The New York herald., 1922-06-04
PAUPER PRINCESS
ASKS TO ENTER U. S.
Tells Secretary Davis She
Fled Russia and Came as
Stowaway.

WASHINGTON, June 3.-Piincess Ivan
Tschernitschew of the former Russian
aristocracy who claims American citi-
zenship and who has been denied adj
mission TO the United States by port au-
thorities of New Orleans, has placed her
case before Secretary of Labor Davis,
who Is expected to give decision within
q few days.
The story told by the Princess to the
Labor Department was said to deal with
the murder and crucifixion of her hus-
band by the Bolsheviki. the disappear
ance of her eight-year-old son. black
dispatch hox containing secrets of the
lest royalist cause in Russia. flight
across Europe on foot to evade the se-
cret agents of the Soviets and trip
across the Atlantic partly as a stowa-
way and partly as stewardess."
The Princess claims that she is a
native American" the Labor Depart
ment said, born in Louisville. August
13. 1881 She says her mother was
Countess Potenpkin of the Russian aris-
tocracy. closely connected with the Rus
sian royal family, who renounced her
rank to wed her father Frederick
Schlich. German, naturalized as an
American citizen. She says her father
vanished when she was two years old.
Lived I'm New York.
mother in New York at IS West Thirty
fourth street until 1896. when she was
10 years old. Then her mother took
her to Europe. and in Berlin, in 1902. she
says. she was married to Prince Ivan
Russian. She spent
but one day with the Prince. returning
to her mother in Berlin. Mother and
daughter returned to New York in 1902
and lived there until in that year, the
Princess says. her mother. Ill in health
returned to Riga to visit her relatives.
taking her daughter with her.
AT Riga the mother effected re-
conciliation between her daughter and
husband and died. At Riga the Prin-
cess claims. her son was born and the
family lived in peace until the Bolshe-
the revolution, she says. her father sent
her son away to place of safety and
she has not seen him since. In 1919 her
husband was taken by the Bolsheviki
and she tells narrowing tale of his
death by crucifixion. Before his deat TIL
she says her husband. with the strictest
injunctions of secrecy. intrusted to her
an iron dispatch box. which he told her
contained papers of vital Importance to
the royalist regime in Russia.
with her dispatch box. the Princess
says she fled to the estate of Count
Dusterlohe. where she remained until, in
1921. the Bolsheviki forces attacked the
estate.
Left Papers In Flight.
"She says she fled. leaving behind all
her possessions, including the mys-
terious dispatch box. which she believes
contained papers relating to the secret
diplomatic dealings Of European and
Asiatic nations, with Russian royalty.
She left Dusterlohe on foot, she says,
and made her way across Germany, fol-
lowed all the way by agents Of the Rus
sian Reds who were under orders to
kill her rather than permit her to reach
America with the secrets Of the lost
dispatch box. She reached Antwerp
Nov 8, 1921.
"The Princess says that in her desire
to reach America, penniless and dis
traught with her pursuit across Europe,
she slowed away aboard the steamship
Gasconier. Five days at sea. without
food and water. forced her to reveal
herself to the ships officers. SO weak
she could scarcely stand she was nursed
back to health. and transferred at sea
to the steamship Texandrier. bound
back to Antwerp. She succeeded in
convincing the captain of the Texandrier
that she was an American citizen and
he assigned her as a stewardess for the
return voyage to America.
Prior to her arrival the Princess
communicated with the American au-
thorities seeking permission to land.
She is highly educated and has more
than ordinary command of the English
language"t