New-York tribune., 1921-04-03
Recollections of the Russian Bismarck
Count Gives Frank Picture of His Own Person
ality and Achievements

anese War. which. in turn, may be con
s'dered direct cause Of the 1905 reyo-
luton.
After Whites death, in 1918, the Car
made every effort to secure possession
OF the memoirs, which were. however
successfully concealed by the dead
s.aeesman's family. The rulers curl
os'ey Is understandable, for the picture
of Nicholas drawn by Witte is far
from hattering. The Gear is repre-
sented as at once cruel, deceitful. in
competent and vain.
Portrait Of Nicholas
4 may observe here" writes Count
"itte, chat his majesty does not toler-
aee about his person anybody he con-
slders more intelligent than himself or
anybody with opinions differing from
those of the court camarilla.
he is incapable of playing fair and
he always seeks underhand means and
underground ways. He has veritable
PASSION for secret notes and methods.
Even ut the most critical moments
such as the period which imme ediatelv
preceded the granting of the conssitu
ton, his majesty did not relinouish his
byzantine habits. But, inasmuch as
lie does not possess the talents or
elsher Metternich or Talleyrand, he
usually lands in q mud puddle or in q
pool of blood
This criticism is all the more h;+;rc
because 1T comes from man who is
hrm believer in the monarchical pr;n-
slpie OF government. Count Witte doe.
rot claim to be LIBERAL he believes
in autocracy, but in strong, enlightened
and intelligent autocracy. He repeat-
edly predicts that the amazing stupid-
lty and lethargy of the Cars regime
Will end in bloody catastrophe. Al
ne died in 1915, he must be given
credit for prophetic foresight.
After the crushing defeat of the
Russian military and naval forces in
the Far East Count Witte was annoint-
ed chief plenipotentiary to negotiate
peace. The conference was held at
Portsmouth. Me-, and President Roose-
welt, as will be remem bered, played a
prominent part in bringing the bel
llgerents together. Count Witte con-
Quoted the negotiations with skill: he
succeeded in securing peace without
paying ar indemnity and without
ceding any Russian territory except the
southern half Of the island of Saghalin
The author was not favorably i'm
dressed by the knowledge of interna
tlonal affairs manifested by American
political leaders.
Impressions of American Statesmen
Il should like to observe" he saws.
that upon getting acquainted with
President Roosevelt and other An1eri-
can statesmen | was struck by their
ignorance Of international politics gem
orally and European political matters
IN particular. | heard the most naive,
to use mild term, judgments regard
ing European politics from some of the
most prominent American statesmen.
Here is one gem There is no room in
Europe for Turkey, because it is
Moslem country, and it does not mat
ter who gets its European possessions'
And another: Why not restore strong,
independent Poland? That would be
both just and natural"
Upon returning to Russia Count
Wltte found the country seething with
revolutionary activity. A general strike
tied up the country's railroads and in
dustry, the peasants were rising in re-
volt and burning the country homes of
the landowners and many units of the
army were mutinous and disafectcd
Vested nominally with supreme
power and authority by the Gar, Witte
attempted sim ultaneously to repress
disorder and to put into practice cer-
tain moderate reforms which, he felt
were demanded by the situation. The
constitution prom gated by the Car in
October, 1905, was largely written by
Witte. The author soon found, however,
that Nicholas and the courtiers who
surrounded him were incapable Of fol-
lowing any settled or consistent policy
Weak and cowxrdly in the hour of
danger. they became brutally reaction
ary as soon as the troops gained the
upper hand and subdued the insurgent
movement. Witte resigned his Office
in April, 1906, after securing from
French and British bankers q large
loan which made the government tinan-
cially independent of the Duma.
The author is as sharp as any revo-
lutionist in his criticism of Stolypin's
reactionary regime. Witte boasts that
he did not order any executions in Pet
rograd during the most acute period
of the revolution. His successor, Stoly-
pin. however, slaughtered people by
hundreds and thousands in time of
supposed peace. Capital punishment"
Witte indignantly observes, sin fact,
has become an act of assassination by
tho a,,%ho yitiaa''