The New York herald., 1921-04-10


icle of Russian affairs as he saw them and
was part of them.
dplomatist, writing for publication af-
ter the generation in which he lived shall
have left the world, usually permits him
self degree, or at least a semblance of
open speech and critical opinion Of those
who were his contemporaries. But in these
memoirs their author has made such an ex-
position of his beliefs and contact with the
great figures and influences in the Russian
court and Government as a boy might make
in his journal. if he kept one, of his expert
ences in school where he found himself
almost constantly in fights, lesser and
greater with other boys.
Neither "LiberaW Nor "Conservative"
Witte Was Opposed to Oppression
The ndiuet6 of the narrative is amazing.
All great memoirs display something of this
nature but it is difficult to believe that we
do not get, in this remarkable book, brill
liant illumination of the notable simplicity.
honesty and gentleness of the Russian char
actor in its fine essence unspoied by guile
of privilege or the temptations of power in
high place. The charm Of the book is very
great and it would seem that to the trans
lator and editor NJ Yarmolinsky. of the
Public Library, is due high recognition for
the liveliness and convincing quality of the
English in which this record of a notable
career is given TO the AnRlO-SaxOn puDHC
Countess White remarks that she wishes
to say a word about the motives which
urged her husband to present his thoughts
and reminiscences--to which he attached
much significance-in the form of a book,
not to be published while he or his contem-
poraries were alive For, as she says:
Count Witte was neither a courtier fiat
tering the monarch nor a demagogue fiatter-
ing the mob. Although a nobleman he did
1afa ha yityi1n nf hn
and while aiming in his political activities
mainly at improving the condition of the
peasantry in accordance with the dictates of
Justice as a statesman he remained alien to
that theoretical 'populism' with which the
majority of the Russian intellectuals was
infatuated. My husband repeatedly said to
those intimate with him. I am neither
liberal nor a conservative. / simply
man OF culture. cannot exile man to
Siberia merely because he does not think
as / do, and | cannot deprive him of civil
rights because he does not pray in the same
church as / do.
MY husband wrote his memoirs only
abroad during the months of his summer or
winter rests at foreign health resorts. All
the time the manuscripts were kept in
foreign bank in my name. My husband
feared that in the event of his death the
Court and the Government would seek to
take possession of his archives and he
begged me to insure the safety of the me-
moirs in time. !. did so by transferring the
manuscripts from Paris to Bayonne and de-
posting them there in another persons
name The precautions were not in vain
Some time afterward an attache of
the Russian Embassy in Paris appeared at
our villa in Biarritz, and in the absence of
the owners made very careful search.
The memoirs were lying in safe
of a bank at Bayonne.
Nine. Blavatski, the Theosophist.
Was a Niece of the Cars Minister
THE memoirs do not touch upon the
events of the great war. for they were com
pleted in 1912. a popular legend
attributes to Count Witte a particular Ger
manophilism. This legend is entirely without
foundation. Generally speaking, my hus-
band had sentimental biases in politics.
He was most resolute opponent OF wars In
general and of this war In particular. He
said that IL would end with catastrophe
for Russia and that IL would ruin Europe for
a century. !"
Count Whites narrative begins straight
forwardly:
II was born in the year 1S49 in the city of
Tnis. My father Yuli (Julius) Fiodorovich
witte was OF Baltic origin, although officially
he belonged to the gentry Of the province Of
Pskov His ancestors were Dutchmen who
emigrated to the Baltic provinces at the time
when that region was under Swedish rule.
MY mother. on the contrary. came Of pure
Russian stock. She was the daughter Of
Princess Yelena Pavlovna Dologoruld, the
last representative of the elder branch Of
that ancient and high born race"
He goes with family details, among
which possibly the most piquant is the
fact that "one OF my mothers sisters. who
married Col. Hahn. achieved some fame as
writer Her older daughter was the cele-
brated Theosophist known under the name Of
Nine. Blavatski." He goes into the details OF
her highly romantic, sentimental and eccen-
trio life "at some length
At the end of his first university year his
fathers death resulted In the complete fnan-
cial ruin OF the family. A Government
guarantee did not hold, and the young man
finally drifted into railway operation and
management. and rose to a place of distinc
ton. He once objected to the speed at which
an imperial train was routed, and subse
ouently Alexander III. remarked of him
when his name came up: 1T Is that blunt