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Show GENERAL STOLSSEL. 1 ' if it shall prove that Geri. Stoessel has been or is to be; dismissed in disgrace from the Russian army, it will be a world . surprise, because at the .time of the capitulation it was definitely stated that the Japanese having obtained the exact range with their tremendous shells were literally tearing the forts at Port Arthur up by the roots, so to speak, and that the strain 'had . become so terrible that many , officers and men had gone insane, that the situation was utterly untenable and hopeless, and .that Gen. Stoessel had held on a month longer than his associate officers thought was justifiable, that to remain there was simply hopeless murder. If it has transpired by legitimate proof that he might' have held out indefinitely, why then no disgrace dis-grace can be too great for him, because he held the key of the war. So long as he was there in position the Japanese were obliged to have another, base, of supplies, and Oen. Kuropatkin has always held that his battle at Mukden would have been absolute J victory had not the army released from besieging Port Arthur been turned to reinforce the army in front of his lines.' Indeed, we all remember the diV patch that when that awful battle was on, the Japanese Jap-anese as&anltinsr columns shouted to the Russians that they were from Port Arthur. The giving up of Port Arthur placed all southern Manchuria in the hands of the Japanese, and if Gen. Stoessel could .have held out.-another month and didn't,' why his disgrace will be just. At the same time it was the only .bright spot for Russia in the whole history of their war. , - " - ; s ani a |