RASPUTIN THE MONK.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 2671, 27 December 1928, Page 6

RASPUTIN THE MONK.

AMAZING STORIES. IMPERIAL PATRONAGE BESTOWED. During the last and most sinister decade of Rasputin's life, no one knew more of his secrets than Aron Simonovitch, writes E. H. Wilcox, Berlin correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. Their friendship dated from 1900, when Simonovitch had a small jeweller's shop in Kieff. When he moved to Petersburg a couple of years later, the acquaintance was resumed, and it gradually became more and more intimate, till at the end he was more in Rasputin's confidence and had more influence over him than anyone else. Nominally, he was Rasputin's "secretary," but this post was only a blind. In reality he remained a jeweller, moneylender, and keeper of gaming houses, and his propinquity to the most powerful man in Russia was of great value to him in these callings. He was, however, Rasputin's regular adviser on financial, political, and other matters, and the ascendancy he acquired in this way he used for the benefit not only of himself, but also of his fellow Jews, and especially of the poorest and most oppressed of them.

At first the Tsarist police did not like Simonovitch's association with Rasputin. By degrees, however, the Chief of the Petersburg police satisfied himself that the moneylender's influence over Rasputin was, on the whole, for the good, and that he restrained him in his licentiousness. In the end, very cordial relations were established between the police and .Simonoviitch, who even revealed to them his intention to secure through Rasputin the position of Minister of Justice for his friend, N. A. Dobrovolski.

This plan Simonovitch actually realised, and there can thus be no doubt that at least one Minister of State during the last days of the old regime in Russia was nominated by an obscure Jewish moneylender and keeper of gambling dens. He was, in fact, one of those "dark horses" behind the man behind the throne, of whom so much was heard during the Jast sittings of the old Duma. On the other hand, the claims put forward by him in his memoirs, just published at Berlin, to have been the source of both the initiative and the decision in all the most important acts of Government during the last months of the reign of Nicholas 11. cannot be allowed without very critical scrutiny. BEYOND DOUBT. After all that has been established beyond doubt as to the power and performance of Rasputin, it is a little daring to say that anything was impossible in the Russia of Nicholas 11., but Simonovitch's statements, nevertheless, sometimes approach very closely the boundary of credulity. Only with such reservations is it possible to repeat what he says on a few salient episodes, of which his versions differ materially from those of other equally credible witnesses. The cases in question are all among those on which he appeals either to his own personal observations or to the statement of Rasputin. Among" the latter is the story of how the "staretz" was discovered by the Montenegrin princesses ,the Grand Duchesses Anatasia and Militza. They were in Kieff on a pilgrimage, and were staying at the hostel of the Monastery of St. Michael. "One morning they noticed in the courtyard of the monastery a simple pilgrim who was chopping wood. In this way he earned money to pay for his keep. It was Rasputin. He had already made pilgrimages to various holy places and monasteries, and was then returning from, his second pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Rasputin looked at the ladies sharply, and gave them a polite greeting. They put various questions to him, and in this way a conversation developed. The unknown pilgrim interested the ladies." ,( DID NOT FEAR THE DEVIL."

On further acquaintance "Rasputin told the ladies he could cure all sorts of disease, feared neither devil nor magician, could foretell the future, and also could avert impending misfortunes. He talked with such fire and conviction, and his grey, penetrating eyes shone so suggestively, that his hearers were quite delighted with him. They felt for him a mystical veneration. Easily accessible to every superstition, they believed they had met a worker of miracles such as their hearts had longed for. One evening one of them put to Rasputin the direct question whether he could cure a boy who was suffering from haemophilia. Rasputin replied with an assured affirmative. Indeed, he said, he was familiar with the mysterious disease, and he described its symptoms with astonishing precision. Still greater was the impression made by his assertion that ho had already cured many persons of this illness. He also named the herbs which he used for the purpose. The ladies were happy at the apparent opportunity to render the Imperial their son. They told Rasputin about the Tsarevitch's illness, which at that time was quite unknown to the public, and he offered to cure it. In this way was tied the knot which was only cut by the murder of the miracle-worker and the storms of the second revolution. The rule of Rasputin had begun." What the author says about the death of Lord Kitchener is certainly debatable. He writes that one day Rasputin returned from Court with the story that a great misfortune had happened, and that the Tsaritsa, overcome with anxiety, was continually weeping and tearing her hair. "It is dreadful what papa has been up to," added Rasputin; "it looks as if he would be the ruin of us all.' At first the "staretz" refused further details, but eventually he said: "A great misfortune has happened. An English general was on his way to us. He was going to help us and do something to bring the war to a successful end. But his ship has been sunk by the Germans. It is said that we were to blame. German spies in Russia are said to have betrayed that the English general was on his way here." The author's narrative continues: "Rasputin told us further tha-E the

Tsaritsa feared the suspicion of treachery might fall on her because she was a German. She begged Rasputin to discover by means of his supernatural powers who was responsible for Kitchener's death. ' 'Thus I learnt for the first time,' said Rasputin, 'that we were expecting the English general. My powers do not work with foreigners, but I will soon find out who knew about Kitchener's departure. They say he was a very clever man.'

"Three days later I learnt from Rasputin that he had had a talk with Nicholas 11. The Tsar was already somewhat calmer. He told Rasputin that he was informed of Kitchener's departure by a secret telegram. That morning he saw only the Palace Commandant Voyekoff and Admiral Niloff. He lunched with them, and at lunch a good deal was drunk.

" 'Ah., I see,' said Rasputin to the Tsar, 'so you were drunk and told your friends about the telegram. Voyekoff then blabbed it to the German spy Andronikoff, and he in his turn informed the Germans.' The Tsar inquired of Voyekoff, who confessed that he had actually passed on to Prince Andronikoff the news which he bad received from the Tsar."