Show GRAND DUKE ALEXIS HAS RESIGNED the uncle of the czar is ne longer at the head of the russ an army and navy MANY UGLY RUMORS AFLOAT charges of mismanagement and tales of corruption and even worse aga ast the marine department st petersburg the sensational an no Is made that grand duke alexis the high admiral who la an uncle of the emperor and admiral avellan head of the russian aamir alty department have resigned this announcement was followed a few mm utes later by an imperial re eleving the grand duke of the supreme direction of the navy which he had beld since the days of the emperor father alexander III when russia re evolved to enter the lists as a first class aea power and to build up a great navy the remnants of which were de strayed in the battle of the sea of japan although from time to time since the war begun there have been ru mors that the grand duke would retire on account of the savage criticisms not to use harsher terms directed against the administration of the navy especially in the construction of ships the announcement of his resignation bame like a bolt from the blue sky it was not preceded by any of the rumors which usually give warning of buch an act consequently it was as fumed that some sudden event precia stated it and ugly stories immediately came to the surface among tl ose sojourning late in the cafes and hotels the in the nassa shish thursday demanding an accounting of he popular funds sub scribed for he rebuild ng of the navy and declaring that great names are no longer u laran tees was instantly recalled the words of the give no hint of imperial anger and the real explanation probably will not leal out for several days but the in stant disposition was to regard the re ti rement of grand duke ales s and admiral avellan as a concession to public op nion following the crowning tragedy of the sea of japan charges of mismanagement and tales of corruption and even worse against the marine department have been rite for years after the war be gan they increased tenfold and lately a regular campaign against the depart ment has been openly conducted in the newspapers some startling revelations have been made in this cam laign and captain clado who was one of the leading critics of the conduct of the navy was dismissed from the ser vice tor his persistence grand duke alexise himself did not escape personal attacks and scandal was so busy with his name that he was several times the subject of pub lie demonstrations the name of the grand duke was high on the list ot those condemned by the terrorists and after red sunday jan 22 last it was reported that he had fled abroad but it developed that he was merely keeping closely within his pal ace |