1957-07-22 — Page 4

THE CHINA MAIL, MONDAY, JULY 22, 1957.

MOSCOW ROAD

JUST

UST before the plane took off from London Airport for Berlin, a little man came running up the gangwny with a brown-paper bag from a colleague containing food and masses of pills.

I was off at last, pills, bath-plug, and all.

The morning in Berlin was spent rushing around trying to get a map of Poland so I would know exactly where I was going. I had tried the best shops in London before I left, and found it impossible.

Express colleague An- threw Fyall, who had come to Germany to see me off, gave me

a very amusing driving lesson before send ing me on my way.

I am afraid I am one of thos females who are rather inclinet

But Horry, who had a heart of gold, said: "I'll take you as far 1 con so that you can get used to manipulating the car on the

So I took over the car for the first time and I cannot describe at awful feeling of tausea that suddenly came over me. It was stifling hot, nearly 91 de- gers in the car.

with Pat Smyllie

road lo The

Kostrzyn was prelly gram that's all I cau say for it. la part it wasn't bad, but some of it was just a glorified dirt track and the cobbles were more cobbly

Ouc

of the

funniest thing) hcppened. I looked cu looked, couldn't see where the but I

Andrew petrol was to go hi. hadn't showed me.

Convoys of enormous hay. I walked round the ear, so dil caris seemed to take up most of the villagers. Somecao lay e

tractors the ground and looked under- the road, I saw two drawing six hay carts, and I saw neath the car, others, iceked co

o cbjects which looked rather the root. line Stephenson's Rocket.

Then I remembered the Ford

which hod bout hdbook thrown into the car. With it I found I had to pull down the number-plate to the tork.

Apart from the odd cow or geat that is apt suddenly to np I hadn't drive a car for near-peer out of nowhere, one can tp ly a year as I didn't have 150 airng fally martly.

my opportunities is London as I took over the British- nine Ford Consul with the red leather upholstered seats I felt I had gone back to the first days ad just opposite a lovely plue Pan 50 miles away, rnd was of my first driving lessons.

sme strawberries stopped outelde by en armed Andrew had given me, some puzid, who went out of their rolls which I had bought, and way to write down the names of

Izzy lemonade, which the best hotels. some usually I loothe but which now

I had not entte mything since. There was a great cheer from bicakfest that morning, I was the crowd. feel so ill with apprehens.co. So I died at the side of the

10 drive musi gay drivhig on the three times round Marble wrong side of the road is simply terrifying ot the beginning, Arch before getting into ay kept say "Go faster, the right stream of traffic. Inster," as I went in very slow

le at about 10 miles an hour. Now here I was, facu

Hurry left me when we came with A car I had never to the Stalinallee, the rood that driven before. This was was to take me to Poland and also the first time I had tually in Moscow.

the Continent. driven on

and maturing on the right- hand side of the road put some heavy difliculties in my way.

aver v

My tummy turned Andrew explained what went ri invide the war. I make it u

to know pict 4sually never what is underneath the hornet.

Having 1 look at a box full of spare parts he had gathere for the journey made me feel

quite ill.

innet say with so Itu. things to do I had hardly time to feel sorry for myself or think of the long drive ahead into the woknown,

Stalinalce is tu impressive w raad built by the Russians. a ther yellow brick the cotten million- aires built their palatial houses of outside Manchester,

ride are numerous of fats bl

blocks

that

Thirst went to a little town called Rudersdorf, then en to Frukte:t-om-Oder. The country side is virply lovely for those onists who have antide up their not follow in my wake. The reads have not got a very Fred surface the whole tirao.

Po 1ourists who are coming this way it is a very good thing

wrucd 011

belted along the road to

•

I went merlly to the first

seemed like draking champagne hotel I saw. There a kind little in the Savoy.

A

THE ROAD TO POZNAN

kind little

man clicked his heels and kissed my hand

I

red It was getting dusk suddenly realised that I had to get to Poman if I wanted a bed for the night. But the awful thing was it looked as if my petrol wouldn't last out.

shows

Although the map Schwenn, Wierzcorzyn, Pniewy, they are thy places with nothing so civilised as a petrol pump.

1 cursed myself as I realised that I had got down to my last

to bring plenty of your own gallon. Ouly one more gallon in food for picnics.

addiica to a tu in the back of the cor.. I didn't think I would

We Jeft West Berlin, Andrew Whoi I got to Frankforte aute to make Pozncu.

busy neguting the driving, by the mais street w : 50 where the Smart women look so streets and the traille. that I for- Dreadful thoughts began to

in their brightly celcured got to right up to the top rocks and golden-brown fan. with petrol.

THE ROAD: FROM BERLIN

I must say driving on the wrong side of the road is terrifying at the

beginning

Andrew revi Harry, a German guide, looked pretty glum they Anished taking pictures of me leaving at the Bindenbury Gate. My heart went racing down to my shors whin Andrez

1 har bad a full tank when I 1. Beriin, but it is mest neves-

Zary For Tenariste to # t at Fiskfort before gabg into Polud.

ba the Customs house a hot zz record was playing away es it the soldiers stumbled out to bok at me and the car.

After a very difficult conversa. German or ion, as I tek no Rusciant, and they couldn't speak French, we left in the bist of terms.

They were all laughing as i went over the bridge which salt "Smyille, I'm afraid you're closed the River Oder to the

on your RTS $299,"

Pelish frontier,

crowd into my mind as I woul carefully along the road to pię- Serve what lille I had left. At Wiczyna 1 stopped and asked for petrol.

No one seemed to know. Than a jolly little chap stepped for word and said "Benzine."

For all these would-be travel- lers the magic word you must remember here is not petrol but benzior.

Then walked in front of my car to

the jolly little chap

Iwo petrol pumps. The village came out to have a look, red after a certain amount of talk the chap who works the pumps was got out of his house.

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ina who spoke English gói me

room

and bought a meal, which eest over £1.

I was rather nice as he click-

ed his heels and kisad my hand as he went out of the room.

And so a to Warnew and the Russian fruntler town of Brest- Litavek, where you catch up with the Brst part of my story,

PEEP-BO!"

POISONED... SHOT ... DROWNED ... but

World Copyright by arrangement with the Manchester Guardian

still they feared him

the uncanny, incredible Rasputin

THE

career

by

By RALPH MIDDLETON

the

ntiri-

dinner and fed him on polsered wine, which hnd cakes and enough potassium èycnide to kill

ton men.

This was which the incredible happened. Apart from a slight tickling at the back of his throat, quite unaffected

the

ernate in this muzhik (pcc- saat), was holding me in vice- like fingers never to let go,"

Battered Down

from the

even after miserably

comment

his strange powers, his death.

Count Bobrinskoy's on this reassination is cmusing

The If that's the right word. Count was well brought up, and even though he agrees that Ras- putin had to gu, he declares that "no matter how unpleasant fellow ls, you just don't do that sort of thing that is, polson, shoot, beller and drown him in a frozen river,

in the

cellar of

翅

Ekaterinberg.

The secret of Rasputin's strange and secret powers still unknown today. All wo do know is that he was a TC- markably strong man with even more remarkable endurance, and him that he undoubtedly possessed hypnotic gifts that enable not only to control the Carina cud the Caar but also to cure the Csarevilch's fatal hacmo-

Anastasia

to his

A

WAS

E little boy lay bleeding to death on his sumptuous bed. His mother was on her knees weeping beside him. But even though the chill was the son and heir of the Emperor of all the Russias and his mother the Carinn, there was no hope. The little Csarevitch was a sufferer of haemophilia (hereditary non-stop and

Rasputin was by the deadly poison! incurable bleeding from any injury). This was

So, to the next stage of the tragic scene that greeted the eyes of Gregory Elimovitch

assassination. Prince Yousoupoff, with a revolver obtained from Rasputin. He acted quickly. He ordered everyone in

the Grund Duke Dimitri, Biled the room onto their knees to pray while he fixed his

Rasputin with bullets. Rasputin

Prince Youroupoff, Rasputto's 'philia. strange and powerful eyes onto the child.

killer, is still alive today. Part

Not very much of Rasputina For a few moments, he government and third-rate men dropped and appeared to be

el his income comes from the kept his eyes

bent down to examine on the little substituted. It seemed almost as dead. However, when the Prince

three books he had written on background is known. He was if Rasputin was working for the

Resputin and the aristocratic life born in 1871 in the province of boy and then placed his Germers against Russin, At one "corpse", it suddenly get up and

in pre-Revolution Russia. The Tobolsk, in Siberia He married hand on his forehead. The stage it was even said that the attacked him with demoniccal

Of this episode, Prince Prince lives in a Paris cuburb a girl from his own village and Csurevitch gave a little sigh Mad Monk was selling Russian

Yousoupoff writes: "I understood

u tall, distinguished man who had two children. He was and felt in the fullest degree the

pecsant and the son of a pea- and opened his eyes. Then, military secrets to the Germits

calls to pray with the sick In

to read. Resputin hed many enemies in

real power of Rasputin. It seem- instead of being frighten court, and they did their best to

devil himself, in- Paris suburb, The Prince says sant, and was unable ed by the crude, peasant- have him thrown out. However, ed that the

that "I once had power through It was 1 1904 that he saw the like features of the man the Carina would listen to no the one about her monk. On une ce-

witches, but now I have found light and decided to become who stood over him,

new power through prayer." He man of God. a was shown casion when she

gels up every morning at 6 am... little boy smiled and then picture of Rasputin at a drunken

To elart on his rounds of 'pray- turned to his mother. By a

er visits to the sick. "1 "have and debauched party, she said had been

always been interested in heal- miracle, his life had been that the man who

69- According

daughter, her monk

ing by prayer,” says the

of the saved. The haemorrhage "impersonating"

should be arrested. She could

Rrsputin was then battered year-old Prince. In this, he was Rasputin saw a vision

when he Virgin different from the Holy stopped, and everyone in-

see no evil in Raspulla.

down, and beaten again and not very

man he assassinated 40 yeare ploughing, and that the Virgin stinctively knew that the The story was once rite that again. He was then bound light- Csarevitch was on the road the Csarins was Rasputin's mis-

ly with repes and thrown into ago. The Prince still thinks he had directed him to become a dress. Today, however, this and

the freezing River Neva, But wes right killing. Rasputin. ledder of men and a seeker after to recovery.

even this did not seem to end Count Bobrisky, however, says righteousness.

Ater this Rasputin went 10 So began the astonishing many of the other evils

buted to Rasputin, are being the life et Rasputin! When is that he doubts if the killing

anyone any good. "It was in de Kiev where he was discovered of Rasputin,

certain body was recovered 11 denied et leest peasant-monk from Siberia Count Bobrinskoy. The Count, frozen river three days later, one flance of loyal wishes and only chopping wood in the monastery undermined the authority ef of St Michact by the Grand who

after this who is a naturalised Briten and arm had worked itself free frem

Duckiestes Anastasia and Mila- were Csar Nicholas." astonishing cure began to Russian language adviser to the the ropes and his lungs

Rasputin's death Corpora- full of water. It seemed, there-

did not end to, who were there on a pil British Broadcasting

Fascinated by Ras- influence the Csarina with tion today, was,

the 40 years ago, fore, that in spite of the poison.

nalaire in the Imperial grimage.

eyes... his putin's hypnotic

they Court, ad for this reason strange and fateful quite somcore nt the Imperial the bullets and the baitering.

He was, in fact, an Rasputin had once again re- death was probably in vaka. The talked to him. It was then that power, and through her, Court, Csar Nicholas, the Imperial officer of the Russian Imperial covered after he had been thrown Revolution in 1917 was to des- they learned he could cure the troy the whole royal household sick by prayer, and it was on Court and the whole Russian Guard. He knew Rasputin well. Into the river, and that he hand

and everything that Imperial their instigation that he Bobrinskoy, Count

whose struggled and breathed agala, 1 Empire.

Russla stood for, and the Caar brought to Moscow to heal the great-grandfather

the wrs for this reason that many

and his family were to die Csarevitch, illegitimate son of Catherine 11, people still feared Rasputin and says thut Rasputin was never on arrogant, really more than ill-mannered peasant and that a This was before the First lot of the legend of the mad, World War when Imperial Russia bad, sinister, corrupt and syll In a recent was moving into its lost days. mork is not true. Russia was bleeding to death. Interview, Count Bobrinskey said But, although Rasputin could that the source of the trouble cure the Csarevitch (and he is was that the monk was admitted reputed to have cured the boy to all the most privileged court on several more ocessions), he circles. "If they had only kept could not

eure Hursio of her the uncouth fellow in his proper

RECENTLY came across a theory that tits tap on servants he internal bleeding. In fact, It place, among the seemed as if the "Mad Monk," would never have assigned such windows because they see their reflections and peck angrily at what they believe is a hated rival, I do not Its he soon came to be called, airs and graces.”

The Count vouches for the was stabbing Imperial Russia

uncanny agree at all. with even deeper wounds than trul ct Rasputin's were the German crmies on the powers, however. "Many a time

In winter, when birds are dependent on us for their food Eastern front and the revolu- when the yourn Csarevitch look- tioneries who were preparing to ed like dying frem haemophilia, it will always peck for our attention as soon as the dish is overthrow the Emperor and all Rasputin would say a prayer. emply; once thus been replenished, the tapping stops.

lay his hands on the prince, and Often on a cold winter morn- But in they will top peremptorily While it is true thai the bleeding would stop. any mother would be grateful to any the Count holly denies that the on the bedroom windows is mis- they think that their breakfast man who could save her son's Csarina was Resputin's

is late, life, this is not enough reason tress

From

મ

50011

Last Days

he stood for.

to

for Rasputin's rapid climb political power in the Impericl

Court. The real reason ay in Rasputin uncanny powers-not only of heeling but of frauene-

was

Missing from home baby

I

-one cheeky

Assassination brave lilile atoms belleve them-.

scives

Up-Country

an early age these

to be the lords

of

Nevertheless,

THURLOW

today trying to whitewash Ras-

The other day 'n baby blue lit

CRAIG

and in epile of creation..

ing people in an. hypnotic the fact that many people are

maurer.

to charged my younger son Philip

It was through the Canrevitch putin, his enemies at the time just able to fly deliberately. that Baspuun begen to cast what of his power did their best can only be called a spell over get him thrown

out of court, and hung grimly to his pullover.

Transferred to a finger, it stood the Courica. And from her, it When they saw that his influence there with legs wide apart, chest was an easy step to dominate the on the royal household was stucic out, mouth wide open like scale Csar. In retrospect, one strong, they decided on the only

cannot help wondering whether, pessible action nesassination. An opera star.

Was

cf terraces - We flung the baby tit into the stables below, air with a blcesing. It made a then the house; clumsy sweep and landed next the gǝr heavily cn Philip's stomach, en, and finally hanging by its claws crd curs- the orchard, Ing him shrilly. with

We launched

it again. This heavily time it circled, came in to land buttressed grey on my shoulder, overshot and stone

three

walls pancaked heavily, still muttering. into the Cividing them. We Inserted it

'mass of, knothole of the nearest tree and valerian, feros, it was Immediately elected with and rock plants a chorus of furious yells, growing out of Gopaning, we faced the pong- the cracks. billly at having yet another pet In summer it layery beautiful, folsted on us. while winter and unmer it is

an inviolable fortreks Yor birds. I put it on my shoulder whllo busy with my camera. Then it it the Cor had had better One of the plotters was Prince Wo offered it a morsel of

In the boles

between the flew off with a valedictory, peop dvisern, rend had throw Felix Yousoupoff, a kinoman of green pea which it spurned, but

stones there are mosty nests, and diappeared with unerring out the aycophants cod Cear Nicholos,

fresh liver cut into minute

some containing more than ano sim lalo

thitherto unspotted parasites in his court, the It was this Prince who ass shavings was greedily engulfed family. There are nesla in knots nest. cutastrophic losses against assinaled Rasputin. According to

We listened to, a barrage » OF the Germane and perhaps even Count Bobrinskoy "It was Thinking is parents right in the apple trees too.

We call this communal bod- cllclm and equenter while (pre- the fermenting revolution would ghastly affair" It certainly was be getting anxious, wo storied

Favour sumably) the parenta wepa not have been averted at 10ast just this. And it was also one of looking for its nest. But which lam the Grace and

out in onet

Nesta, since norte a more than dusting its tall for going for a while. However, on the all the most_mseabre murders powerful advice

from unstecmpanied et so lender of Rasputin, history. Prince Yousouport and Our grey stone bome is hullt two seconds flying-time

120. good men were unscated in the his friends invited Rasputin to into the hillside in a serica the kitchen door,