Telegram. Stavka. 5 May, 1915.

Have just arrived safely. Lovely weather. The woods are now quite green and smell delightful. Now I am off to church. Thanks for telegram. I embrace you tenderly.

Nicky.

Telegram. Stavka. 5 May, 1915.

Have just arrived safely. Lovely weather. The woods are now quite green and smell delightful. Now I am off to church. Thanks for telegram. I embrace you tenderly.

Nicky.

Telegram.

Stavka. 6 May, 1915.

I am very touched by your lovely presents and good wishes. Am sorry that we are not together. I thank Ella. I kiss you and the dear children fondly.

Nicky.

NOTES: The Tsar's birthday.

Telegram.

Stavka. 6 May, 1915.

Again I thank you tenderly and warmly for your good wishes. Be kind enough to thank our Friend for his moving words. After great heat and a night's downpour it has become much cooler now...

Nicky.

Telegram. Stavka. 7 May, 1915.

Best thanks for sweet letter. Tell her that I was touched by her note. The news is unsatisfactory. I wish you a happy journey, and hope that it will not prove fatiguing. I kiss you fondly.

Nicky.

NOTES: Here we have an acknowledgment of the fact that the news was not good. Mackensen was bombarding Przemysl, and Lutkov had fallen the day before.

Telegram. Stavka. 8 May, 1915.

Thanks for letter and telegram. I hope that you were not very tired. To-day there was a ray of light in the news. I think it will be better for me to stay here several days more, till matters clear up. I am sure you will understand. It is warm but dull. I kiss and embrace you tenderly, also O[Iga] and T[atiana].

Nicky.

Telegram. Stavka. 9 May, 1915.

1 am glad to hear that you have returned. Hearty thanks for news. The situation has improved slightly. The weather has at last become lovely. Please thank the three younger ones for their letters. I embrace you tenderly.

NICOLAI

Telegram.

Stavka. 10 May, 1915.

Many thanks for letter and news. Thank God the news is better. The weather is also wonderful, not very hot. I am sad because we are not together. I embrace you closely. The old man asks me to send his greetings.

Stavka. 11 May, 1915.

MY OWN DEAR LOVE,

It is exactly a week to-day since I went away. I am so sorry that I have not written to you since then! But, one way and another, it happens that I am just as busy here as at home. The morning reports, as you can imagine, have been lengthy. Then church, nearly everyday, endless conversations and so forth. This took up nearly all my time, if one does not count half of the early evening, which is filled up with useful occupations. After tea there is a hasty survey of the papers, often vsenoshchnaia [vespers] and dinner - with the result that I have a headache in the evening and am completely exhausted. But that has all passed, and everything has become better and more normal, as it used to be. When I arrived, a mood of depression and despondency reigned here. In a half-hour's talk, N. has clearly explained the whole state of affairs. Ivanov's Chief of Staff, poor General Dragomirov, went off his head, and he began to tell people right and left that it was necessary to retreat to Kiev. Such talk, coming from above, naturally affected the spirit (moral) of the generals in command and, combined with desperate German attacks and our terrible losses, led them to the conclusion that there was nothing left for them to do except to retreat. Since January, N. had given them all strict orders to fortify their positions in the rear. This was not done. Therefore, Radko-Dmitriev was compelled to leave his army, while Lesh was appointed his successor. Dragomirov was replaced by Gen. Savitch, an excellent man, who has arrived from Vladivostok with his Siberian Corps. Ivanov had given orders to evacuate even Przemysl. I felt all this before N. told me of it. But now, after the appointment of Savitch, thanks to God and also to his (Savitch's) strong and cool will and clear head, the mood of the generals has changed. Danilov, who came back yesterday, is absolutely reassured by what he has seen and heard. The moral condition of our troops is admirable, as it always has been; the only thing which causes anxiety, as in the past, is the shortage of munitions. Fancy, the same thing has happened to the Germans according to what the prisoners tell our officers - namely, that they were obliged to hold up their attacks owing to their supplies of ammunition being exhausted and their terrible losses. N. is very pleased with Gen. Alexeiev, my crosseyed friend, and thinks him a man in the right place.

Now you can judge for yourself whether I could go away from here in such difficult circumstances. It would have been understood as meaning that I avoided staying with the army at critical moments. Poor N., while telling me this, wept in my private'roorn, and even asked me whether I thought of replacing him by a more capable man. He was not at all excited (overwrought]; I felt that he was saying exactly what he thought. He kept on thanking me for staying here, because my presence here supported him personally. . That is how it is. I have explained it all to you, my treasure. Now my conscience is clear. I hope to return about the morning pf the 14th - that is, if everything goes smoothly.

The sudden death of Admiral Essen is a heavy loss to the country I Admiral Kanin will be appointed to Essen's post - a man whom the latter valued very highly. For the last few days the weather has been magnificent, the woods smell so delightfully and the birds sing so loudly. It is a veritable rustic idyll - if only it were not for the war I I drive about in a car, look at new places, get out and walk.

I am sending you this telegram of N.'s, which was received only this morning. I am delighted with your regiment; of course Bat. will receive his cross.

I must finish. God bless you, my darling Sunny, and the dear childr!n! Give A. my greetings. I kiss you tenderly and remain

Ever your loving old hubby

Nicky.

NOTES: LESH, appointed to the 3rd Army in succession to Radko-Dmitriev. SAVITCH: General Savitch, appointed to be Chief of Staff to General Ivanov, was a capable and reliable soldier. ESSEN: Admiral N. 0. Essen. He had taken part in the Japanese war, and commanded first the cruiser "Novik" and then the battleship "Sevastopol." He was Chief of the Operations Department of the Naval General Staff, and later commanded a part of the Baltic Fleet, hoisting his flag on the cruiser "Rurik." His death took place at Helsingfors. KANIN: Admiral V. A. Kanin, a member of the Council of State.

Telegram. Stavka. 12 May, 1915.

Warmest thanks for news and dear letter. Divine weather; the lilac has come out in bloorii. I am leaving to-morrow at 2 o'clock. I kiss you tenderly.

Nicky.

Telegram. Stavka. 13 May, 1915.

Sincerest thanks for dear letter. I have been for my last walk. It is very warm. Am leaving after lunch. Am happy to be returning. Kiss you fondly.

Nicky.