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Show HUSS1 EMPEROR , DIETS DEFENSE Headquarters, However, Is a Long Distance From the Scene of Fighting. PETROGRAD, via London, iN'ov. 6, S:06 p. m. in a white, two-story building build-ing in a city oi' perhaps 40,0U0, but resembling re-sembling more nearly an overgrown village, is stationed trio staff which directs di-rects the defense of Russia against her enemies, y Tha. director in chief is Emperor Em-peror Nicholas, and to this forlorn place from the imperial palace at Tsarskoe-Selo he for the time Doing has banished himself, in order that he may live in daily touch with the affairs of his armies in the field, advise with the officers and supervise the conduct of the war. Alt-hough many hours' journey by train from the nearest battle iine, the emperor and' his staff are in almoBt instant in-stant communication by telegraph with all points along the 1000-mile front. It is in this building that the daily official j communications to the world are written. writ-ten. ! The general chief of staff, General Michael Alexieff, is a modest man, who shuns self-glorification. A casual visitor to the town in question ques-tion finds little to induce him to prolong pro-long his stay. The hotels, of which there are several the best leaving much to be desired are pre-empted by the military. The town is crowded with strangers, : who have come from the territory overrun by the Germans. It is only at night that the place wakes up. Until nearly midday tha many little shops that crowd each' other along the two main thoroughfares keep their doors locked and their windows shuttered. Antiquated " Izvoschiks, " as the public hacks are called, shamble out of the way ot screeching high-power high-power automobiles carrying officers, the cars appearing incongruous in the century-old setting of cobbled streets and high-windowed and dingy stores. Around the white staff building there is a solemn stillness. Sentries guard the entrance and open space in front, and none without official business may paps. The distress of the people growing : out of the war is apparent on every hand. The floors of the railway waiting wait-ing room at night serve as a sleeping place for scores of weary wayfarers, Old men, women and children lie closely huddled, leaving a narrow aisle for the stream of traffic to and from the trains. Farther up the line the lights from camp-fires at night disclose hundreds of people living in wretchedness in crude board shelters, which only partly protect them from the freezing winds. |