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Show ISSIA IS WATGH1G WEST 111 OUR Is Inclined to Take a Serious Seri-ous View of thc Situation. BY GEOEGE FEASER. Special Cable to Thc Tribune. ' ST. PETERSBURG, Juno -1. Russia is watching with keen Interest, tho unrest in China, and those best Informed aa to eastern affairs arc Inclined to take a serious view of tho situation In the Far ISast Time wnu when Russia regarded tho Asiatics with contempt, but that was before the war with Japan. The disposition disposi-tion now is to go rathor lo the other extreme ex-treme and to tako a too serious view of affairs. For tho present at least, Russia Rus-sia lias no Intention of further territorial terri-torial extension In the Far East She will content herself with holding and developing de-veloping her present possessions. In some quarters the bellof provalls that this will be difficult within the next decado, If the present awakening and modernizing modern-izing of China continues. It Is this Idea which makes Russia willing to come to an understanding with Japan, oven at the prlco of concessions which Russia Is loath to make. A high officer who has scon much service in tho east and who knows China as well as a European rimy, said to mo tlio other day: "The development develop-ment of China in a military way in thc past five years has been really most remarkable. re-markable. Thc Chinese have wonderful potentialities as soldiers, and when they have developed tho proper officers and have received the proper training they will mako formidable opponent- for any army. This Is being done with surprising surpris-ing rapidity." Grand Ducheas Becomes Nun. I mentioned In a recent letter that the Grand Duchess Elisabeth had taken orders or-ders as a nun. Twenty ladies of tho highest station have joined with her and have established a convent known as the Convont of Martha and .Mary, in Moscow. Thc vows wore made in tlio prosence of tho Metropolitan Vladimir, and her Imperial highness received at the hands of his most high holiness a cross In token of her office as sister superior. Her sister, Princess Henry of Prussia, was prosent at tho ceremony, and was blessed with an icon of St. Nicholas and St. Alexandra, specially sent for this purpose pur-pose by her younger slstor, thc czarltza, and by tho czar. Sho and the other ladles who took the same vow woro whito habits with white "veils. Tlio grand duchess devoted much time to thc care of disabled soldiers In a home she had established for them, and they simply sim-ply worshiped her. The beautiful Princess Prin-cess Galit::in, a girl of 20. hay joined tho community, and visited hor parents dressed In a habit similar to that worn by certain Catholic nuns recently. Tlio sisters do housework, and tho Princess Obolonslty scrubbed tho convent floors. Their Daily Eoutine. The sisters rise at 1; at 7:30 office Is Eaid in the church, or If any of thc sis-tors sis-tors aro engaged elsewhere, they recite the prayers themselves. At S there is tea, followed by service in church. After this tho sisters aro engaged in various kinds of w.ork until 12::i0, when dinner is served. During tlio meal passages from tho lives of the saints are read aloud. After dinner there is work, varied at 5 and nt 7 by prayer. Supper Is at 7.110. Tho grand duchoss and the assistant ulster superior have taken the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience for life; tho others have only been permitted to take them for ono year. If at thc end of the year they desire to continue in tlio community, thoy can renew their vows for throe yoars, for six and finally for life. The sisters have a home for soldiers sol-diers disabled in thc war, a hospital for poor women, a homo for women suffering suffer-ing from consumption, a dispensary at which medicine may be obtained free of charge, a homo for eighteen girls and a free library. Grain Crop Eecord-Breaker. The Russian grain crop bids fair to be a record breaker this year, and this may havo a marked effoct on the high prices of brcadstulfs the world over. Not only is tlio wheat crop greater than ever before, but tho same Is true of rye. which Is the staplo broudstuff for the great muss of Russians, and this makes a greater proportion of wheat available for export Then, owing lo the failure of certain banking Institutions, the money lenders who have advanced money on wheat aro now forcing their borrowers to soli their wheat almost regardless re-gardless of price. Hence, the pressure of Russian offerings on tho European markots has been tremendous, and thoy have sold for future delivery at prices that mako competition impossible. |