RUSSIA’S “TSAR”

Southland Times, Issue 19837, 7 April 1926, Page 5

RUSSIA’S “TSAR”

GRAND DUKE NICHOLAS PROCLAIMED SECRET CONFERENCE IN PARIS. London, Apr. 5. The Daily Mail’s Paris correspondent states that 400 delegates from all over the world including the Tsarist Premier, Trepoff, and General Krasnoff, claiming to represent 3,000.000 Russian refugees, attended a secret pan-Russian congress on March 8 for the purpose of rallying round the Grand Duke Nicholas, who is acclaimed Tsfc.— Sun Cable. The Grand Duke Nicholas Micholaievitch was born at Petrograd in November 1856. He received his military education at the Petrograd War Academy. In the RussoTurkish war of 1877-78 he served with distinction, receiving both Russian and German orders. His political career began in 1905 during the Russian revolutionary outbreak of that year. He became one of the most trusted counsellors of Tsar Nicholas, whom he urged to put down the revolution by force of arms the utmost severity. In 1906 he became commander of the Guards and of the Petrograd military district, being promoted pral of cavalry. During the Balkan -■'’is of 1912-13 he is said to have strongly Ivncated war with Austria-Hungary. It - common talk at that time that he was marked out for the chief command in the event of hostilities, and as a matter of fact, when the world-war broke out, he led the Russian Army. He was regarded in Russia as a cold-blood-ed, ruthless but at the same time just and upright soldier of unimpeachable character. The military situation was in his favour. It is true, Hindenburg was able to check the invasion of East Prussia and throw the Russians back, but in Galicia they were successful against the Austrians, and Hindenburg himself, who had penetrated into Poland as far as the Vistula, was forced to retreat. The Grand Duke was then at the height of his fame, but before the end of the year he had been driven back to the Ravka line in Poland. In Galicia, however, the snring of 1915 brought him the capture of Przemysl, though he was unable to cross the barrier of the Carpathians. Then in May came the catastrophe of the German and Austrian break-through on the Dunajetz and the great Russian retreat which cost the Grand Duke his command. The Tsar became nominally generalissimo and Nicholas was sent to the Caucasus as Viceroy. But he did not sulk in his tent. He waged a very successful campaign against the Turks, capturing Trebizond, Erzerum and Ersingian, though he failed to effect a junction with the British in Mesopotamia and his troops did not do very well in Persia. The Bolshevik Revolution closed his military career. For some time he was a prisoner in the Crimea and was in danger of being murdered. Eventually he succeeded in getting away, going first to Germany, and later to France where he lives sometimes at Cap Antibes and sometimes in Paris. A section of the Russians living in exile, notably those in France, are in favour of placing Nicholas on the Russian throne, if a restoration ever comes to pass, and in 1922 issued a declaration to that effect. The Grand Duke himself has so far refrained from taking up a definite attitude on this question. In reply to the proclamation of the Grand Duke Cyril in which the latter on July, 22, 1924, put himself forward as Tsar, the Grand Duke Nicholas in a statement which appeared in the Russian paper, Vetchemeye Vremya published in Paris, said: “I have already expressed my unchangeable conviction that the establishment of the Russian State can be brought about only on Russian soil and in harmony with the hopes of the Russian people. While, therefore, I hold aloof from the action of the Grand Duke Cyril, I call upon all those who are of like mind with her Majesty the Empress Mother Maria Feodorovna and myself to do their real duty to the Fatherland—namely, to pursue untiringly and imperturbably the sacred task of liberating Russia.” Thus the claim of the Grand Duke Cyril to the throne is not disputed by Nicholas who merely indicates that his proclamation was premature.