In future history, whatever other attributes may be claimed for the Kaiser, he may undoubtedly be allowed to have attained pre-eminence as a “receiver of stolen goods,’’ because Russia has certainly been stolen with the aid of lies and deceit. No future palliation will ever succeed in erasing from his character that indelible stain.

For surely it must now be clear to everyone, in every country, that Great Russia’s territory has been stolen from its people by diabolic craft, and made over by disgraceful surrender to an unscrupulous foe.

Lest we forget, it is useful even at the cost of repetition to chronicle the past events. The first gigantic lie propagated by the present usurpers was that our Emperor had voluntarily abdicated his throne, and had forsworn the oath which he gave as anointed head of the great Orthodox people. The falsehood was quickly followed by a series of others, the objects of which were again to mislead the public in Russia as well as abroad. Our country was assured that the Emperor’s abdication was not due to an attack upon his personal autocracy. Indeed, so certain of this was the Emperor himself that he designated his brother as successor and provisional ruler, as was then publicly announced. In the meantime the whole of Russia was promised a year ago that her representatives would be asked immediately to meet (which naturally would mean a Zemsky Sobor), and express their views on the changed position of affairs, and this not for the first time in our history.

For in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries—in fact, up to the time of Peter the Great—the Government had been accustomed to appeal for opinion and advice to a consultative body in which were represented the clergy, the nobility, the merchant class, and even some of the peasant community.

But the ultradespotic Peter, in his zeal for drastic reforms, abolished both the Zemsky Sobor and the Patriarchate (vide “The M.P. for Russia,’’ vol. ii., page 352). And I must add, in passing, that by these measures Peter the Great became almost hated by the Slavophil party, whose motto was “Greek Orthodoxy, Monarchy, and Nationalism.’’

But let us again come to more recent events. I have already dilated upon these in previous writings, but memories are short, and repetition may on that ground be excused. Already some of these events, although so recent, seem almost difficult to realize. The abolition of the police; the opening of prison doors for the release of even the worst criminals; the free use of alcohol (after a two years’ period of prohibition); the institution of the so-called “Soviets,” with ill-defined powers and duties, but whose despotic activities, backed by large sums of mysterious origin, consisted in demoralizing the Army and the Navy, who were bidden to disband to their homes, where free grants of land awaited them; the general throttling of the patriotic Press, and punishment of honest protest by imprisonment and death; and, finally, the crowning enterprise, the attack on the Greek Orthodox Faith, and wholesale robbery of churches, banks, palaces, museums, private residences, and even schools. As an accompanying serenade to this scene of action we have had the songs of MM. les Assassins on freedom, equality, and justice!

Thus has chaos reached its apogée. How can a country whose representatives have cast aside all principles of religion and morality be expected to entertain even the most elementary notions of common honesty, including obligation to pay the country’s debts?

Now, naturally, we come to the question, Can nothing be done? and what is to be done? and when? To me the answer seems wonderfully clear. Endeavour by all possible means to replace the present usurpers by people who recognize not only the common duty of repaying the moneys borrowed for continuance of the war, but also the obligation of observing all other honourable engagements and treaties. In this way would be prevented the continued sale of stolen goods to our country’s enemy.

Concentrated power, under Divine inspiration, can accomplish great and noble ends. For example, the emancipation of forty-eight million Serfs in 1862, the abolition of vodka in 1914, the recognition of Russia as Protector of the Slavonic world, the reunion of Poland, and the intended rescue of unhappy Armenia from the Turkish yoke.

Concentrated diabolic power, on the other hand, has, for the time being, annihilated Russia.

Conclusion: You English friends should, once for all, reject the lying calumnies which have been directed against our Imperial family generally, and the Tzar in particular. They have been categorically denied by Sir George Buchanan, the British Ambassador, since his return to England. The ex-Tzar’s innocence, which to us was never in question, has been further recognized by the publication of his autograph letter written on April 13, 1916, to M. Poincaré, and handed to MM. Viviani and Thomas on the occasion of their visit to the Emperor. These facts are of supreme importance, and to say that they will profoundly affect England’s attitude towards Russia is no exaggeration.