Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-18

putin and with whom he was working
were not grateful for the labor of love
which Great Britain and France had as
sumed They began to complain of
the so-called Interference of foreign
elements with the details of
the Russian administration Some went
even so far as to say that Russia was
becoming an English colony. All the
plunderers, all the thieves who had had
their own way for so many months,
perceiving that they would no longer
have the opportunities which they had
enjoyed before to add to their ill-Gotten
gains, tried by all means in their pow
er to discredit the sovereign whose firm
ness they had found in their way. They
Joined all the pro-Germans of whom,
alas! there existed but too many in the
country in an effort to bring about a
peace, the shame of which would have
been quite indifferent to them.
The Smoldering Opposition 70 Rasputin
1t is not at all wonderful if those
shameless adventures started the con-
spiracy for the success of which they
required the moral influence of Raspu-
tin and the authority of his person. 1t
was, after ALL such an easy matter to
say that in such and such a case he had
been acting in conformity with the i'm
perial will No one could disprove the
truth of the assertion, and in that way
the emperor was made responsible for
all the unavoidable things which were
going on. He was supposed to have
given his sanction to all these things
simply because it had pleased, not even
Rasputin himself, but individuals like
Mr.. Manussewitsch-M aniuloff, to declare
that they had been done with his knowl-
edge and approval.
Can one feel surprised if in the pres
ence Of this artificial atmosphere, and
still more artificial position, an intense
feeling of disgust took hold of real pa
triots, and made them contemplate Sc
riously the possibility of trying at least
to unmask Rasputin and his crew and
bring to the ears of the tzar all the
different rumors which were in circula-
ton concerning the prophet" and what
was going on around him? Men of ex-
perience and of weight seriously thought
how this could be done. They made no
secret of the fact, unfortunately for
themselves as well as for the success of
their plans What was going on very
soon came to the knowledge of Manus-
sewitsch- Maniuloff and made him more
frantic than he had ever been to over
throw what he called foreign infiu-
ences" in Russia. He applied himself
with enewed energy to bring about, by
fair means or foul, the conclusion of a
peace on which depended his whole flu
ture destiny. And he might perhaps
have succeeded if circumstances had not
turned against him and put an end to
his Vaccinations, at least for time
Mr.. Sturmer was but a tool in the
hands of this artful. clever private Sec
rotary whom he had been persuaded, or
rather compelled, to take. Manuesse-
witsch- Ma niuloff had managed to get
hold of him and to keep him securely
bound to his own policy. He had been
the man who had contrived to put him
into tn position of authority, which he
enjoyed, and Mr.. Sturmer. whatever may
have been his other defects, had a CRATE
full nature. Besides Maniuloff amused
him, and took an immense amount of
trouble off his hands. He could rely
on his never doing anything stupid, even
when he did something very dishonest.
Mr.. Sturmer was absorbed in great po-
litical combinations and was looking to-
ward a long term of office. He felt abb
solutely safe in the situation which he
occupied, where at any moment he liked
he could speak with the car and eX-
plain to him what he thought to be most
to the interests of his
party, or the events of the day as they
followed in quick succession.
AlaS Tor this security. An uneNpeCI-
ed incident was to destroy it in the
most ruthless manner. Rasputin, to-
gether with Mr.. Maniuloff, went too far
in the system of Matchmaking which
they had been practicing with such skill
for so many long months. For once
they found their master in the person
of one of the directors Of large bank
ing establishment in Petrograd, who.
upon being threatened with all kinds
of unpleasantness unless he consented
to pay a large sum of money, did not
protest as others had done before him
in similar cases, but gave it immediate
~. first having taken the numbers OF
the banknotes which he had handed over
to Mr.. Maniuloff He went with these
mum bers to the military authorities and
lodged with them a formal complaint
against the blackmailers. The result
was as Immediate as it was unexpected.
The general staff had been waiting a
long time for just such an opportunity
to proceed against Rasputin and the
members Of his crew. That very same
night in obedience to orders received
from the military commander of Petro-
grad. Mr. Manussewitsch -Maniuloff g
house was searched from top to bottom,
and ne himself conveyed to prison. with
out even having been allowed to ac-
quaint his chief, Mr.. Sturmer, with what
had happened to him.