World-Roaming Grand Duke's Mission

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 886, 1 February 1930, Page 22

World-Roaming Grand Duke's Mission

SIIE exiled, world-roaming Grand Duke Alexander of Russia, is earning j for himself the enviable title of the Russian ' Prince of Peace. And there are particular reasons why this cousin of the late Tsar Nicholas should epitomise, in his person, the spirit of the League of Natons, and even go Car beyond it —reasons sufficient to excuse the most extreme pacificism. The citing of a few of the leading, or rather of the most shocking of these reasons will go far toward explaining the Grand Duke’s present peculiar bent as a scientist and philosopher, and at the same time show why it is that the Russians in exile regard him less as a “personage” than as a lovable character, who is far too sin cerely intent upon his mission of conciliation and peace to have any time for self-conscious dignity or “side.” Moreover, a consideration of some of these leading incidents and influences will go far toward showing how a long series of terrific tragedies, including that of the slaughter of the late Royal family—his relations—have not overwhelmed nor embittered the Grand Duke, but have caused him to extract wisdom from sorrow and hope from despair. His childhood was passed in the Caucasus, close to the Turkish border, and when he was a boy of twelve the war with Turkey broke out. Residing only 15 miles rrom the front, the youthful Alexander witnessed tlia daily procession of wounded pass into the interior—which gave him his first distaste of war. Shortly after that he was present at the assassination of his grandfather, Alexander 11., whose carriage was bombed in the streets of St. Petersburg by a Nihilist. Special pathos attached to the incident in view of the fact that Alexander 11., the only Tsar of Russia to be killed

by “the people,” was a great democratic reformer, (he one Tsar who had really cared for the people. Between that time and the ghastly Revolution of 1!)17 there was plenty of misadventure and hardship; but matters became really critical in November, 1917, when the late Grand Duke Nicholas—the commander- inchief of the Russian army, whose forces had been weakened by Bolshevism—and Grand Duke Alexander were living quietly in the Crimea. Here they were captured and im-

prisoned, which was bad enough for themselves, but doubly grievous from the fact that the ladies of the family were included. Here, in a small house and garden, they lived for several

months on prison fare, and here aa attempt was made by a small band o! extremists to murder them—aa attempt w hich would have succeeded bit for the esteem In which they were held by the people round about, aid by the timely coming of the Germans, who definitely prevented nnv such massacre. What the Grand Duke witnessed and sufe'ered during this period—including the loss of many relations, znd alibis possessions—left an indelible impression upon his mind and deepened his philosophic habit of thought. As a young naval lieutenant the Grand Duke had been on a three years' cruise, in the course of which he visited many countries and interested himself particularly in their religions. India impressed him so much that, upon his return to Russia, his brother called him Buddha. This early inclination to theology and philosophy has deepened with each succeeding year and has now seemingly taken the definite and practical form of a desire to secure for humanity the blessings of peace. The nobility of the Grand Duke’s character is reflected as much in his daily life as in his book, “The Religion of Love.” While allowing his wife to receive aid from the British royal family, he, though penniless, refused similar assistance for himself and his six sons. Two of the latter are now working, under assumed names, in the United States, and studying Western methods of Industry and commerce, with the idea of applying the fruits of tlieir experience, later, to a regenerated Russia —in which the Grand Duke is a firm believer. Incidentally, it may be noted that the Grand Duke’s only daughter, eISJ named Xenia, who had been a volur-tat-y worker in hospitals, married tha wealthy Prince Y'usopoff, who kided the infamous priest Rasputin, who hai demoralised the Russian court had done much to bretik up the moral of the Russian army.