BRUSILOFF’S PICTURE OF TSAR NICHOLAS II.

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6920, 28 May 1929, Page 3

BRUSILOFF’S PICTURE OF TSAR NICHOLAS 11.

''VACILLATING AND UNDECIDBD ’ LONDON, May 10. “The Tsar was vacillating and undecided. Ho was regarded without enthusiasm by the troops, since neither his bearing nor his actions could stir soldiers 1 souls. ’ ’ This is one of the instances of stark frankness in the portraiture of the Tsar and Tsarina and leading liussian generals which characterises General Brasil oil ; s memories, says s thc Paris correspondent of the 11 Times. ’ ’ The memoirs relate to the offensive of May and June, 1010, when the Pussiau armies were down-hearted, lacking munitions and fixity of purpose. Brusiloff was abruptly called ou to succeed General Ivan off on. the southwest front. lie was immediately enmeshed in intrigues, which he ignored. He took his own line and instituted an offensive, despite his having been told that the laurels could have been his without lighting. The decisive attitude of Brusiloff troubled the Tsar. The monarch silently left the control of debates in the war Council to General Aicxicff and absented himself lengthily from headquarters, which bored him, receiving a report at 11 a.m. daily, after which he had nothing to do. • Brusiloff says the Tsarina received him most coldly. The only time tiny met she questioned him about the offensive, gave liim a little image of the miraculous St. Nicholas and drily dismissed him. St. Nicholas’s enamel features soon rubbed away to nothing, causing the superstitious to believe that the saint did not desire to be mixed up in the operations.