WHITE RUSSIANS

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 January 1942, Page 7

WHITE RUSSIANS

VANISHED SPLENDOURS. A recent cable message describing the presence at Hitler’s headquarters on the Eastern front of Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia, whom Hitler, it is reported, intends to proclam Tsar of the Ukraine, brings into the limelight the White Russians of whom, so far, little has been heard in this war, says a writer in the Melbourne “Age.” I Not the least of the tools which Hitler is reported to have used in his Fifth Column attack on France were certain of the thousands of White Russians —member of the Imperial Russian family, nobility of the Tsarist days, pre-Revolution land owners—who escaped to Paris when Lenin abolished royalty, nobility and land owning. When his declared policy was ardently anti-Communist, Hitler, by promising these exiles to wage war on the U.S.S.R., is reported to have made them the spearhead of his Fifth Column. There were more than 200,000 White Russans in Paris, thenelected “Tsar” holding ghostly court in a make-believe State, promoting imaginary officers in a non-existent army, and bestowing worthless decorations. They formed a State-within-a-State, a realm of wraiths. Their present lot is worse than ever. Instead of gaining a triumph over Stalin by acting as Hitler’s agents in France, thej r are being persecuted by the Nazis. Wealthy and exiled 20 years ago, they are reduced to earning a few francs by doing the most menial work in Paris by day, finding some quaint relief by resuming: their Tsarist trimmings by night—a pathetic throw-back to the dead past. White Russia used always to maintain their own organisation in France, and, by special dispensation of the French Government, functioned in accordance with Tsarist traditions. They had two churches of their own, a school for their children, and a military academy at Versailles for their elder sons. They ran regimental reunion clubs, a union for Russian waiters, and old-school societies. They “recognised” the French laws as an act of grace, but paid homage to their Tsar alone. Grand Duke Nicholas was the first they chose as the future occupant of the Imperial throne, should the Bolsheviks decide to abdicate. After ms death, the Grand Duke Cyril was nominated as the occupant of the non-existent throne. MAKE-BELIEVE TSARS.

“Tsar” Cyril established the Imperial Court in his house in Brittany, where he presided at levees, distributed titles and bestowed decorations. Ceremonial was the breath of life to the State-within-a-State, as was proved when “Tsar” Cyril’s daughter, Kira, was married. The wedding took place in the Russian church with full ritual, and was performed by Monsigneur Eulogies, the Patriarch, in the pale blue-and-white vestments used when the last of uie Romanoffs were married. Twelve crown bearers, in pairs, took turns in holding scarlet-and-gold crowns over the heads of the bride and groom, a regular part of the wedding ceremony. More than 1500 Russians, prominent in the Imperial Court a quarter of a century ago, brought out their pre-revolution uniforms, and for three blissful hours re-lived the dear dead days. When Cyril died, his son. Grand Duke Vladimir, was elevated to the mythical throne. That was the year before the start of the present war, and Vladimir, who was not quite 21, would have inherited nothing, had not Queen Marie of Rumania bequeathed him some of her wealth. He had not been “on the throne” many months, however, before he had to leave the country. At that time France and the Soviet were allies, and the Czechoslovakian crisis opened up the prospect of the two armies fighting Hitler side by side. “Tsar” Vladimir was due to be called up for his term of French military service, and he could not bring himself to fight as an ally of Stalin’s army. Vladimir regarded Hitler as the White Russians’ white hope. He cultivated a Fuehrer moustache, and went to Germany to enlist Hitler's help. Hitler is said to have promised him the Kremlin and all it represents, but Hitler has made many promises.