Show FOUGHT HIS WAY TO POWER M witte W wa as once an underpaid railway clerk bt petersburg emperor nicholas has signed the appointment of lif witte president of ot the committee of ministers to be chief plenipotentiary representing the tile russian 1 government in the peace negotiations to be con ducted next month in the united states tho the appointment clothes M mue with mith plenary powers sergius vette the russian ent tent lary may ma be lie regarded as the lead ing liberal statesman of 0 for the last thirteen yr drs ho he has been one of tho the Etton strongest gest in the tile russian bureaucracy although his political fortunes for tunca buffered ered a setback when ho he was compelled to insign the portfolio 10 of minister of finance in au all gust 1903 and again when lien afeei be lug 1119 appointed dint Lilt of the coun ell cil of ministers in the same mouth his office gradually lost its Import importance anLe until rumors of his hi to resign and go 90 abroad had licen persistently circulated witte Is about GG 66 years ears old and has steadily worked his way up from the position of an underpaid railroad clerk who occasionally acted as poi pot ter to that of the leading statesman of russia in it spite of the fact that his en roea are numerous and find include bome some of the most powerful men in russia |