Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-18
.RASPUTIN
Devil or Saint?
By the Princess Radziwill
tCcryr.gat. 1917. Public Ledger Company.
AlliiShts Reserved
CONTINUED from Last Issue)


had been signing for the day when he
should be recalled TO power. He knew
very well all that was going on in the
imperial family. and IL was easier for
him than for any one else to resort 10
the right means TO introduce an out
slider into that very closed circle which
surrounded the car. So long as he had
been a minister and had under his con-
troll the exchequer IL had been relative
" easy for him TO obtain friends. or
rather tools. that had helped him in his
plans and ambitions. When this facul-
" for persuasion failed him he be-
thought himself TO look elsewhere for an
instrument through which he might
still achieve the ends he had in mind.
He was not the kind of man who stop
ned before any moral consideration For
him every means was good. provided IL
would prove effective When he saw
that certain ladies in the encourage of
the sovereigns had become imbued with
the RaSputin mania. he was quick to de-
eide that this craze might. IL properly
managed. prove of infinite value to him.
He therefore not only encouraged IL so
far as was in his power by pretending
himself to be impressed by the prophetic
powers Of the Blessed Gregory" but
he also contrived very cleverly to let
he fact of the extraordinary ascendancy
which RaSputin was rapidly acquiring
over the minds Of powerful and influ-
entail persons become known Very
soon everybody talked OF the latter-day
saint who had suddenly appeared on the
horizon OF the social life of St Peters
b.Irs and the fame of his reputation
spread abroad like the flames OF some
Great confederation
prussia is essentially the land where
imperial favorites play role. and soon
the whole country was not only respect
ing Rssputin. but was trying 10 make
IN to him and TO obtain. through nim'
ALI kinds of favors and material advant-
a-es Together with Count White a
whole political party was working. with
o,rt the least consideration for the pres
tige Of the dynasty which IL was MS
-~editing. to show up the rulers as as
socfated with the common adventurer
and sectarian, who, under other cohul-
tions would undoubtedly have Iouho
himself prosecuted by the police autnoi-
tiles for his conduct They had oIhef
thoughts in their heads than the inter
- - the dynasty. those money-seek-
ing rnoney-graboing, ambitious men
Thev represented nothing beyond the
desire TO become powerful ana "ealIhs'
U1,a+ fhey wanted was important posts
,-bicb would give them the opportunity
n indulge in various speculatlons Shu
more or less fraudulent business under
takings they contemplate. .-,,,-
RASPCTIN AND THE GERMAN ~
EMINENT
Pusx,. AT the time was beginning TO
he seized with that frenzy for stock eA-
change transactions. share buying anu
selling railway concessions and mining
,nterprfses which reached its culmlnat-
.ur point before. the beginning or the
war. Men without any social STANDING
and with more than shady pasts, were
coming forward and acquiring the repu-
ratiou OF being lucky spectators capable
i'm case of necessity OF developing into
clever statesmen These men began 10
seek me inspirations in Berlin anu
through the numerous German spies WIN
which 81. Petersburg abounded they en-
rcd into relations with the German in
teIIigence department. whose interests
-he.- made their own. because they be-
lfeved that a war might put an end 10
The industrial development OF the coun-
rrv. and thus interfere with their Va
rIous speculations. The French alliance
vas beginning to bore those VINO had
cot out of il all that they had ever want
ed: il was time something new should
crop up. and the German and Russian
Jews. in whose hands the whole indus
trv and commerce OF the Russian empire
necessity of an understanding with the
great state whose nearest neighbor II
was. A rapproachement between the Ho-
henzoIIerns and the Romanoffs began 10
De spoken OF openly as "A political ne
&C ssity. and il was then that. thanks TO
a whole series of intrigues cEar was
induced TO 20 himself to Berlin TO attend
The nuptisIs of the only daughter of the
kaiser the Princess Victoria Louise Of
Prussia. with the future duke OF Bruins
wick
This momentous journey TO Berlin
WAS undertaken partly on account Of the
representations OF Rasputin to the En-
press. whose love for peace was very
well known Europe had Just gone
through the anxiety caused BY the Bal
kan crisis. and il was repeated every
where in St. Petersburg that a demon
stratfon of some kind had to be made in
FAVOR OF peace in general and also to
prove to the world that the great Powers
we're determined not 70 allow quarrels in
serbia. Bulgaria and Greece TO trouble
the security of the world The marriage
festivities OF which Eerlin became the
theater al the time seemed a fit oppor-
tunity for this demonstration. The bu-
resucratic circles in the Russian api-
tai and the influence OF Rasputin were
U=sd to bring about this trip of the car.
Rasputin was thus fast becoming a
parsonage. simply because IL suited GER
ain people-the pro-German party. to
use the right word at last-to represent
him as being important They pushed
things so far that many Ministers and
persons in hiEh places refused on pur-
bose certain things which were asked
OF them and which were absolutely easy
Tor them TO perform simply because they
wished Rzsputin to ask for them for
those who were weary OF always meet
ing with a non possumus in questions
Tor which they required the help Of the
administration.
-Rasputin's various informed iarieS,
through whom one had to pass before
one could approach him. sold their help
for more or less large sums OF money.
and thus began a period Of vulgar agio-
lage. to use the French expression. of
which Russia was the stage, and Ras-
putin. together With the men who used
him. the moving spirits very nearly
said the evil spirits But of this. moro
later on
CHAPTER ".
UNJUST now make one remark which is
absolutely necessary in order to en-