LIGHT ON TSAR'S MURDER.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 21 July 1923, Page 9

LIGHT ON TSAR'S MURDER.

BRITISH DIPLOMAT'S REVELA-

TIONS

Sir George Buchanan, the British Ambassador at the Court of Nicholas 11. of Russia, publishes in the Revue do Paris a striking article' on. the downfall of the Romanoff ruler. He refers to the Tsar's murder, and reveals that, two efforts were made to save the lives of Nicholas and his family. The first occasion was in March, 1917. The initiative was taken by M: Miliukoff, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the newly formed provisional Government. M. Miliukoff, through Sir George Buchanan, appealed to the King and the British Government to ffive asylum -to the Imperial family. Sir George was authorised to inform the Russian Foreign Minister that. King George and the British Government would be glad to give shelter to the fallen Emperor and his family, on the understanding that the cost of their sojourn in En si and was borne by the Russian Provisional . Government. M. Miliukoff told Sir George that the Imperial family would be given an adequate pension, but he asked him to keep secret the negotiations. Three ctavs later—this was on Mnroh 26 —M. Miliukoff called at the British Embassy, and said that there was little hope of getting the Tsar and his family out of Russia, as it was. necessary to obtain the permission of the Soldiers and Workers' Union. This body was under the thumb of the Bolsheviks, who at- this period already controlled the Provisional Government. M. Miliukoff added that if he had insisted on the departure of the Tsar the railway lines would have been torn up, and the plan was abandoned. On the second occasion an effort was made by the German Government, which of-! fered the whole Imperial family shelter | in Germany, on condition that "the Tsar ! ratified the infamous Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The T-sar refill. .It appears, says Sir George, that the Emperor realised the danger which threatened him." The ex-Ambassador says that the chief reason why M. Keren sky abolished the death penalty was to prevent any possibility of the execution of the Emperor, and that, when Nicholas 11. heard of this position he exclaimed: "But this is a mistake! The abolition of the death penalty will mark the end of discipline in the army. If Keren sky has done it to save me from "danger, tell him that I am ready to give my life for the good of my country." Sir George pays tribute to the Tsar's devotion -to the Allied cause, and declares: "We never had a better or more loyal friend and ally than Nicholas II."