Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-21
BY GLEB e. BOTKIN.

The day following the grand duchess
arrival at New York 7 called at the
Park avenue apartment she was oc.
cupying.
found her in big sunshiny room,
surrounded by flowers with which hel
| hostess had thoughtfully filled the room
| The duchess was reading newspaper &C
| counts of her coming to America. Many
| of them were most unf1attering For
| tunately, she has sense of humor
] Some of the stories were so ridiculous
she burst out laughing. One by Illiodor
who was described as the mad monk .
in which he said he had been the
Grand Duchess Anatasias chaplain,
amused her particularly.
We talked mostly of her experiences
in Germany. While / was speaking the
grand duchess interrupted me.
Please do not call me imperial high
ness" she said briSkly
l was taken back years These were
the exact words. said in exactly the
same fashion she had used the first
time I met her in Crimea, when she
was 10 and was II years old.
We had great trouble inducing her
to leave the house She was so afraid
of strangers she preferred TO remain
indoors. / felt that the more COM
petent judges saw the grand duchess
the sooner her identity would be estab-
lished. tried to induce her to receive
few persons.
Cannot Explain Refusal.
why" she would ask me, pathetical-
ly, lis it important that strange per-
sons should know who am?"
She takes her identity as a matter
of course. She cannot understand the
necessity Of establishing 1t publicly.
What preys on her mind is the re-
fuSal of her imperial relatives to rec
ognize her. She knows they know who
she is and she cannot explain their
refusal to recognize her.
She is pal ticularly upset by the atti-
tude of her aunt the Grand Duchess
Olga, who is the only member of the
imperial family that has refused to
recognize her after having seen her.
She showed me letters from the Grand
Duchess Olga which leave no doubt
in my mind that the Grand Duchess
Olga fully recognizes her niece in pri-
vate
Nevertheless. I did succeed in intro
ducing several persons who had known
the imperial family. All were convinced
after meeting the grand duchess that
she was indeed AnaStasia.
One of the first was Serge Rachmani-
noff. the composer. He was greatly
moved. He had not the slightest doubt
of her identity.
During these days of Seclusion the
grand duchess amused herself with a
camera. She made photographs of
herself and Miss GALLAGHER. This is an
other significant trait. As child the
grand duchess was an ardent pho
tographer.
Subject to Depression.
But during these days she was SUBJ
ject 10 long periods of depression. The
treatment she had received in some of
the newspapers gave her an impression
of general hostility. She was appre-
hensive about the future. She brooded
over the past.
II would like to fall asleep and never
awaken" she would say to me fire.
quently.
Hence we were glad at the end of
three weeks when Mrs. Leeds arrived
and preparations were made to move
the grand duchess to Mrs. Leeds estate
on Long Island
had not told the grand duchess that
Mrs. Leeds was the Princess Xenia.
Their meeting was exactly as I ex-
pected The grand duchess knew her
Immediately, and Mrs. Leeds knew her
To be sure. asked Mrs. Leeds after the
meeting If there was any doubt In her
mind that her guest was the Grand
Duchess Anastasia.
Not the slightest" she said. ANY
one who knew the imperial family, even
If they had not known Anastasia, would
have no doubt. She embodies so many
characteristics of the Romanoffs there
can be no mistake"
Two other members of the Russian
imperial family have now recognized the
grand duchesS-Grand Duke Andrew.
first cousin of the Emperor. and Prince
Gabriel, son of Grand Duke Constan-
tine. believe that the day Is not far
Of when all members of the family will
acknowledge her as Anastasia.
Went TO Movie.
The day Mrs. Leeds arrived reporters
hocked to Oyster Bay. We decided to
leave the grand duchess in New York
few days longer. When Mrs. Leeds
mad gone. suggested that we see a
movie. Miss GALLAGHER, the grand
duchess and set out for one.
pointed out the newspaper buildings
and other points of interest. 1t amused
US all to think that while we were being
looked for in various parts OF Long
Island we were quietly walking in the
middle Of New York and occupying con-
spicuous seats in one of the most
crowded theaters.
The grand duchess enjoyed the ex-
perience. but we were apprehensive all
the time. Had any one spoken TO us
the grand duchess would have had one
Of her nervous cries.
The radio helped brighten the grand
duchess days in New York Her taste
in music Is classical. She bewildered
me with her musical knowledge. She
named the composition and its author
after hearing few bars Of the music.
/ couldn't name half of those she knew,
even after hearing the whole compost
ton
She soon learned all the stations and
the nature OF their programs. Jazz
amused her and seemed TO cheer her II
taken in small doses.
In her discussions with me the grand