Evening star., 1923-03-05
Gen. Trepoff, Speaking for Romanoffs,
Protests Sale of Russian Jewels

ago. According to some, both the
Orlof diamond of the Romanoffs and
| the kohinoor of the British crown
represent portions of this colossal
gem.
Ex-Premier Trepoff is a man for
whom the highest regard is enter
| tanned by the leading statesmen in
London and in Paris. He was the
only one of the Russian ministers
who was worth his salt during the
great war. when he wrought miracles
as minister of railroads, of TRANSPORT
and communications. confronted OF
every hand by the dishonesty and in
capacity of subordinate officials and
by the conspiracies of the Germans
for the purpose Of wrecking all means
of transport, as they did here in
America both prior and subsequent tn
the United States actually going into
the war
In spite of this. he managed 10
construct, in the face of appalling
difficulties and discouragements. the
Thurman railroad, which enabled the
Russian government to obtain arms.
munitions and war supplies of every
kind from England. France and from
the United States after the ice which
closes the port Of Archangel through
out eight months of the year had .
rendered it unavailable as a Russian
terminal. SO keenly did the British
appreciate trSn. lTeDOT
work in this connection that IL be-
slowed upon him the Grand Cross Of
the Order of St. Michael and s..
George.
The speech which Trepoff delivered
in the duma on his taking over the
reins of the premiership from Stuer-
mer (who was little short of a. trai-
tori was declared both at Petrograd
and in foreign capitals to have been
the strongest utterance from the Rus
sian government since the outbreak
of the war. and it may be recalled
that he then proclaimed. in his own
name and that of his unhappy SOW
ereign, their resolve to remain true
and loyal to the entente and to fight
the German invaders to the very last
gasp.
1t is matter Of record and of pro- ,
found regret that Gen. Trepoff should
have reached supreme power as pre-
mier too late to have averted the
revolution, to which even certain
members Of the Romanoff family CON
tributed and to which Grand Duke
Kyril gave his public and written ap-
proval, driven thereto by his hatred
of his cousin, the eX-emperor
Gen. Alexander Trepoff has little
to do with the latter ana with his
pretensions. which are treated with
| contempt by the empress mother.
Marie Fedeorowna. But ex-Premier
Trepoff is a warm admtrer and sym
pathizer with the Grand Duke Nicho-
| las Nicholaiwitch, the one-time gen
, eralissimo of the Russian army and
| the most knightly distinguished and
| unselfishly patriotic of all its officers
Trepoff Is a factor Of whom sight
should not be lost in the development
and final outcome Of the present stu
alton in Russia. Still on the sunny
side of sixty, enjoying the utmost
| confidence of the empress mother, OF
Grand Duke Nicholas and of all the
| best element of the Russian mon
archfsts' party. Trepoff was the one.
liberal minister of the war cabinets
| of Nicholas ii who urged upon the
czar the necessity of giving the peot
pie a consultative voice in the govs
ernment of the nation. His father.
| who fiourished as chief of police in
| the reign of Alexander III, was
| founding, having been found on the
steps Of house at Petrograd, whence
the name Of Trepoff (Trep-anffL