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part05+-第8章

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often at other times; the famous words of Oxenstiern to his son;



〃Go forth; my son; and see with how little wisdom the world is



governed。〃







Pity to say it; the European sovereign to whom Nicholas II can be



most fully compared is Charles IX of France; under the influence



of his family and men and women courtiers and priests;



authorizing the massacre of St。 Bartholomew。 The punishment to be



meted out to him and his house is sure。'4'











'4' The above was written before the Russian war with Japan and



the assassinations of Bobrikoff; Plehve; and others were dreamed



of。 My prophecy seems likely to be realized far earlier than I



had thought possible。















As I revise these lines; we see another exhibition of the same



weakness and folly。 The question between Russia and Japan could



have been easily and satisfactorily settled in a morning talk by



any two business men of average ability; but the dominant clique



has forced on one of the most terrible wars in history; which



bids fair to result in the greatest humiliation Russia has ever



known。







The same thing may be said regarding Russia's dealings with the



Baltic provinces。 The 〃Russification〃 which has been going on



there for some years is equally absurd; equally wicked; and sure



to be equally disastrous。







The first Russian statesman with whom I had to do was the



minister of foreign affairs; M。 de Giers; but he was dying。 I saw



him twice in retirement at Tzarskoye Selo; and came to respect



him much。 He spoke at length regarding the entente between Russia



and France; and insisted that it was not in the interest of war



but of peace。 〃Tell your government;〃 he said; 〃that the closer



the lines are drawn which bind Russia and France; the more



strongly will Russian influence be used to hold back the French



from war。〃







At another time he discoursed on the folly of war; and especially



regarding the recent conflict between Russia and Turkey。 He spoke



of its wretched results; of the ingratitude which Russia had



experienced from the peoples she had saved from the Turks; and



finally; with extreme bitterness; of the vast sums of money



wasted in it which could have been used in raising the condition



of the Russian peasantry。 He spoke with the conviction of a dying



man; and I felt that he was sincere。 At the same time I felt it a



pity that under the Russian system there is no chance for such a



man really to enforce his ideas。 For one day he may be in the



ascendancy with the autocrat; and the next; through the influence



of grand dukes; women; priests; or courtiers; the very opposite



ideas may become dominant。







The men with whom I had more directly to do at the Foreign Office



were the acting minister; Shishkin; who had formerly been at



Washington; and the head of the Asiatic department; Count



Kapnist。 They were agreeable in manner; but it soon became clear



that; regarding the question of the Behring seal…fisheries; they



were pursuing a policy of their own; totally distinct from the



interests of the empire。 Peter the Great would have beheaded both



of them。







The strongest man among the Czar's immediate advisers was



understood to be the finance minister; De Witte。 There always



seemed in him a certain sullen force。 The story usually told of



his rise in the world is curious。 It is; in effect; that when the



Emperor Alexander II and his family were wrecked in their special



train at Borki; many of their attendants were killed; and the



world generally; including the immediate survivors of the



catastrophe; believed for some time that it was the result of a



nihilist plot。 There was; therefore; a general sweeping into



prison of subordinat'e railway officials; and among these was De



Witte; then in charge of a railway station。 During the



examinations which ensued he showed himself so clear…headed and



straightforward that he attracted attention was promoted; put



into the finance ministry; and finally advanced to the first



place in it。 His dealings with Russian finances have since shown



great capacity: he has brought the empire out of the slough of



depreciated currency and placed it firmly on a gold basis。 I came



especially to know him when he offered; through me; to the United



States a loan of gold to enable us to tide over our difficulties



with the currency question。 He informed me that Russia had in her



treasury many millions of rubles in American gold eagles; and



that the Russian gold reserve then in the treasury was about six



hundred millions of rubles。







The only result was that I was instructed to convey the thanks of



the President to him; there being no law enabling us to take



advantage of his offer。 What he wished to do was to make a call



loan; whereas our Washington Government could obtain gold only by



issuing bonds。







I also met him in a very interesting way when I presented to him



Rabbi Krauskopf of Philadelphia; who discussed the question of



allowing sundry Israelites who were crowded into the western



districts of the empire to be transferred to some of the less



congested districts; on condition that funds for that purpose be



furnished from their coreligionists in America。 De Witte's



discussion of the whole subject was liberal and statesmanlike。



Unfortunately; there was; as I believe; a fundamental error in



his general theory; which is the old Russian idea at the bottom



of the autocracynamely; that the State should own everything。



More and more he went on extending government ownership to the



railways; until the whole direction and management of them



virtually centered in his office。







On this point he differed widely from his predecessor in the



finance ministry; Wischniegradsky。 I had met the latter years



before; at the Paris Exposition; when he was at the head of the



great technical school in Moscow; and found him instructive and



interesting。 Now I met him after his retirement from the finance



ministry。 Calling on him one day; I said: 〃You will probably



build your trans…Siberian railway at a much less cost than we



were able to build our first trans…continental railway; you will



do it directly; by government funds; and so will probably not



have to make so many rich men as we did。〃 His answer impressed me



strongly。 He said: 〃As to a government building a railway more



cheaply than private individuals; I decidedly doubt; but I would



favor private individuals building it; even if the cost were



greater。 I like to see rich men made; they are what Russia most



needs at this moment。 What can capitalists do with their money?



They can't eat it or drink it: they have to invest it in other



enterprises; and such enterprises; to be remunerative; must meet



the needs of the people。 Capitalists are far more likely to



invest their money in useful enterprises; and to manage these



investments well; than any finance minister can be; no matter how



gifted。〃







That he was right the history of Russia is showing more and more



every day。 To return to M。 de Witte; it seemed strange to most



onlookers that the present Emperor threw him out of the finance



ministry; in which he had so greatly distinguished himself; and



shelved him in one of those bodies; such as the council of state



or the senate; which exist mainly as harbors or shelters for



dismissed functionaries。 But really there was nothing singular



about it。 As regards the main body at court; from the grand



dukes; the women; etc。; down; he had committed the sin of which



Turgot and Necker were guilty when they sought to save France but



found that the women; princes; and favorites of poor Louis XVI's



family were determined to dip their hands into the state



treasury; and were too strong to be controlled。 Ruin followed the



dismissal of Turgot and Necker then; and seems to be following



the dismissal of De Witte now: though as I revise this chapter



word comes that the Emperor has recalled him。







No doubt Prince Khilkoff; who has come in as minister of internal



communications since my departure from Russia; is also a strong



man; but no functionary can take the place of a great body of



individuals who invest their own money in public works throughout



an entire nation。







There was also another statesman in a very different field whom I



found exceedingly interesting;a statesman who had gained a



power in the empire second to no other save the E
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