FROM THE PRESS OF 1909

Although Madame Novikoff needs no introduction to our readers, the following appreciations taken from the contemporary Press will, it is felt, be of general interest — A. R.

“If we were writing at a date which we hope is a good many years distant of the career of Madame Olga Novikoff, we should begin by saying that she was one of the most remarkable women of her time.”—Daily Graphs

“Whatever the reader’s political predilection may be, he is unlikely to dispute the claim of Madame Novikoff to rank as one of the most remarkable women of her generation.”—Daily Telegraph

“No one will deny the right of Madame Novikoff to a record in history. . . . For nearly ten years her influence was probably greater than any other woman’s upon the course of national politics.”—H. W. Nevinson, Daily News

(Madame Novikoff), “who for so many years held a social and political position in London which few women, and no ambassador, have ever equalled.”—A. H. in Observer

“From beginning to end Madame Novikoff’s record is clear and honourable. There is not the slightest evidence of any intrigue on her part, of any effort to use the statesman she influenced for underhand purposes, or to work for or against any particular individual in her own country.”—Westminster Gazette

The difficulties in the conduct of the present war have not been duly foreseen and counteracted, and the suspense, to some nervous people, naturally seems annoying. But nervous people, fortunately, are not in the majority amongst strong and intelligent men. Russia, as a whole, has an unlimited faith in victory. The Russian Emperor’s New Year’s address has echoed far and wide, like a clarion call, through the ranks of the Imperial army and fleet. All doubts have vanished beyond recall, for the utterance of the Sovereign was more decided, definite, and determined than any that has gone before. Here are words that must ring like a knell in the ears of exhausted Germany, trembling under the strain of her last efforts.

“A half-victory—an unfinished war”—this was the hideous phantom before which the hearts of our brave soldiers sank, and which, like a ceaseless nightmare, disturbed the rest, even of our most illiterate peasants. Far and wide indeed Russian hearts to-day thrill and respond to their beloved Emperor’s call.

“Remember that without complete victory our dear Russia cannot ensure for herself and her people the independence that is her pride and her birthright, cannot enjoy and develop to the full the fruits of her labour and her natural wealth. Let your hearts be permeated with the consciousness that there can be no peace without victory. However great may be the sacrifice required of us, we must march onward unflinchingly, onward to triumph for our country and our cause.”

The air vibrates with the echoes of these splendid words—and the bereaved mothers, sisters, wives, weeping in the loneliness and despair of their broken hearts, look up and smile again, because Russia’s blood has not been shed in vain. The news travels on the wings of the wind, and over countless distant, unknown graves, it brings its message to our fallen heroes: “You shall be revenged, brave warriors; your souls shall celebrate the moment of triumph, together with your living brothers!”

It is good also to know that we are not alone in our determination, that our Allies are with us, and share our views. How long the struggle will continue is a matter of the most varied conjecture, but it is interesting, in this connection, to look into the figures of our enemy’s fighting forces. There is a great variety of opinions and statements on the subject of Germany’s casualties, but if we strike an average between the numbers quoted by our enemies themselves, and the lists published by neutrals or in our own or our Allies’ newspapers, we shall find that Germany has had at least four million casualties, killed, wounded, or taken prisoners.

In view of the fact that the war seems likely to continue for an indefinite period, and that no direct nor definite result has been attained on any front, these numbers cannot fail to stagger German public opinion. The Kaiser’s assurances that in three months German troops would occupy Paris and Petrograd are still in the ears of the people. Thinking Germans, indeed, are perfectly aware that the key to the last word in the struggle is not to be found in the mere occupation of foreign territory, but lies in the real and living strength of the nation—i.e., in the continued superiority of the army as regards men and munitions.

Until recently German strategy had not taken casualty lists into consideration. The moment, however, has now come when the Kaiser himself suggests that it may be preferable to dig deeper trenches for living soldiers than graves for fallen ones, while Hindenburg makes obvious efforts to temper the exuberance of his Generals.

What does this mean? Only that Germany has counted her losses, and, having done so, has grown pensive. To lose four million men in sixteen months is undoubtedly depressing for even if one is to assume that our enemy still has four and a half million men in the field, there remains the fact that even by broadening the age limit to between seventeen and fifty-five, he cannot mobilize a reserve force of more than one and a half millions. It is therefore clear that if only for lack of men, a third year of the war is, at least for Germany, an impossibility.

The universally popular determination to fight to the last man is, of course, a mere figure of speech. In all history, no one has ever anywhere been known to prolong a struggle to this point. Besides it is clearly impossible to mobilize the entire manhood of a country, since a very considerable percentage of the male population is always indispensably needed at home, for Church and Government work, railway employment, mining, home defence, police, etc. It is quite impracticable to transfer the weight of all these responsibilities to the shoulders of women, and it is of course on the whole, only to a very small extent that war opens new doors for female labour.

Therefore if we assume that Germany’s entire population numbers about seventy millions, the outside limit for the numerical strength of her army can in no circumstance exceed ten millions, this being already 14 per cent of the whole nation, and a completely unprecedented percentage of the nation’s manhood. Such figures, indeed, represent an entire people in arms—a people, however, that has taken upon itself the impossible task of measuring its strength against that of three other mighty peoples, armed, also, to the teeth. In this uneven struggle, Germany must ultimately in spite of Austrian, Bulgarian, and Turkish help, meet her ruin, and bleed to death.

We in Russia look forward to the future without fear. We stand united as one man. All political strifes and disagreements are forgotten; there is no division of parties, no discussion of any affairs of State except those connected with the war. “War, war, war, till victory, till triumph. There lies our future and sо shall it be.” With these words our Home Secretary, Monsieur Chvostoff, concluded his recent speech to the members of the Press Bureau. The same sentiments are echoed everywhere. We are determined and hopeful and ready for every sacrifice, because, to quote our Empress Alexandra in her New Year’s telegram to the Secretary of State, “a war that has been forced on us by our enemies, and that has attained dimensions unprecedented in history, naturally calls for immense sacrifices. But I know that the Russian people will not hesitate before these sacrifices, and will fight on nobly until the moment when God’s blessing will bring to the glorious warriors who are shedding their blood for their fatherland and their Emperor, the peace that shall be bought by complete victory over our foes.”

By these words may English people discern the spirit of their Russian friends, their faith in victory.

OLGA NOVIKOFF (NÉE KIREEF)

4 Brunswick Place, Regent’s Park, N.W.