UNSETTLED RU?

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 201, 26 August 1930, Page 10

UNSETTLED RU?

JOURNALIST'S EXPERIENCES

INTERVIEW WITH CZARINA

POWER OF BOLSHEVISM

Journalist and writer on political subjects, Mr.' W. S. Gzeniiewski, a Pole, arrived by the Aorangi yesterday in continuation of a world tour commenced some two years ago from' Warsaw. During the war he was special correspondent for the London-"Daily Graphic/', "Morning Post" and "Daily' Telegraph.'' After the war he returned to Poland, where he was given - charge of a department attached to the Foreign •

I Speaking of, his experiences, Mr. Czerniewski said lie had an exclusive interview with the Czarina in. 1915, and an account of .it was published in the "Daily Graphic." At that time he was living at St. Petersburg and was associated with, the British Ambassador, Sir George Buchanan. "Those were very difficult days," he said. "The Russian Government had not the slightest inkling of what was so soon to happen. I often met Sasanoff, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. All that was feared was a small disturbance, similar to what happened in 1905 after the RussoJapanese War. Those in authority were confident- that any upheaval could be quickly suppressed and the Government would emerge stronger than ever. What was not forseen —and it was the thing that happened —was a revolt of the. Army. It was the military revolt that placed Russia in its present position.' Rasputin's Influence. Mr. Czerniewski, when travelling to Tsarskoe Selo to interview the Czarina, met the notorious Rasputin. He- said the reason that Rasputin had such power with the Czar and Czarina was on account of liis mysticism, the Royal family being very ~superstitious. Rasputin had made several predictions that had come true. For instance, he had informed the Czar on one occasion that a chandelier in a certain room would fall, , and warned the Czar not to go there, j The chandelier, fell,, but this was : put ' down to trickery by.the. ..non-fiper*

titious, Rasputin being in league with ertain people who were enemies of the 'rown.

Poland's Recovery.

"Poland is recovering from the war years," said Mr. Czerniewski. 'We are now becoming prosperous. The war destroyed three-quarters of our country, aiid everything had to be rebuilt. We have coal, oil, zinc and timber in large quantities, but .the .people are agrarian, On account of this we are safe from Bolshevism. Too many of our people ran away from Bolshevism and they are our best propaganda against it. Our peasants are very conservative. Their desire is to own the land legitimately. They do not want it divided up. They do not believe in Communism, which is regarded as only a passing phase of the world's history. "What will replace the present Government of Russia nobody knows," said Mr. Czerniewski. "Russia has destroyed all the elements that could make for a better state. The intellectuals were shot down or secretly murdered. There are great- difficulties ahead and prob■mowwa m nia»in»ww«»iww

lems to be solved. Bolshevism is not so strong in Russia as many believe, but it is the lack of something to replace it j that troubles many of the , thinking j people. The strength of Bolshevism may i lie said to be the weakness of anything ■' to take its- plaice. Bolshevism is just strong enough to-day to chop, off the heads of anything that rises as a menace" to the present order. Many of the heads of the State are fanatics. .As a matter of fact the country is controlled ! by a body of international adventurers, j They are not all Russians by any means. i There are Germans, French and Jews,! mostly agitators, but a few with sin-i cere views who think their way is right i A few idealists are modest in their dress and demeanour, but others are loud i voiced and 'vulgar, and they are putting i away a nice nest egg. The tide will turn ! some day and then the country will j prosper and stable government succeed the years of murder and extravagance. I have not been' in Russia since the outbreak of Bolshevism, and am not looking forward to returning at the present time." ' . . ■ ;