Bisbee daily review., 1918-06-29
RUSSIA'S GEAR DEAD

With a persistency which will not be downed, reports have emenated from neu- tral countries within the last few days that Nicholas Romanoff, former czar of all the Russians had been tried by soviet trib- 'une in the Ukraine, found guilty, con- demned to die and executed by firing squad Confirmation is lacking, but grad ually the world at large begins to believe that the man whose history as a ruler em- bodies more tragedy than any figure in modern times, has been done to death.
 A peculiar analogy exists in the history of the French revoluation and that of the Russians The rulers of both nations at the time of the revolts were peculiarly weak men, not wicked in themselves, but the victims, with their people, of the wicked system of fuedal over-lordship and vas salage, which had been formed by their progenitors and the all-powerful nobility of the land It was as impossible for Nicholas to make the concessions needed to make Russia a country of liberal government as it was for Louis of France to have taken such action. Superstition, fuedal privilege, ignorance of vital principles of humanity, and last, but far from least, the belief that they were hemnned about like protective armor by the divine right to rule their peoples as they saw fit, kept both from acting as their consciences might have die tated, had they been more enlightened.
 Czar Nicholas was surrounded by 2 coterie of self-seeking nobility who basked in his favor. Had he shown symptoms of >C |, 0f power these would have caused his assass- ination with as little comPunction as though they were killing dog Nicholas knew this. Lacking will power, he allowed him self to drift onward with the tide until, when the mighty upheaval of the lower classes came, he found himself utterly abhorred, at the same time powerless.
 Taken prisoners, there was debate IT. the council of soldiers and workmen as to the fate to be meted out to the royal family. Alexander Kerensky prevailed. He decreed that there must be no execution to stain the skirts of the newly liberated people. Imprisonment for the czar and his family followed. There were reports of plot and counter-plot to effect his release and return to power. The royal prisoner was moved from fortress to fortress in order to thwart royalist plotters, real or imaginary. Ker- ensky fell. The bolshevik element came into power. Then came German influence and domination, then the final tragedy of royalty assassination.
 Alexander, like Louis of France, was killed by the enemies of an idea not by personal enemies. The more sane element of Russia would have kept him alive, though captive, as the more sane element of France 50 years ago would have pre- served the life of Louis The radicals over ruled saner counsel in each instance.
 The fate of the remainder of the royal family of Russia Is shrouded with mys- tery. Conflicting rumors constantly are heard. One story carries still further the analogy between present day Russia and the France of century and half ago, that the little Russian Tzarovitch (crown prince) Is suffering tortures, at the hands of his jailers, which rapidly are unseating his reason. That, history says, was what happened to the little Dauphin of France.
 The world at large, watching Russia in the throes of her struggle toward enlight- enment, only can hope that the analogy between France and Russia may be carried further and the country of Ivan the Serf grow to be truly great and as enlightened as our ally, beautiful, martyred France. Decades must pass forward before that can come about and in the meantime, the na- tions which are fighting the Hun ideal must come to her aid. Kerensky IS expected in America soon and he doubtless can suggest ways and means for aiding his troubled