Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XXIII. Russia in decline
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
168
RUSSIA IN DECLINE [chap, xxiii.
intriguers and had always sought to injure his chiefs or
his colleagues. I knew later that the idea of sending
M. E- to Stockholm had come to several of the
leaders of the Foreign Office when the success of my
work in Sweden became accentuated. At any cost they
had to guard against the possible promotion of a man
so little liked in the departments of the Foreign Office
as I was. So I was given as associate an individual
who promised to write from Stockholm, that is to say to
spy on my words and actions and to report them—
distorted of course—to correspondents eager for this
kind of information. In the present case these
correspondents were two officials in the Foreign Office who
played a somewhat important part in M. Sazonofif’s set,
and who remained under the same conditions with
M. Sturmer.
As long as Sazonoff was Minister, I thought very
little of all this intrigue; moreover, it had not become
very apparent. But on Sturmer’s appointment, M.
E-, who during his career had repeatedly professed
reactionary principles, felt certain of supplanting me;
he cast off all dissimulation, and spoke quite openly
about my approaching "dismissal" from Stockholm.
Towards the middle of October rumours of the
approaching departure of Count Benckendorff from
London, and of M. Isvolsky from Paris, reached us from
Petrograd ; and a fortnight later I heard from several
well-informed quarters that I was going to leave
Stockholm without receiving any other post abroad.
M. Sturmer had already chosen my successor; only it
was not M. E-. It was a gentleman quite as
unworthy of esteem and adding to his other qualities that
of being a thorough good-for-nothing as regards his
knowledge and work.
Sturmer’s retirement in November, 1916, put an end
to all these rumours, and to all these schemes. And a
month later M. E-, implicated in a society scandal of
which he was the sorry and ridiculous hero, had to leave
not only Stockholm but also the service of the State.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
