The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-08-05

THE REAL RONIANOVS, by Gleb
BOtkin. Fleming Ii. Kevel Co.
$50 pp. So.
Reviewed by HYMAN BARUFKIN
THE son of the late Gar Nicholas
family physician since 1903, Gleb
Botkin grew up close to the cars
palace in Czarskoe Selo, and is
presumed to be in an exceptional
position to know the real" Ro-
manovs intimately. And, though
writing his book in New York many
years after the Cars family has
passed out of existence, he never
refers to them by any other name
but His Majesty" Her Majesty,
The Grand Duchesses,' etc.
OF the workers and peasants who
took part in the revolution he
speaks as "the most frightful-
looking, dirty, ragged, drunken cut
Threats I have ever SEEN" In an
other place he says that: ut is true
however, that the vast majority of
the So-called commissars who led
that anti-religious campaign, were
Jews. Among the favorite methods
Of desecrating the Russian churches
was to have prostitutes (and to
him all women who took part in
the revolution are prostitutes
sit naked on the Communion tables
and stage orgies in the sanctuaries."
Thus, through these vicious SLAM
ders, Botkin assures the world that
he is still a good monarchist, a
hater of the masses and the ''beast
of Bolshevisnl," and a staunch
anti-semite. 1t is this that makes
it of particular interest to see his
picture of the real Romanovs.
What the author calls ''perverse
psychology we find, showed itself
in all the doings at the Cars
palace. For instance, "Once, in the
preesnce of the emperor, two aristo-
cratic gentlemen were discussing
the propriety of eating onions.
mo person of decent birth will
eat such an ill-snelling vegetable"
said one of them.
Precisely" the other responded.
To like onions is extremely vulgar;
such taste can indeed be accepted
as an unmistakable proof of a
mans low origin
The emperor winked to my
father and turning to the two
snobs, said; "'I always suspected
that am of very low origin.
I just love onions"
OUCH profound problems engaged
" the minds of the rulers of one
sixth of the earth. And hardly
anything else could be expected of
them, when we see them in Botkin,s
light. He says that a General
Yoyekeff, who held the high posi-
ton of Palace Commandant, was
an accomplished type of a par
venue" Can upstart), and was
mainly interested in making a good
impression on people who could
help advance his personal fortune.
One very familiar parsonage
whom the author described intin-
ately is Madame Vyrubova. About
her he relates that: Some of her
friends laughed themselves to tears
when she received her doctor in
their presence and insulted on TAX
ing off every scrap of clothing for
the purpose of having her throat
examined! In the Crimea she had
a room opposite a sentry post, and
the soldiers complained officially to
their officers of the anguish she
caused them by constantly appear
ing at her window in a state Of
nudity"
Elsewhere he tells about 'Mme.
Vyrubova, although occupying no
official position remained the
Empress closest friend and con-
slant companion; in consequence,
she was one of the most influen-
tial personages in the whole Rus
sian Empire For she it was
who worshipped Rasputin as
saint, and who did everything in
her power to keep him in the
good graces of the SOvereigns.
Nor was she merely Rasputin's
ChlCi ptOtcCIOfCSS, she WAS dlSO
his Obedient tool, fulfilling his
every wish and using her in
fluence for the purpose Of having
men agreeable to him appointed
to- positions OF high RESPONSE
bility."
AND yet Mr.. Botkin tries his
n hardest to clear the Czarina of
the reports about her relations with
that pervert Rasputin.
One more incident is worth no
tice. he author tells of his drawing
animal pictures in his boyhood.
He created kingdom of different
kind of animals and dressed them
in uniforms of generals, kings and
emperors. This once became a
grave issue at the Cars palace.
Thus we see the crowd of inn
beetles and perverts who for CEN
turtles held in their hands the des-
TIMES and lives of 180,0O0,000
people. We can only wonder at
n. II. 4