Felix > Recent Status Updates

p. 585: One izvozchik refutes all the mushy-headed rhetoric: Why are the new recruits being trained to fight the Germans? In 1905 he fought the Japanese and received a wound. But now all the streets are filled with Japanese flags to greet the Mikado's cousin. So what's the point of the bloodshed when in a few years the same will be with Germany?

Can't say he is wrong, can one?

p. 569 - typical situation. P. suggests to the Deputy Foreign Minister Neratov that opressing the Russian Jews slightly less would have a great beneficial effect on the American public opinion (probably a misguided notion but he means well). Neratov's answer is as expected - Oh no, we can't do that in the middle of the war! Our far-right will be up at arms.

So 2026, really...

p. 566 - when it comes to summing up the Czar's character Kokovtsov nails it quite well.

pp. 558-559: Finally P. gets a glimpse of reality re:the "Russian people's resolute desire to acquire Constantinople" - there was never such a thing. It was the usual smoke and mirrors and now he realizes that nobody execpt "a small camp of nationalists and a group of liberal doctrineurs" wants it. No shit, Sherlock. Should I remind him how much hay he had made of it ~200 pages ago?