Russian Monarchist Leaders Seek Support in America

Mrs. Robert Lansing came from Washington, D. C. yesterday as the representative of a group of prominent women there to make arrangements with the Advisory Committee of the Monday Opera Supper Club for the visit of the Grand Duchess Cyril in Washington. The Grand Duchess will arrive in this country Dec. 1. as a guest of the club. A large reception will be given there for her at the New Willard Hotel. Dec. 11.

Frederick Cunliffe-Owen. writing in last Sunday’s New York “Times”. stated on this subject:

“Since the former Grand Duke Cyril has not only issued a public manifesto proclaiming himself Emperor of all the Russias. and his seven-year-old son, Wladimir. as Czarevitch, but also had it announced from Paris that he is very shortly sailing for New York with his aide-de-camp. General Sikonpsky, to confer with certain American capitalists, who are anxious to bring about through him the restoration of a monarchist government which would enable the United States to resume stable trade relations with Russia, it may be of timely interest to call attention to the peculiar position of this particular scion of the imperial family of Romanoff, especially with regard to the other members of the dynasty.

“Examination of Cyril’s antecedents and present position is all the more timely since his consort, who was born as a Princess of the reigning house of Great Britain and as a daughter of Queen Victoria’s second and sailor son, is to arrive here on Nov. 29 as a sort of advance agent to pave the way for her husband’s coming by delivering a brief series of addresses under the patronage of Mrs. Henry C. Loomis’s Russian Relief Society.

“Grand Duke Cyril is already acting and speaking as if he were assured of the monetary backing of financiers here, who will, of course, endeavor to induce the American investor to interest himself in this enterprise. But however much one may sympathize with the desire to put an end to the Soviet regime at Moscow. it may be just as well to look carefully into the prospects of the enterprise and into the record of its leaders, before subscribing any good American dollars to an undertaking that may come to grief and thus delay the hour of Russia’s ultimate and inevitable recovery.

“It may be added that Cyril in his capacity as self-styled Emperor has issued a public letter over his signature warning investors against subscribing to any of the loans which the French and British Governments seem disposed to favor and which the Soviet Junta proposes to float in Paris and London, declaring that they will be repudiated by the Russian nation as soon as he recovers the imperial throne.

“According to the New York “Times” cable despatch from Paris on Thursday last, large and simultaneous gatherings of Russian monarchists recently held in Paris and in London, where it was presided over by Prince Wiasemsky, who has an American wife in the person of the daughter of the great American dry goods merchant. Gordon Seliridge, despatched messages to the Empress’ mother at Copenhagen to ask for her instructions as to the attitude which they should assume with regard to Cyril’s recent proclamation. They promptly received a reply to the effect that she deeply resented it. would have nothing whatever to do with Cyril, and that since there was no proof of the death of her younger son. the missing Grand Duke Michael. it was an outrage to proclaim a successor to the Muscovite throne. Grand Duke Nicholas also refuses to have anything to do with Cyril and contemptuously ignores his pretensions as Emperor of all the Russias.

“Under the circumstances it would be well that before American investors at the instance of international financiers subscribe to an undertaking for the restoration of the monarchy in Russia they should require that those who are making the appeal for money should present at least a united front, and that Cyril in his efforts to establish himself as Emperor at Petrograd. at American expenses should show that he has the support of the principal and most respected members of his dynasty and the most reputable members of his party.”