The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-09-05
ROYAL REFUGEES
FLOCK TO ITALY
Among Them Was the
Grand Duke
Nicholas
ALL. ARE POOR

arrived In Italy, with. such members
OF the old Russian aristocracy as
were able to escape on board British
battleships from Odessa before the
bolsheviki took possession Of that
town.
The party includes that strong man
OF old Russia, the Grand Duke Mich
0ias Nicholaeyitch, with his wife
/ Anastasia, who Is sister to the queen
Of Italy; ex-Grand Duke Peter Mich
olaevitch, brother to Nicholas, whose
wife, Militia, is also a sister OF the
1 queen Of Italy; and several lesser
members Of the late Romanoff house
hold, including the cars head
coachman, an Italian, who was in his
service % years, and, says nothing but
good of the treatment he received
while with him.
@ Staying at Genoa. Jan
The two. grand dukes, with their
wives, are at Genoa, but went to
Rapallo for a few days, where they
were met by Queen Helena Of Italy
and her children, who made the Jour
ney from Rome on purpose to visit
them. Every day the three sisters
have long family talks over the tele-
phone, using the ordinary hotel phone
at Genoa or Rapallo.
The Grand Duke Nicholas, with his
wife and small suite, have taken
rooms at the Hotel Bristol, Genoa,
while the others are at the Eden.
They arrived with less baggage be-
tween them than the average business
mans wife from New York takes with
her when she comes for short trip
to Europe. And their scanty trunks
are much battered. They have dinner
In the public rooms, but remain in
their bedrooms most Of the time, ex-
cept when driving about on the italian
Riviera, very beautiful in its early
summer freshness.
Nicholas Nicholaevitch talks to the
boys he meets in the streets and on
the seashore in broken Italian, and
takes little children In his arms. who
pull his long beard, now gone quite
white. He looks old, shabby and very
sad.
I'VE are all poor" he says to those
who approach him.
z The other day he bought 3O-cent
tie In local store. and is very proud
OF 1t. "The first new thing I'VE had
for three years." he said to the clerk
who sold it to him. i
As Anti-German as Ever.
He has the air Of man who suf-
fers much, mentally. He is as anti
German as ever, and has declared that
If the Germans overrun Italy after
peace he will leave the country.
Some comment has been made here
upon the fact that the exiles, though
10 closely connected with the queen,
are not coming to Rome and are not
living In any Of the many villas, pal
aces and castles owned by Italy's
king. The explanation is that the
king Of Italy is not very much at
tached to his wife's family, and that
the husbands are by no means de-
cided If they intend to settle here or
not. Also. the king Of Italy has given
several Of his finest residences for the |
use Of italian war orphans, gifts which |
much reduced the number of his
homes. Many Of the others are in no
state to house visitors, and would need |
: complete overhauling.
The king Of Italy, though exceeding
~ rich, Is very economical. His fam
lily spends part Of the year at the villa
Savoia, In the Via Salaria, Rome
which is not any larger than those Of
many Roman business men, and Is far
smaller and simpler than those belong
Ing to several Roman patricians land
part at Racconigi, not far from Tu-
RIM This palace Is now being COM
pletely restored and getting number
of new bathrooms, which were badly
wanted for long time.
So ! q 'I Z. u VI ~