Rich:
It is funny that you mention Witte's Memoirs. I actually had a look at Witte's book today in order to determine which GDs were present at the conferences in Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof in the spring of 1905 through winter 1906.
I totally agree with you. I will even go further to say that his memoirs are the most informative, interesting, and insightful of the whole late Imperial period (with regards to high politics/government, the Romanovs...) And yes, he is very biased. You must recall that he wrote these memoirs years after he was dismissed from the primer ministership. He carries a grudge (so to speak) towards Nicholas II and Stolypin, the former for dismissing him and the latter for replacing him. (While Goremykin was Prime Minister right after Witte, his term was short.) His envy of Stolypin is remarkable. Witte continuously intrigued against him while Witte was in the State Council, hoping for Stolypin's dismissal and his reinstatement as Prime Minister. If you read Abraham Ascher's biography of Stolypin, you will see how pathetic Witte acted in his last years of service while in the State Council.
