The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-27

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throw their hopes and bring back the
yoke they threw off, every man in
the world touched with any sense Of
spirit Of liberty would regard it as
an unspeakable personal calamity.
All the world Of progressive think
ers and friends Of democracy would
mourn always and say that Their
cause had suffered its greatest defeat
They should understand, then, per,
fectly that this Is exactly what will
happen should Germany win in this
war,
The victory Of Germany would mean
the return of the half-crazy Car, the
police, the spies, the exile to Siberia
1t would mean extinction of democ-
racy,
The whole structure Of our hopes
for Russia would fall together.
Persons that are able to blind them
selves to the real nature Of Germany
and what it stands for may try to
pretend that this Is mere assertion.
1t Is not assertion. 1t is assertained
fact,
will now give you a little chapter
of previously imprinted history
You remember that the Russian
people had made one revolt previous
to that of last March. In January
1906, they rose against the monstrous
autocracy that was crushing them
and in spite of Bloody Monday and
other slaughters they made for time
great Roadway.
In March, 1905, when 1t looked as
il his crown was slipping from his
head, when the revolt was spreading
to all parts of the country and many
provinces had declared their indie,
pendence, Car Nicholas wrote a let
ter Of piteous appeal to his dear init
mate friend, Kaiser William.
The two were in almost daily CON-
muniCation, anyway. No two rulers
of Europe were more sympathetic OF
affeCtionate. Their intimate CORE
spondence was continued down tC
the very outbreak of the war, and
some say it did not cease then.
At least 1t is perfectly certain that
the Car never had any heart in the
I war against Germany and continued
to regard Kaiser William as his best
and dearest friend
So in March, 1905, he wrote to the
Kaiser, discussing the situation in
his Empire, about which 1t appears
he had often consulted his friend, and
expressing the fear that he might not
be able to hold out against the revo'
lutionists.
They seemed to be making new pro.
gress every day and it was plair
enough that a large part Of the army
sympathized with them.
What was to be feared, therefore
was that a critical encounter between
the army and the people the army
would desert to the popular cause ant
in that case nothing would be left tc
do but to flee over the border t
safety
To this the kaiser replied, giving
to his imperial brother heart Of hope
He said that it was the Cars duty
to himself, the dynasty, his fellow
monarchs and his God to hold out t
the last. And he said that he was
prepared to send to Russia, II nee
essary, q million men to crush out the
revolution and make the Car sale
on his throne. =
Subsequent letters discussed the
manner in which this could be done
and settled the details, the places al
which the German troops should en-
ter and the generals that should com
mand them.
The position Of the kaiser was that
all the autocratic authority directly
from divine Decree, must stand togeth'
er at whatever cost to put down TINS
rising tide Of mob rule.
And he urged the car to put Il
down with an. iron hand. 70 -
l have talked with man that has
seen this correspondence. ~ y
1t was the means Of overwhelmine
the revolution and restoring the des
potism. =
There was at that time pending ap'
plications for loans that, Russia want
ed to float in England and France
These countries had refused to lent
any money to Russia so long as the
revolution was on, They did not wish
to be in the position of helping ar
autocracy to put down a democratic
uprising.
! Russia was almost bankrupt Is us.