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part05+-第8部分

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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 Emperor himself;



and had centered in himself more hatred than any other Russian of



recent times;the former Emperor's tutor and virtual minister as



regards ecclesiastical affairs; Pobedonostzeff。 His theories are



the most reactionary of all developed in modern times; and his



hand was then felt; and is still felt; in every part of the



empire; enforcing those theories。 Whatever may be thought of his



wisdom; his patriotism is not to be doubted。 Though I differ from



him almost totally; few men have so greatly interested me; and



one of the following chapters will be devoted to him。







But there were some other so…called statesmen toward whom I had a



very different feeling。 One of these was the minister of the



interior。 Nothing could be more delusive than his manner。 He



always seemed about to accede to the ideas of his interlocutor;



but he had one fundamental idea of his own; and only one; and



that was; evidently; never to do anything which he could possibly



avoid。 He always seemed to me a sort of great jellyfish; looking



as if he had a mission to accomplish; but; on closer examination;



proving to be without consistency; and slippery。 His theory



apparently was; 〃No act; no responsibility〃; and throughout the



Russian Empire this principle of action; or; rather; of inaction;



appears to be very widely diffused。







I had one experience with this functionary; who; I am happy to



say; has since been relieved of his position and shelved among



the do…nothings of the Russian senate; which showed me what he



was。 Two American ladies of the best breeding and culture; and



bearing the most satisfactory letters of introduction; had been



staying in St。 Petersburg; and had met; at my table and



elsewhere; some of the most interesting people in Russian



society。 From St。 Petersburg they had gone to Moscow; and; after



a pleasant stay there; had left for Vienna by way of Warsaw。



Returning home late at night; about a week afterward; I found an



agonizing telegram from them; stating that they had been stopped



at the Austrian frontier and sent back fifty miles to a dirty



little Russian village; that their baggage had all gone on to



Vienna; that; there being no banker in the little hamlet where



they were; their letter of credit was good for nothing; that all



this was due to the want of the most trivial of formalities in a



passport; that they had obtained all the vises supposed to be



needed at St。 Petersburg and at Moscow; and that; though the



American consul at Warsaw had declared these to be sufficient to



take them out of the empire; they had been stopped by a petty



Russian official because they had no vise from the Warsaw police。







Early next morning I went to the minister of the interior;



presented the case to him; told him all about these



ladies;their high standing; the letters they had brought; the



people they had met;assured him that nothing could be further



from possibility than the slightest tendency on their part toward



any interference with the Russian Government; and asked him to



send a telegram authorizing their departure。 He was most profuse



in his declarations of his willingness to help。 Nothing in the



world; apparently; would give him more pleasure; and; though



there was a kind of atmosphere enveloping his talk which I did



not quite like; I believed that the proper order would be given。



But precious time went on; and again came telegrams from the



ladies that nothing was done。 Again I went to the minister to



urge the matter upon his attention; again he assumed the same



jellyfish condition; pleasing but evasive。 Then I realized the



situation; went at once to the prefect of St。 Petersburg; General



von Wahl; although it was not strictly within his domain; and he;



a man of character and vigor; took the necessary measures and the



ladies were released。







Like so many other persons whom I have known who came into Russia



and were delighted with it during their whole stay; these ladies



returned to America most bitter haters of the empire and of



everything within it。







As to Von Wahl; who seemed to me one of the very best Russian



officials I met; he has since met reward for his qualities: from



the Czar a transfer to a provincial governorship; and from the



anarchists a bullet which; though intended to kill him; only



wounded him。







Many were the sufferers from this feature in Russian



administrationthis shirking of labor and responsibility。 Among



these was a gentleman belonging to one of the most honored



Russian families; who was greatly devoted to fruit…culture; and



sought to bring the products of his large estates in the south of



Russia into Moscow and St。 Petersburg。 He told me that he had



tried again and again; but the officials shrugged their shoulders



and would not take the trouble; that finally he had induced them



to give him a freight…car and to bring a load of fruit to St。



Petersburg as soon as possible; but; though the journey ought to



have taken only three or four days; it actually took several



weeks; and; of course; all the fruit was spoiled。 As I told him



of the fruit…trains which bring the products of California across



our continent and distribute them to the Atlantic ports; even



enabling them to be found fresh in the markets of London; he



almost shed tears。 This was another result of state control of



railways。 As a matter of fact; there is far more and better fruit



to be seen on the tables of artisans in most American towns;



however small; than in the lordliest houses of Moscow and St。



Petersburg; and this solely because in our country energetic men



conduct transportation with some little ambition to win public



approval and patronage; while in Russia a horde of state



officials shirk labor and care as much as possible。







Still another sufferer was a very energetic man who had held



sundry high positions; but was evidently much discouraged。 He



showed me specimens of various rich ores from different parts of



the empire; but lamented that there was no one to take hold of



the work of bringing out these riches。 It was perfectly clear



that with the minister of the interior at that time; as in sundry



other departments; the great question was 〃how not to do it。〃



Evidently this minister and functionaries like him felt that if



great enterprises and industries were encouraged; they would



become so large as to be difficult to manage; hence; that it



would be more comfortable to keep things within as moderate



compass as possible。







To this easy…going view of public duty there were a few notable



exceptions。 While De Witte was the most eminent of these; there



was one who has since become sadly renowned; and who; as I revise



these lines; has just perished by the hand of an assassin。 This



official was De Plehve; who; during my acquaintance with him; was



only an undersecretary in the interior department; but was



taking; apparently; all the important duties from his superior;



M。 Dournovo。 At various times I met him to discuss the status of



sundry American insurance companies in Russia; and was favorably



impressed by his insight; vigor; and courtesy。 It was; therefore;



a surprise to me when; on becoming a full minister; he bloomed



out as a most bitter; cruel; and evidently short…sighted



reactionary。 The world stood amazed at the murderous cruelties



against the Jews at Kishineff; which he might easily have



prevent
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