and wound
ed. The Russians scarcely knew her before.
There is in all this ostensible activity little
more than the 1esre to arouse and encourage
the fighting nation There is more. for instance.
than inspired the visit of King George to his
troops in Flanders. This extra element is anxi
ety. n lively fear and not of German howitzers
The victories of Russian arms have their sweet
ness mixed with bitterness for the czar and his
family
Why? The reason is other than the ma
jestic figure of tn Grand Duke Nicholas Mich
olaievtch, the commander in chief OF the MUS
covite forces. The czar Las long suffered by
physical comparison with his soldier cousin
now he suffers In more serious way
II ever there king in looks 1t is Mich
olas Nichoaievitch He is full six feet six inches
in his stockings lean but graceful, with head
in which the keenest intelligence is combined
with vast dignity and force.
When he is with the czar the latter by com
parison is weak and insignificant looking cod
not slow to speak of this and many avow history
of the past twenty-five years would have been Tar
different IL this tall Mars had been In his cousins
place that the humiliation Of the defeat by Japan
would have been spared the proud Russians
n has to be remembered that the commander IN
chief has taken his commission to make him die
tator of Russia The proclamations to the Poles
and the Jews promising liberties in exchange FOR
invalty during the we're not signed by the
czar hut by Nicholas Ncholaievitch. This was
astonishing In itself and many have maintained
made the promises null and void because tne
promising party would never have the power II
he had the wish to carry out his obhgauohs 10
the oppressed peoples.
Yet, would the czar dare to oppose his Victori
ous general by refusing to grant request to
carry out these promises? Such an issue might
prove popular one for -!icholas NicholaieSitch
The history of Grand Duke Nicholas begins in
n, unhappy youth He clung to his German
mother whose Russian husband had woefuiy
wronred her and ruined the family fortune. But
come to manhood he followed straight In his
fathers footsteps, for the parent was one OF
Czar Alexander lis famous field marshals, VINO
many times had scourged the enemies OF Rus
sia
Alexander III especially fond OF the
Young Grand Duke Nicholas, for noble and peas
ant alike consciously unconsciously gave more
homage to this splendid giant than to the three
spipdling dull sons of the ruler. He ordered
that the grand dukes army activities LIust be
limited to the cavalry-but the only result was
soon to be told that his horsemen, thanks to