Grand Duke v. Dictator

Dictator Josef Stalin of Soviet Russia released at Moscow last week an official statement of the Soviet thesis that Great Britan is the leader of a group of powers which are trying to overthrow the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics.

M. Stalin, a cold, stern, quiet man, generally garbed in a coarse peasant's blouse, said:

"We have in our possession the plans of a Tsaristic campaign that was to have been launched simultaneously against Soviet Russia from ten or twelve different points.

"Grand Duke Nicholas,* who was annointed as the Tsar of Russia a little over a year ago by a White Russian Congress that met in Paris, was to take the field early, in July, operating from Poland. He was to put himself at the head of an army of 85,000 White Russians secretly gathered there.

"On July 12 another White Russian army of 35,000 was to take the field from Lithuania. Rumania next was to contribute another huge army.

"We have also in our possession a number of documents showing that three of the border States were each to contribute 50,000 men to the Alliance brought about by British secret agents.

"In a secret circular issued by Grand Duke Nicholas, he assured his emissaries within Soviet Russia that Britain had undertaken to finance the campaign.

"We have in our possession documentary evidence to prove beyond any doubt that England has been financing this last Tsarist movement."

Dictator Stalin went on to say that this documentary evidence supplied justification for the recent execution of some 20 "White Russians" in Moscow (TIME, June 20). He concluded: The White Russians who have been shot were about to lead a rebellion that would have cost millions of lives."

Nikolai Nikolaievich. The White Russian Congress referred to by Dictator Stalin presented an appeal as follows to the 71-year-old Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaievich in Paris (TIME, April 19, 1926) : "Monseigneur: The Russian Congress, which unites all the patriots aspiring to the re-establishment of the Russian nation, acclaims in the person of your Imperial Highness the foreordained representative of the nationalist idea as well as the glorious supreme chief of the army and defender of the fatherland since the first days of our Calvary. . . .

-"Upon the issuance of your appeal all Russians without exception will take up unhesitatingly the glorious task of liberating the fatherland.

"May the Most High sustain you."

The aged Grand Duke, onetime (1914) Commander of all the Armies of all the Russias, made reply to the "White" Congress, thus: "I appreciate keenly the sentiments expressed by the Congress and its affirmation that the Russian emigres are ready to second my efforts to save the fatherland.

"Our plans must not now anticipate the future destiny of Russia. . . . Our people deprived today of all liberties, alone have the right to establish the bases of their existence. It is they who will found the wealth, glory and greatness of Russian power.

"I await the speedy coming of the hour of the safety of our country."

Baron Wrangel. Grant that the "White Russians" and Grand Duke Nikolai want to invade Russia. . . . There still remains a question: "Where would they get the 120,000 troops postulated last week by Dictator Stalin?"

A partial answer would be that famed Tsarist Commander Peter Nikolaievich Wrangel, Baron Wrangel claims to have a potential army numbering "40,000 White Knights" (TIME, Dec. 27), the members of which are banded together and employed in manual labor as a self-supporting colony in Jugoslavia and pledged to fight for "Holy Russia."

Significance. The facts just cited make clear that an attempt to invade Soviet Russia might be set in motion at any time by the mere fiat of Grand Duke Nikolai. At 71 he still retains the majestic presence and shrewd acumen which enabled him to carry out the masterly Russian "retreat without victory" in 1915 to new lines so well chosen that they .held against Imperial Germany for two years more.

Possibly the Grand Duke and his followers could even muster--as Dictator Stalin claims--some 120,000 armed "Whites" to invade Russia. But how large is the Red Army which would oppose them? Latest figures place the Soviet Army peace strength at 260,000 men, with 850,000 reservists constantly under training. Thus "Reds" would outnumber "Whites" by 10 to 1.

With this proportion in mind, observers scanned afresh the statement of M. Stalin. Did he really fear an invasion by the Grand Duke Nikolai? A likely hypothesis seemed to be that Dictator Stalin was talking chiefly for home consumption. He and the Communist party cannot fail to benefit by the growing up among the Russian masses of an idea that the Communist regime alone stands as their defender against an "Alliance" headed by Great Britain.

* Second cousin of the last Tsar, Nicholas II, and grandson of Tsar Nicholas I.