Evening star., 1924-11-02
MOTHER BELIEVES
Ex-CzAR MAY 1--we
Dowager Empress, Stating
Her Views, Denounces
Cyri|'s Throne Claim.
By Cable to The Star and New York World
Copyright; 1924.

By Cable to The Star and New York World.
Copyright; 1924.
BERLIN, November Nicholas II.
"the little father of all the Russians"
may still be alive. This is the belief
of his mother. the Dowager Empress
Maria Feodorovna. Like thousands
of Russian peasants, she refuses to
accept the circumstantial story of the
murder of her son and all the imme-
diate members of his family while in
custody of Bolshevist jailers in Ekat-
erinburg, Russia.
From her Impoverished exile in
England the dowager empress, who
FNfAseET7 years old this month. has
orne forth to protest against the
announcement of Grand Duke Cyril,
i cousin Of the late czar, that he is the
czar of all Russians. In true royal
style. Maria Feodorovna's proclama-
tion Is published here through a for
mer member of the court of the
Romanoffs, Grand Duke Nikolai-
Yitsch.
Denies Cyrirs Claim.
1t appeared shortly after CyriPs
claim to the throne of the Russian
cars was issued from this Bavarian
castle, where restoration quarters for
exiled mobiles and others"whfte" Rus
slams are now established.
"At the expressed wish of the en-
press dowager, l make public the
contents of letter directed to me, in
which she expresses deep sorrow at
the manifesto of the Grand Duke
Cyril" Nikolai said. The death of
her SON has not yet been clearly
proved. and the manifesto was de-
signed only to produce dissension and
to hurt the cause of Russia.
IF the czar, the czarovitch and the
Grand Duke Michael really are not
living. and this is proved be-
yond the question of a doubt, then
the Russian people will determine
the new ruler. The Grand Duke Mix
olaf adds that he personally rejects
Cyrirs manifesto"
Old Quarrel Apparent.
Behind both iproclamations is a
story of a quarrel of long standing
among the deposed Russian royalty,
who fight one another with savage in
tensity, while their common enemy
continues to rule Russia.
The fight of Cyril to maintain his
claim to the throne and bring about
a revolution to restore the rule of
the Romanoffs may shortly be pro-
jected to the United States. 1t is
UNDERSTOOD that his wife, who is the
daughter of the late Duke of Edin-
burgh and a granddaughter of the
late Queen Victoria, is now on her
way to New York, where she is ex-
pected on November 26, to give lee
lures in connection with the work for
Russian relief. The grand duchess.
who will be czarina if Cyril should
ever succeed in his attempt, will be
accompanied by a small suite, and it
is to be presumed that she will be a
rallying point with Russian exiles
wherever she goes.
The Dowager Empress persistent
refusal to accept the report of the
murder of the Car, although it NAV
be raised for Jealous reasons. is in
consonance with stories ahoat all over
Russia, Sir. Phillip Gibbs and others
have reported fanciful tales gathered
from peasants. According to these
stories, the Gar wanders about the
country, mourning, for his people
stricken. with remorse for his sins
of omission before he was deposed
appearing in famine stricken towns
and villages to give what little aid
he can, praying for the dying, con-
solfng the bereft. ~
Tales Are GBasele~s.
Sometimes he is discovered, ac-
cording othese stories, by a peculiar
jewel. again because of his re-
sem blance to the crude pictures OF
the little father" that were every
1Confinued an Pad 2 Column n