n m m !
IK AND CM!
OF HEII [Urn
(Continued from Page Fiv«)
ing an indemnity to Japan after peace
was proclaimed.
The constitutional reforms in Rus
sia inaugurated by Nicholas were at
tributed to the growth of a demo
cratic spirit among the Russian peo
ple and to internal dissensions caused
by the revelations of official incom
petence and dishonesty in the war
with Japan. A general strike in Pet
rograd in September, 1905, gave the
emperor warning of the danger of a
revolution and, to prevent this, he is
sued in October a ukase promising a
representative assembly and other re
forms.
Beginnings of Revolution
Election of radical dumas, as the
Rusian constitutional assembly is
known, apparently aroused in Nich
olas fears of what might develop from
a popular government, and they were
soon prorogued. Restriction of suf
frage resulted and a non-conservative
duma was elected.
Adoption of a policy of fostering the
development of Slav nationalities in
the Balkans led Nicholas into a clash
with Austria-Hungary, and when the
German emperor aligned himself be
side Austria “in shining armor," Rus
sian ambitions suffered a check. To
what extent Nicholas dictated the pol
icy of challenging Austrian aggres
sions upon Serbia which led to the
great war that began in 1914 is not
revealed, but he is said to have in
sisted that Germany should not be
permitted to awe Russia second
time.
Soon after the beginning o^tho war
the emperor proclaimed the auton
omy of a re-united Poland and in this,
as well as his resistance to German
aggression, he was in lino with the de
velopment of Russian liberalism.
After months of continuous disaster to
the Russian armies, Nicholas took com
mand of the Russian armies from
Grand Duke Nicholas in September,
1915. His command, how'ever, was re
garded as only nominal.
weanness i_ea 10 crisis
Although the influences leading to
the revolution of March, 1917, which
forced his abdication, were various
and some of them obscure, it was evi
dent that the leaders of the Russian
liberal thought blamed the emperor for
failure to prosecute the war success
fully, for continuing the rule of the
bureaucrats and for the growth of a
pro-German influence at the Russian
court which undermined Russia’s war
strength. There was a bitter strug
gle between the duma and the reac
tionary party, a shortage of food, lack
• of supplies for the army, neglect of
precaution and organization Some of
these were attributed by the liberals
to “dark forces” at the court
The Mystic Monk
^ One of these for which the emperor
was held personally responsible was
the mysterious power exercised by
Gregory Rasputin, the mystic monk,
who had obtained great ascendancy
over both emperor and empress. One
explanation was that Rasputin had
fostered in the emperor’s mind by de
ception the belief that the health of
his only son, the Grand Duke Alexis,
depended upon Rasputin's good offi
ces and presence at the court. Pro
tects against the monk’s power and
presence and against the mysticism
and superstition that enveloped the
Russian throne were suppressed. The
resentment culminated in the murder
of Rasputin and was fanned to re
newed flame by the honors paid him
after death, including burial in a
chapel on the grounds of the em
peror’s palace at Petrograd.
Hunger Causes Resentment
The government had ordered the
dissolution of the council of the em
pire and the duma. The hungry peo
ple were incensed by lack of food sup
plies and held the government respon
sible for their suffering. The duma
rejected the imperial ukase of dis
solution, continued its meetings and
organized an executive committee. It
was believed to represent the demand
of the people that the war should be
prosecuted with greater vigor and ef
ficiency. The troops in Petrograd sus
tained the duma and within three days
from its inception the revolution was
accomplished, the government over
thrown and Nicholas forced to ab
dicate.
Hit Dramatic Arre*t
The' emperor was then at the Rus
sian army headquarters. He attempted
to transfer the throne to his brother,
the Grand Duke Michael, but he in
turn abdicated and the Romanoff dy
nasty which had ruled the destinies
of the Russian empire for more than
300 years was brought to an end. At
the order of the executive committee
of the duma, Nicholas, who bad signed
#
his abdication at midnight llarcta 15,
was arrested and taken *.o Tsarskoe
Selo palace, which was to be his
prison, and was placed under guard.
He delivered a farewell address to hia
soldiers who listened unresponsively
and. at its conclusion, sang the “Mar
seillaise'’
Gloomy Life as a Prisoner
Nicholas seemed to be stunned by
the suddenness of the blow and made
no attempt of resist. He rejected the
suggestion of one of his generals that
the Russian lines be opened to let
the Germans pass througu and "deal
with the canaille in Petrograd,” de
claring that he was no traitor. He ex
pressed the hope that he might be per
mitted to live at his palaco at Liv
adia, in the Crimea, where he loved
to stroll with the empress among the
flowers and woods. Instead ho was
taken a prisoner to the Petrograd pal
ace where the other members of the
former imperial family had gathered
to share his imprisonment. At first
the former emperor was not closely
guarded but was allowed to walk in
the garden twice a day under a guard
of soldiers. His chief occupation in
the first weeks of his imprisonment
was in shoveling snow on the garden
walks. He seemed to be in good
health, displayed interest in what the
foreign newspapers printed about him,
but was caid to have periods of cry
ing.
His Enormous Riches
His state as prisoner must have
been in paihful contrast with that
which he enjoyed as Russian auto
crat. His private wealth has been
estimated at $2,000,000,000, but it was
confessed that no accurate idea of its
vastness was obtainable. His income
was believed to exceed $50,000,000 a
year. His personal expenses w'ere
placed at $50.a day, but the expense
of maintaining the royal state was
almost incredible.
When emperor he was classed as
the wealthiest man in the world. He
owned several of the world’s most
beautiful palaces, and possessed a
great fortune in diamonds, pearls and
other jewels and precious stones. He
owned, it was said, more than a mil
lion square miles of cultivated land
and forests. One-third of the output
of Russia’s gold and silver mines was
believed to be included in his income.
At Petrograd he was housed magnifi
cently in the colossal Winter palace,
but at the time the imperial family
resided in some of the other mag
nificent establishments or chateaus,
where he and the empress loved to
hold court. It was reported that he
gave $100,000,000 from his private
treasury to Russia’s war fund.
A Mild-Mannered Weakling
In appearance Nicholas was rather
slender and undersized, and, being
sensitive on that point, he usually
occupied the foreground when a pho
tograph was being made, so that his
size would be exaggerated. His re
semblance to King George of England
was often remarked. He was blond ,
and wore a full brown beard. Having .
no desire for ostentation, he avoided
crowds and pomp when possible and
carried no airs or bluster. Although
as emperor he was head of the Or
thodox Greek church, both he and his
wife were reported to have been Spir
itualists, and it was said that he often
consulted mediums, some of whom ob
tained considerable influence over
him. His outdoor pleasures were a
mild sort, such as boating, cycling,
sketching or playing tennis, of which
game he was very fond.
-«
MRS. LOUIS K. PRATT
r—-1
Mrs. Louis K. Pratt is a prominent
clubwoman and chairman of the Lift
erty bond committee of Fairbanks
Alaska.
-♦
The Northwestern Hardware Com
pany has the new “Hylo” and “Lux"
gas-filled electric light globes.
-.ggggggfg
GEORGE W.P.HUJUT
The chief executive of Arizona.
Gov. George \V. P. Hunt, knits for the
soldiers of his stute during his leis
ure time.
| Alta 1
| Coffee
and Tea I
Given
«v
| Highest Award |
At the
P. P. I. I
1 EXPOSITION |
1 When ordering |
g Coffee or Tea g
Why not order
The Best-They
Will Cost You |
No More - - - - |
! BLUM, O’NEIL I
I COMPANY 1
DISTRIBUTORS &
&*AVA%VeV.V.V.V.\\V.V.VAV.\VAV.y.V.V.V.VA\V.<fi
The Red Dragon
CORDOVA. ALASKA
Headquarters of Cordova
Chapter American Red Cross.
Club House founded in 1908
by Episcopal church. Open
from 1 p. m. to 10 p. m.
REV E. P. ZIEGLER
Supt. j
*
OKALLJMRSf I
~ ';a each nncHASE c.
vuuinaitRSEaauKj
vxemwftmMtvjuL ijifllillMB
X-1
Were our deposits of
June 28th
There is no better indication of a
community’s growth and stability
than the growth of
bank deposits
1®
The above figures are unmistakable
proof of Cordova’s increasing
importance as a fishing
and mining center
The First Bank
of Cordova
RESOURCES OVER $780,000.00
Mr. Business Man—
Our'JOB PRINTING DEPARTMENT is com
letely equipped with the latest and most up
to-date type faces—How about your order?
Our prices are RIGHT—Better call us up.
Cordova Daily Times
- - ■-■—————m^rnmmmmmm————■—■——
Built for the North
—where the going is hard and
man must take care of his feet.
No boot in the yvorld can —
givo such wear and comfort as ""X
Thousands of letters have come to 1 \
us from the Northland from grateful ——1 V
miners and prospectors. Their opin- p| 1
ions are unanimous—more wear than p^ I
any other footwear — foot comfort 1 1 ^B
that shortens many a long tramp— l 1
and DRY FEET in the hardest serv- l 1
No boots made like the “Hi-Press”— ■ Jr
One SOLID PIECE OF RUBBER I'i# I
40,000 dealers. Ask yours. 'djf ^^B
THE B.F. GOODRICH
RUBBER ^COMPANY
-✓/ -• I LIMA Tr< -»* m ^n.