Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-06-28

NEEVNlO Vt MONO6M
OF FORMER CAR
ABOUT CONFIRMED
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incident. it was said, the Russian
heir-apparent gave evidence of tim
idity. &
He succeeded to the throne on
1, 1894, at the death Of his
father and within q few weeks there
after married Princess Alexandra AL
TX, afterward known as Alexandra
Eeodorovna. daughter Of the Grand
four daughters, the Grand Duchesses
Olga, latina. Marie and Anastasia,
and one son, the Grand Duke Alexis,
heir apparent to the Russian throne
up to the time of his fathers alb
dication. Emperor Nicholas corona-
ton at Moscow a year and a half
later was attended by. a festival In
which 1000 persons were trampled
to death.
An a%utocratic ruler of many. mil
lions Of Russians was tw%enty-six
years old when he succeeded to the
throne. His lack of experience in
the rough affairs Of the world and
the limitations Of his early training in
the secluded Russian court had failed
to qualify him in any way to fill h
role Of an autocrat. Instead of WELD
ing the sceptre with a firm hand he
succumbed al once to the Supplying
influences of the bureaucratic forces
which dictated Russian policies.
He alienated the love and loyalty.
of the Russian people within a short
time after his accession as Emperor
by rebuking a delegation from the
Russian Zemstvos who gathered at
the Winter Palace to greet the new
sovereign and brought a memorial in
which they suggested that the law
be enforced with equal justice to all
and limited at an extension Of consti-
tutional rights to the people. Prompt
~reaucratic mentors, the Emperor de-
nounced these suggestions as idiotic
dreams. From that time Nicholas
to a large extent under the con-
troll of his ministers. He had alien
ated the support of the Russian peo-
pie which might have enabled him
to assert himself in a conflict with the
bureaucrats and imperial relatives
who thwarted him.
Five years after his accession to
the throne, Nicholas startled all
ny Calling Ill lo0o tAe AAsI
peace conference at The Hague to
discuss the principle OF disarmament
and arbitration. Although it did not
lead to the result he anticipated. it
yet forms the basis for hopes of men
throughout the world of erecting a
structure for the maintenance of
peace.
BY some Nicholas was held large
ly responsible for the Russo-Japanese
ry~ .. M h@ r,~,,n that H0 vn~NNiftnI
his favorites to develop the aggressive
policy in Manchuria and Korea which
aroused Japan to hostilities. He was
accused of hindering preparations for
the war. of meddling with General
Kuropatkin, his commander, but IL
credited in some quarters with having
by his firm insistence saved Russia
from paying an indemnity to Japan
after peace was proclaimed.
The constitutional reforms in
Russia inaugurated by Nicholas were
attributed to the growth Of a demo-
cratic spirit among the Russian peo-
pie and to internal dissensions caused
by the revelations of official incom-
petence and dishonesty in the war
with Japan. A general strike in Pet
rograd in September, 1905, gave the
Emperor warning of the danger of a
revolution and. to prevent this, he
oouC Iii oSSooSl " ono0o ~
a representative assembly and other
reforms.
Election Of radical dumas. as the
Russian constitutional assembly is
known, apparently aroused in Nichol-
as fears Of what might develop from
a popular government and they were
soon prorogued. Restriction Of suf-
frage resulted and a more conserva-
tive Duma was elected.
AdnntiOn ~ q. nO1icv of fOSterinN the
development of Slav nationalities in
the Balkans led Nicholas into a clash
with Austrian-Hungary and when the
German emperor aligned himself be-
side Austria sin shining armor,"
Russian ambitions suffered a check.
To what extent Nicholas dictated the
policy Of challenging Austrian agrees
sions upon Serbia which led to the
great war that began in 1914 is not
sisted that Germany should not be
permitted to awe Russia a second
time.
Soon after the beginning Of the war
the emperor proclaimed the autonomy
of a reunited Poland and in this. as
we'll as in his resistance to German
aggression, he was in line with the
development of Russian liberalism.
After months Of continuousN disaster to
llS 0uSSldH dTI1S, LOOK COHl-
mand of the Russian armies from
Grand Duke Nicholas in September.
1915. His command, however, was
regarded as only nominal.
Although the influences leading to
the revolution Of March, 1917, which
forced his abdication, were various
and some of them obscure. it raj evil
dent hat the leaders Of Russian lib
eral thought blamed the emperor for
failure to prosecute the war success
fully, for continuing the rule Of the
bureaucrats and o the growth of
pro-German influence at the Russian
court which was undermining Rus
sia's wal strength. There was a bit
ter struggle between the duma and
the reactionary party, a shortage of
food, lack Of supplies for the army,
neglect Of p%recaution and organiza-
ton. Some of these were attributed
by the liberal leaders to dark forces
at the court
One of these for which the emperor
was held personally responsible vas
the mysterious power exercised by
Gregory Rasputin, the mystic monk,
who had obtained great ,ascendency
over both emperor and empress. One
explanation vas that Rasputin had
fostered the emperor's mind by de-
ception in the belief that the health
Of his only son, the Grand Duke
Alexis. depended upon Rasputin's good
"a