South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-09

tatiOn, had been a success in London
as well as in Vienna and in Constan-
tinOple, and was perhaps at the
time that he took in hand the di-
rection Of the foreign affairs in
Russia the last grand seigneur OF
the old school left in the diplomatic
I service Of his country. he was sup
/ posed 10 have "A keen knowledge OF
I the eastern question, which at the
time / am writing about was rather
/ entangled. in view OF the strained
/ relations existing between the cabi-
net at st. Petersburg and the Bull
garian government
/ Prince Ferdinand of Coburg was
| supposed 20 be in disgrace with the
car. which did not help 70 smOothe
\ the many difficulties which were
! everlastingly cropping up.
I Now Lebanon was supposed 20 be
| an essentially tactful man. and one
who liked to live at peace with ev-
| erybody one OF the friends and
| confidants OF old Princess Clemen-
tine of Orleans the mother of
/ Prince Ferdinand. who had heard
him once say in Vienna that If only
/ the latter would consent TO have his
son baptized in the Greek faith
/ things might be rendered easier for
/ the future, both OF the Bulgarian
sovereign and Of his country. dis
Cussed the matter with the princess,
and then hearing that the Russian
statesman was in Paris. bethought
himself Of comforting with him on
/ 4 l.
OF 1895. / was also then in the
French capital where was also stay
, ing one OF my great friends. Gen.
! Tcherewine. then head of the ok
hrana or personal police guard of
the car.
We went one evening TO dine at
the Cafe Anglais. which still existed,
| and when we entered il we saw sit
ting in a corner more absorbed in
each others conversation than in
the excellent meal they were eating
Prince Lebanon and Count K.
The former started slightly when he
saw us, but the general also was
not wanting I'm tact because he
merely bowed 10 the two men and
took me to a table as far from theirs
I'VE must not disturb this interest
ing conversation" He then proceed
ed 20 tell me that he felt sure it had
10 do with the impending conversa-
ton Of little Prince Boris of Bull
garia. To my surprise question as
to what could have made him think
Of such a thing, he repeated to me
what / have just now quoted con-
corning LObanoh's remark in Wen
ma. which somehow had reached his
knowledge. adding that we would
very probably soon see the results OF
the interview to which we were un-
willing witnesses.
A month or two later. Tchere-
wine seeing the prince in St. Peters
burg enter the opera, 10 the latter's
disgust accosted him with the re-
mark, ITEMS lie parrain de Boris"
("Here comes Boris godfather.
Lebanon started asking with evil
dent annoyance, What do you
mean" You know very we'll"
was the reply. ARE you going your
self to Sofia for the ceremony or
vii. YOU send a proxy?" you are
j
minister, who fastened TO his seat
with the evident desire TO get rid
| of mis- interlOcutor.
The plan Fails.
The incident. OF course. had been
overheard, which was probably
what the man who had raised it
wished, and people began TO dis
cuss in St Petersburg the possibility
/ of reconciliation between the Bull
garian government and that of the
/ car. which. during the lifetime of
| Alexander III. had seemed an al
most hopeless thing. Prince Lob
/ anon. however. was not at all glad
| 10 find the subject of his secret
/ work become the food for common
gossip and never could understand
| how II had come 10 be discovered
! by Gen. Tcherewine. whom he knew
very we'll would be opposed to it for
| reasons of his own The general.
/ however. died a few weeks later.
rather suddenly and Unexpectedly,
and Lebanon had il all his own way.
/ But he did not obtain what he
/ had hoped he would. the approval
/ OF the Slavophil parties in Russia 70
his policy. These failed 10 see the
advantages OF "A reconciliation be-
! tween Russia and a Roman Catholic
I prince whose conduct appeared to
/ them 90 be subject 20 much eau
\ ton Subsequent events have proved
that they We're right in their ap-
] prehensionS. and Lebanon wrong
The latter was credited with having
in his private possessions many com
promising documents for Prince
| Ferdinand OF CoburE. and the lat
tiers double dealing in regard to
both Russia and Austria. which he
had carefully put aside among his
other papers and not given up to
the archives Of the Russian foreign
Office
Probably they have been destroy
eel together with the other precious
collection of autographs belonging
TO the prince. and one can only la
ment the accident which has thus
robbed the world OF sources OF in
formation relative 20 contemporary III
history. which il will be difficult. Il
not quite impossible 10 replace.