The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-12
RUSSIAN DUKE
SEES NEED OF
Intervention
Years Required to Settle Con-
ditions, Predicts Noble
Has Hopes for Royalty.
(By Associated Press)

PARIS, March 12.-Former Grand
Duke Alexander Michaelovitch, who
arrived in Paris recently from the
Crimea, told the Associated Press to-
day that unless armed allied interven.
tion in Russia began at once the sit
uation in Russia would become so
hopelessly desperate that it would
take years, perhaps decades, to re-
store a semblance of order and bring
about peace in eastern Europe. The
former grand duke, who is a brother.
in-law of the former emperor, con-
unued:
Il do not ask the allies to fight for
us. We merely ask them to keep order
in the territories wrested from Boil
shevism by the governments already
fighting the Soviets.
II came here in January in an at
tempt to help my country as a pri-
vate citizen acquainted with condi-
tions in Russia. l thought I would
find justice and sympathy at the peace
conference, but I have been disap-
pointed as I found only personal in
trigues. party politics and national
egotism.
Proposed Conference Mistake
'T requested President Wilson TO
receive me, but he replied to his sec
retary that he was too busy with peace
conference matters. What matter can
be more momentous to the peace con-
ference than the Russian question?
asked to be allowed to go to England
but was refused passport, yet they
received Kerensky. dare not request
permission to visit America, not wish
ing to invite a rebuff
Referring to the proposed confer
ence on the Princes Islands, the
grand duke said that the proposal was
mistake as it gave the Bolsheviki 4
strong weapon to WELD in Russia over
the covering population.
The Bolsheviki are claiming, the
grand duke added, that the allied gov
ernments have recognized them be-
cause they fear red the Bolsheviki.
Still Hopes for Royalty
"On January 25," the grand duke
continued, seven days after the
Princes Islands proposal the Bolshe-
Wiki led out my two brothers and two
cousins from the fortress of st. Peter
and st. Paul and shot them without
trial. They never would have dared
to do this unless they had been sure
of the moral support afforded by" the
semi recognition by the peace con-
ference.
Had President Wilson come out
strongly and surely with a reputation
of and non-recognition Of the Bolshe-
wiki, it would have encouraged the gov
ernment warning against them. Boil
shevism will be the devil in the future
league of nations"
Wants Frank Statement
The grand duke was somewhat
skeptical whether royalty was thing
of the past. He then reverted to con-
ditions in Russia saying:
What we want from the allies is
frank statement of whether they in
tend to intervene in Russia or not or
whether we have to look elsewhere
for salvation. Under their present
state of mind the would-be ruling
classes in Russia probably will look
to Germany for help and the Germans
understand how to deal with the Boil
sheviki.
''It is my opinion that the Sparta
can movement in Germany is kept
alive only as a means of blackmail
against the allies. When the prelim-
mary peace is signed, when Germany
has used the Spartacus to the utmost
to bla ckmail the entente into sending
food and granting merciful conditions
Of peace, when Spartacanism has
served it's purpose, it will disappear.