The Washington times., 1921-10-23

In his address to the deputies the
Emperor expressed his pleasure in
being in their midst and his abso-
lutte confidence that they would for.
get their political disputes, unite
their efforts and work in perfect
accord to bring the war 10 a sue
cessful conclusion.
A great ovation followed his
speech.
Half an hour later. when the presi-
dent addressed the assembly. he
ended his speech with these words:
THE direct union of the Gar and
his people. which is indispensable
to the prosperity OF the Russian
empire, is from henceforth riveted
by bond still more powerful than
ever. This news will I'LL all the
hearts Of the people with Joy. and
will animate our glorious soldiers
with new courage"
On that memorable day 1t seemed
that everyone. Emperor. ministers,
and representatives of the nation,
had only one thought: Victory at
any price!
The next day the Emperor left for
the front. for It was necessary to
launch a new offensive Immediately.
Word had come that Verdun was
hard pressed and 1t was necessary
that Russia create a diversion with
out delay in order to draw as large
a part of the German army as pos
sible to the eastern front. The Of
fepsive began on March Is in the
Dvinsk and wilma sectors and was at
first completely successful. The
German resistance stiffened by the
first Of April and the Russians were
unable to advance further. =,
HOW CZAR SAVED yERDUN.
However, the diversion had been
successful. for the Germans had
been obliged to shift large bodies Of
troops from the French front and
the pressure on Verdun was re-
lieved.
During this time the Empress and
Grand Duchesses paid us several
visits at general headquarters. On
the trip down they usually stopped
off at the cities and visited the mill.
tary hospitals. q.
The girls especially appreciated
these visits. which gave them a
much.needed change from the mo-
notonous, austere life at Tsarskoie-
Selo. They liked to go about among
the peasants. talking to them as IL
on the same level. They were soon
very popular As they loved chill
dren. they often were followed by
urchins who climbed all over them,
begging for candy.
Alexis rejoined us at the front
In the middle of May. But the con-
ditions there were extremely adverse
to any study. I concluded that life
at the front was injurious TO his
health. The excitement and violence
he saw all around him was much
too severe for a nature as delicate as
his. He became nervous, distracted,
and almost incapable of any work.
/ brought this to the Emperor's
attention. He fully realized the jus
tice of my objections to keeping the
boy at the front, but declared the
advantages more than compensated
for the Inconvenience. Alexis would
lose his timidity.
Discomfort SPREADS.
"He will remember" said the EN-.
peror, "the horrors which he now
sees around him. He never will for
get them. From now on he will have
a horror of war"
When I spoke to the Empress
found her entirely of the Cars
opinion. She said the Emperor had
suffered all his life from a natural
timidity. He had been kept aloof
and knew actual conditions so poorly
that he found, on the sudden death
Of Alexander III, that he was very
badly prepared for his role as EN-.
peror. He promised himself to guard
against the same faults in the educa-
lion OF his son.
During the early months OF 1916
iiscontent with the government had
grown by leaps and bounds in all
parts OF Russia, but particularly In
Petrosrsd,