HOW THE CZAR TRAVELS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 367, 7 June 1911, Page 2

HOW THE CZAR TRAVELS.

ENCOMPASSED BY ARMED SOLDIERS. A strange story of how the Czar returned to Russia after his recent visit to Italy is told by J- Lar.da in the "Jewish World."

The sight, he says, was certainly striking. Telegraph poles were sparsely decorated with bunting and bannerets ; the wayside stations were festooned with garlands of leaves and ribbons, but these were not the things to which the fingers pointed. At every few paces on either side of the railway line stood a soldier with bayonet fixed to his gun. At every level crossing there was a military encampment, at every bridge a garrison ; every wayside station was a barracks.

"Some of the soldiers stood at attention facing the line, others had their hacks to the trains," the writer says. "I believe they stood ?o alternately, but I am not certain. Officers marched to and fro. No platelayers were to be seen, no workers were in the fields bordering on the line. "Mounted Cossacks stood far out, a couple of hundred yards or so ; others galloped across the fields. In every lane leading to the line there were at least two Cossacks, and where there were cottages near the railwav more Cossacks."

The writer was in a train which was passed by the Royal train. "I wondered," he continued, 'why there was no crowding to the' windows, and placed myself in a good position. I soon learned, however, why there was no competition. The train slowed down, and bayonets came on board.

"An officer marched, through tli3 carriages, followed by an attendant ,vho pulled down all the window blinds. A soldier was placed at every window. The train stopped, Outside I could hear the tramp of soldiers. "The train was being surrounded. Then all was silent, and almost dark iave for the candles over the doors, with which third-class carriages in Russia are miserably lighted.

"There came the rumbling of an approaching train. The soldiers in the carriage stood at attention. Whirr —whirr —whizz—the curtains fluttered as the train rushed by. That was all I saw of the Czar and the Royal train. "A few minutes later the blinds were raised, the soldiers left the carriage, and we pulled slowly into a station. Soldiers were coming in along the line and from the fields ; the festoons and the flags were being taken down. The welcome was over. Everyone was relieved. The responsibility of loyalty ii} Russia, ia no light thing,"