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Show ALL RUSSIAN ARMIES ARE IN FULL RETREAT ST. PETERSBURG. March It 1:30 a., m. "Last night all Cur armlea commenced com-menced to retreat." The greatest defeat In the history of the Russian-Japanese war was made known In St Petersburg last night, but only In the paltry eight words from Gen. Kuropatkln to Emperor Nicholas, which were flung about the streets in newspaper newspa-per extras and passed from mouth to mouth. -. Two thoughts formed Instantly in the minds of every one, and two words were on every lip surrender peace the former for-mer dreaded, the latter hoped for. - Gen. Kuropatkln is no maker of phrases; his words never are quoted like the famous "All is lost save honor," but his laconic message hides more probably than any other two sentences In the literature lit-erature of war. St. Petersburg knows nothing of the extent of the disaster, not even the lines of Kuropatkln's retreat; whether the route to Tie pars Is still open, whether he is endeavoring to cut his way through to safety, or whether, as many of the pessimists pes-simists believe, he has taken to the mountains. moun-tains. If it be the latter he will Inevitably Inevit-ably be hemmed in and starved Into sur- render as Marshal Basalns was at Met. The members of the general staff, when asked for information, said: "We know nothing. We hope he will bring the army off safely; but we do not know- how ha will do It. We only know he has commenced com-menced to retreat; that Is all." . Every one now Is discussing peace, which many of the staunchest advocates of the war. bureaucrats and officers, declare de-clare to be inevitable It openly Is bruited that Rojestvensky's fleet has been recalled and is now on the way homeward. home-ward. The admiralty, when asked if the report were true, said: "We don't know; rail again tomorrow," and declined to comment on the significance of the cancellation can-cellation of the purchase of colliers or the direction of Rojestvensky's voyage from Madagascar' waters. It can be stated, however, that no overtures over-tures for peace yet have been made, and none Is likely to be made for a few days, before the extent of the disaster has developed. de-veloped. Aside from peace, defeat may bring other consequences in Its train. That an enormous impetus has been given to the reform movement is plain, even to the most reactionary conservative; but the immediate result chiefjy dreaded is the effect on internal disorders, not only In , - the capital, but also, since St. Petersburg is not Russia, upon the millions of peasants peas-ants in the vast agricultural regions, among whom the spirit of revolt now is incubating and already has hatched pillage pil-lage and arson in a few districts. . |