Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-05

Minister Of Foreign Affairs. lie was a
German agent, but didn't know II at the
time. He said that Russia did not need
me and that could be Of no use In the
hospitals because the Russians were un-
friendly 70 American doctors was help
less. I spoke OF Rumania-that country
was not yet in the war-and German propa-
gandists were working everywhere. Stur-
mer said It would be impossible for me TO
CO. He wouldn't give me passport ]
talked and argued with him and pleaded 70
be assigned TO a hospital. I told him the
great need for plastic surgery-how II
could make a man over again. explained
bone grating
"Is your work any good for tuberculosis
of the bone2 he asked me, showing the first
signs OF interest.
II told him that plastic surgery had in
many cases cured tuberculosis of the hip"
"IIe then said that the little Czarevitch
had this disease and as result was de-
veloping a more and more pronounced limp.
He invited me to a conference at which
Doctor BodlSn. the Empresss physician,
and General Fedoroff, the Cars doctor,
were present. We decided to operate on the
Czareyltch | was installed in the palace,
nut into the suite that is reserved for
foreign Ministers and had ten servants as
signed me.
"The operation never came off. The
revolution interfered. 1t had been several
days I'm progress, however, before anybody
inside the palace learned Of II. Tsarskoe
Selo is twelve miles from Petrograd and the
Gear was kept drunk-he is drunkard,
anyway--the entire time the overthrow was
taking place.
But the Czarina, al "A part OF her hypo-
critical scheme, maintained ten war hos
pitals right ait the palace. She also wore
the garb Of the Red Cross nurse, thus
seeming 10 be active in the prosecution OF
the war against Germany. In reality she
had a wireless in her apartment by which
she communicated with Berlin every
twenty-four hours. 1t was to these hos
pitals that the wounded generals and high
officers whom the revolutionists were Kill
ing without trial were brought. Everybody
stopped talking English suddenly l was
| told nothing, but ] got wind OF the fact
| that strange things were happening In
| Petrograd. l wandered out of the palace
one morning early. took train and went
down to the capital
'oThe Mace was wild. Mobs Of women
armed, dead bodies everywhere. executions
| taking place In the middle OF streets. had
| been in Belgrade when the Germans came
| I was calloused to orgy and bloodshed by
this time ] walked up to crowd OF sol
| diers who had just cut off the head of their
| captain and we're about to do for another
| officer. Before l knew what they were
| about they had a rope about my head.
| ",Americansky,' .Amercanslsy" I pro.
| tested, but they thouBnt was GeTInan
| THANK God there was a student among
| them He was a noncommissioned officer
He came up and talked with me, found out
| that I really was an American. They re
moved the rope and told me to beat it
| which l did.
Russia would have been better in thos'
| DAYS. he said soberly, with limited
monarchy Perhaps even yet. Kerensiy i
| not quite the man for Russia at this time
| He is patriotic and | do not suspect HI
| motives, but he has taken the disciplin
| out Of the army. Russia needs militar!
dictator-a Kornilof. maybe, at this time
Given carte blanche in the palace, Docto
Downer had an unlimited opportunity L
observe the much-revled Rasputin and hi
relations to the empress.
The man has been called degenerate,
Doctor Downer said, but he had neve
got high enough morally to degenerate
he was bad through and through. He wa
a German agent and rose penniless fror
the scum of the earth to the high position
he held. After he was put to death it wa
found that he had 10, 100000 rubles.
zone of his duties in the palace was
light all of the tapers before the ilSons-
little images of saints kept in every room
This gave him access to every part of tn
palace. Nothing was secret from him, nc
even the room of visitors