AMAZING STORY OF RASPUTIN.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16147, 27 February 1918, Page 8

AMAZING STORY OF RASPUTIN.

THE "BLACK MONK OF RUSSIA." V BY THE COUNTESS RADZTWILL.) New Zealand Rights Specially Secured by "The Press." CHAPTER VII. (Continued). THE FIRST PLOT FAILS. On his return from abroad Rgewsky was at once arrested under the xiretext of having blackmailed another police agent. Furious at what he considered to have been a breach of faith, he contrived to apprise Rasputin of the position in which J*p found himself placed, and revealed to him that the object of his mission had been to see and speak' with Illiodore to try to persuade the latter to organise a conspiracy witli the help of the many followers lie still had in Russia. The object of this plot was to be the murder of the "Prophet." Illiodore had been considered ever since his quarrel with Rasputin ono of the latter's* worst enemies, and it was felt that he would enter with alacrity into the plot which it was proposed to engineer. But to the stupefaction of the persons who had thus applied to him in the hope of finding in him the instrument which they required Illiodoro went over to the enemy. On the advice of Rgewsky he telegraphed' to Rasputin, asking the latter to send someone whom lie could trust to Norway, and telling him that he would deliver into the hands of that person the proofs of the plot that was being hatched against his (Rasputin's) life. Chwostoff, when taken to task for the affair, of course denied it in its entirety. He declared that ho had given quite different instructions to Rgewsky, and that he had sent the policeman to Norway to buy the memoirs of Illiodore, which ho had heard the latter was about, to publish abroad. But at tho same time ChwostofF made no secret of his feelings of repugnance to Rasputin, and declared that he considered him a most dangerous and mischievous man, whoso presenco at Petrograd was exceedingly harmful for the prestige of the dynasty, as well as for the welfare of the Stat© in the grave circumstances in which the country was finding itself placed. According to Chwostoff, Rasputin was surrounded with individuals of a most suspicious character, who spent their time in concocting any amount of sliadj 7 affairs and transactions, and who bad organised a regular plundering of the public exchequer. He did not dare to do anything directly against the "Prophet," but ho tried to get at him through the arrest of several of his adepts and friends. He caused tho houses of a considerable number of these to he thoroughly searched for compromising documents. Among other , places searched was the flat of ono Dohpowolsky, who held the position of a school inspector. This search cav© abundant evidence by which he 'might have been, incriminated in more than ono dirty transaction. But he was not immediately arrested, and contrived to make his escape. Another of the Rasputin crew, a certain Simanowitsch, was arrested at the very moment when ic returned to. his home in the private automobde of Sturmer, one of whose familiar friends he happened to be. " TWO ENEMIES ELIMINATED.

At the request of the "Phophet" an enquiry- into tho denunciation of RgewsJry was ordered by Sturmer. and a certain Gourland, whose name jhad often been m%ntioned as that of a rising secret agent, was entrusted with it. But Manussewitsch Maniuloff contrived to oust him and to get hiiiiself appointed in his place. At the samo time it was decided to send to Norway to interview Uliodore, and to try thus to como to the bottom of the whole business. General Spiridowitsch, who had already more than o nce been entrusted with missions of a delicate character, was selected for the task. The general _had several interviews with Chwostoff, but they all came to nothing. , and he did not go abroad as it had been rumoured that he would do. At last both the Minister of the Interior and the chief of the secret police. Bielfetsky, had, to resign their functions, and Rasputin found himself delivered from two of his most dangerous enemies. +i A 6,? 4 question which arose was tiisit of the appointment of Chwostoff's successor. The post which he had vacated was such a difficult and responsible one that several persons who were sounded as to their readiness to accept it refused the offer in a most decided The story which I hav e just related died at last a natural death. Kgewskv disappeared, no one knew where, but the difficulties out of which the story had arisen were still there. They could hardly be set aside by any Minister, unless some radical measures were adopted, such as the exile of Rasputin, a thing which no one dared to propose, and which no one would havo dared to enforco even if someone else had proposed it.

A SEPARATE PEACE DISCUSSED,

After tho resignation, or rather the dismissal of Chwostoff, his post was finally offered, by the advice of Rasputin, and at the suggestion of Manussewitsch Maniuloff, to its occupant at the time I write, Protopopoff, a rich landowner of the Government of Simbirsk, who for some time had occupied tho position of vioe-president of the Duma of the Empire.

Just before his appointment 'to what is the most important and responsible function in tho whole Russian Empire, thero was much talk of an interview

which he had had at Stockholm Herr "VYarberg, a reprpsentativc of th** German Government,' during which thy conditions on - which a separate peace might como to be concluded between Russia and the Central Empires had been discussed. Later on, when this meeting, which had been arranged through tho good offices of Maliniak, bccamo the subject of general knowledge in Stockholm, and details concerning it had found their way into the Russian Press, Protopopoff was violently attacked by the Liberal parties in the Duma, which accused him of treason and refused even to listen to the clumsy explanations which he attempted to givo of the affair. It 'was then generally believed that the political career of this gentleman was at a n end, and it was assumed that ho would have to resign his vico-presi-dency in the House. Certainly no one ever thought that he would suddenly develop into a minister. And yet this is the very thing which happened, thanks to "tho ■ Rasputin crew, wnich persuaded Sturmer to present Protopopoff to tho Emperor as the best candidate for the place vacated by Chwostoff. In the meanwhile, Manubsewitseh Maniuloff, who had been the moving spirit in thi* whole intrigue, had been appointed private secretary to Sturmer, and at his instigation there began dissipation of public tunds such as Russia had never seen beiore, and such as, let us hope, she will never see k'i'here aro many more things than I could possibly rciate in regard to the incidents of "which I have given the outline here, but these could hardly bo published at present. Iho only tiling which I can do is to try to make my leaders understand the general position as it presented itself before the murder of Rasputin by quoting some speeches which were delivered in the Duma as far back as tho year l'Jlj!. They were reproduced in the Russian Liberal organ, the "Rctsch," 011 the day following tho assassination of the "Prophet." The Russian censor offered no opposition to their republication. The first of theso speeches was made by Goutschkoff, one of the most enlightened men in the whole of the Russian Empire, whose liberal opinions and sound political viows had won for hitu the respect of all parties, even those who were opposed to them. 1 lie occasion upon which it wag pronounced w as that of the discussion of the budget or tho Holy Synod, a discussion during which for the first time the personality of Rasputin, together with lus activity, was pubiiclv denounced as ono of the greatest sources of danger that haci ever threatened tho country as Gil as tho dynasty. DENUNCIATIONS OF RASPI/fIN. "You all know," said Goutschkoff in this memorable address, "what a terrible drama Russia is living through at present. "\V ith sorrow 111 our hearts and with terror in our souls we have followed its developments, and we are dreading its consequences. Standing in tho very neart of tnis drama c a mysterious enigmatical, tragi-comical figure, who seems to have come out ol' tho dark ages, which we believed had passed away for ever, into the full light of the twentieth century. Perhaps this figure is that of a sectarian of tho worst kind who is trying to popularise amongst us his mystical rites j fterhaps it is that of a-n adventurer seeking to hide under the cloak of religious fanaticism and superstition his numerous swindles. By what means has this individual succeeded in rising to such a prominent position and in acquiring such an influence which even the dignitaries of our church, together with the highest functionaries in our State, acknowledge, and which they seek to propitiate. "Unfortunately this figure is not standing alone. Behind it there is a whole crew, strong and varied, unscrupulous and grasping, which is taking advantage of its position and of the talents of persuasion which it may possess. Amongst this crew there aro to be found journalists in want of copy, shady business men, adventurers of every kind and sort. It is they who are the moving spirits in all this sad history: it is they who inspire it, they who tell it what it is to do. They constituto a kind of commercial enterprise, and they understand how to play their game in the most clever manner."

"Before such a spectacle it is our duty to cry out as loud as we can that one ought to bcware~of all those people, and that tho church—our church—and the country—our counry—find themselves in imminent danger, because no revolution and no anti-Christian propaganda have ever done then more harm than the events which are daily taking place under our eyes for the last twelve months."

Two years later, in 1914, a few weeks before the breaking out of the present war, another deputy, this time a clergyman, Father Filonenko, spoko about Rasputin in the* Duma, and did so in tho following strong terms:— "As a faithful and devoted son of our Holy Orthodox Church, I consider it my painful duty to mention once more what has already been discussed here, by so many orators better than myself, and to recur to a subject which is at present talked of at the corner of every street, in every town and in every village, no matter how distant and how far from any civilised centre in our vast Empire. We find ourselves compelled to look upon this unexplainable influence of a common adventurer, belonging to the worst type of those sectarians whom until now wo have known by the namo of Klilystys, and despised accordingly. "Wo are obliged to reckon with this influenco of a man upon whom all the sane elements in our society look with contempt." On that same day another deputy belonging to the group of Ultra-Conserva-tives, Prince _ Mansyren, also spoke about Rasputin, with perhaps even more energy _ than anyone had • ever done ln Duma. Said the Prince: Iho adventure of Illiodore ended in ridicule, but we havo now in his place another adventurer, with the personality of whom are connected the most nefarious and disgusting rumours, the most unnatural and contemptible crimes. It is useless to mention liis name; everyone knows who lie is, and of whom I am talking. H c has been let loose on our society to acquire some influence over it by men even moro shameless than ho is himself; one lias used him to terrorise all those who have dared to express their opinions against the currents which prevail at present in our administrative circles. This adventurer, whenever he travels .and whenever he arrives in St. Petersburg, is met at the railway station by the highest dignitaries of the Church; before him pray, as they would do to God, unfortunate hysterical ladies of the highest social circles. This individual, who only seeks the satisfaction of the lowest instinct of a low nature, has introduced himself into the very heart of >our country and of our society, and wo nijd and feel everywhere his disgusting and filthy influnce." A few days after this memorable sit-

tine: of the Duma the Government issued instructions to the Press never to mention Rasputin's name or to speak of any subject connected with him in the newspapers. As soon as this became known the Octobrists put down on the order of the day in the Duma an interpellation on the matter, and Goutschkoif, in moving it, exclaimed: "Dark and dangerous days have ar-, rived, and the conscience of the Russian nation lias been deeply moved bv the events of the last few months, and is protesting against the appearance amongst lis of symptoms proving that wo arc returning to the darkest periods of the middle ages. It has cried out that tilings arc going wrong in our State, and that danger threatens our most holy national ideals." -Prince Lvoff seconded the motion, and asked the Government to explain who was this "strange personality who had been taken under the special protection of tiie administration, who was considered as too sacred to be subjected to the criticism of the Press, and who had been put upon such a pedestal that no one ua:i allowed to touch or even to approach him." HELPED BY GERMAN MONEY. I would not have quoted these spcecnes but tor tiio fact, tnat tiiey ail bore 011 tho samo point,, the .one tnat 1 have tried to maiio clear to the miiid oi : my readers. This point is tnat the danger wincli Rasputin undoubtedly personified in Russian society at huge did not proceed from iiis own personality, but ironi the character of the men wno surrounded him, wiio had made out of him their tool, and who wero trying through "him to rule Russia and to push it into the arms of Germany. There is 110 doubt that Germany had been carefully following al] the phases of the drama which culminated in the assassination of the "Prophet," and had been helping by her subsidies the underhand and mysterious work of men like Manusscwitsch Maniuloff and his satellites, and like Sturmer. Stunner believed quite earnestly that he would secure immortality for his name and for his work if lie contrived to concludc a peace which everyone knew that Russia required, but which no one except himself and the adventurers to whom he had owed his elevation thought of making except 111 concert with Russia's allies, and only after Gcrjnany had been compelled to accept the conditions of her adversaries. Tiie whole Rasputin affair was nothing but a German intrigue which aimed at discrediting the dynasty and perhaps even at overthrowing the sovereign from his throne. Thanks to the infernal cunning of the' people who were its leaders, the Imperial circle and even some of the Imperial family, were represented as being entirely under the "Prophet's" influence. And thanks to the solitary existence which the Emporor and Empress were leading, and to the small number of people who wero allowed to see them, these rumours gained ground, for the simple reason that there existed no one capable of contradicting them or of pointing out their absurdity. Calumnies as stupid as they were degrading to the authors of tliem were set in circulation, and the revolutionary movement which Germany had been fomenting grew stronger and stronger every day. until it reached the lower classes. These classes by a kind of miracle wore also kept very well informed as to everything that was connected with Rasputin or with the subterranean work performed by his party, a work which tended to only mako the House of Romanoff unpopular, and to represent it as incapable of taking to heart the interest of the country over which it reigned. (To be Continued To-morrow J