A. Zemetchinsky, of Svobodnaya Rossiya, assails countess Yevgeniya de Primo, pianist and niece of Lev. Nikolayevich Tolstoy, who is touring this country and is now in Chicago, for scowling at Bolshevik Russia, and at the teachings of the great Russian Author, which was, he asserts, quite a treat for the reporters of the yellow capitalist-press, who were delighted by her statements and spread them to the utmost.

The writer for Svobodnaya Rossiya has no patience with this aristocratic busybody, who, in his opinion, gives her derogatory statements on Russian and on the greatest writer, with a touch of vulgar familiarity.

This flippant aristocrat declared that Russia's strength is ebbing in the same ratio as Bolshevism keeps gaining strength.

She blames her uncle for the ascending of bolshevism. She lays bolshevism to Tolstoy's teaching "not to resist evil, and that military service is worse than jail". Russia, she laments, is robbed of her immense powers. "Mrs. Tolstoy haughtily declares that she never did and never will agree with Tolstoy's teachings." She sees Russia's salvation in exactly the opposite direction in retention of the old order. And, "as if to back her own views she immediately repaired to the church at 1121 Leavitt Street upon arriving here. There she was received with outstretched arms... The papers reported that special church services were ordered, and Priest Nicholas Metropolsky officiated, which was another special sign of distinction". "This, of course, was the priest's opportunity to tell the news-men that in the orthodox countess he beholds the triumph of his church", or that the church is the best influence on Russians in America, and again, that he personally has great influence among the Russians in the struggle with bolshevism.

The writer feels sorry for the disgruntled countess, who "cannot look forward to lackeys, maids, titles, Tolstoyan land-possessions". None of that 3now and she has nothing except her membership to the tiny Tolstoy-group-over whom nobody in Russia will now fuss or be bothered about.

"Why then," querys the writer, "should this little aristocrat go a-spattering in an attempt to slander Russia when she knows only her tiny Tolstoy clan? Why could she not be content with pouring out her heavy heart into the willing ear of the faithful servant Metropolsky. Wherefore this urge to carry all mortal affronts into another country's ear"....

In conclusion of his arraignment of the fragile countess for her flippant, frothy tongue, the writer recalls how the yellow press was at first entertained by Tolstoy's improvident son, "so much so until even the yellow press began to giggle at his naivete", and this son of Tolstoy later disappeared somehow; so now his niece appeared in the arena.

It would make Tolstoy miserable to hear the public statements of his kinsmen.