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Show Asia wns not ilwajs extended to western Europe, but still there was a feeling of dread at the-nlnie of Russia which indicated the Western belief In the puissance of the great northern bear. - - For a century, the Russian bluff wai completely successful, and the Russian bureaucrat were gradually grad-ually inspired with the idea that it-would-win un der any and all circumstances. Then they made their grand mistake, perhaps- the most egregious blunder ever committed by the statesmen of a great power. . ..' ' '-. , :. . Never was a national fall so complete in the world's esteem as that of Russia. A .year ago the name' of Russia was dreaded wherever heard,11 the power of Russia was feared wherever known. Now, defeated on the sea bytbe warships of Japan, her armies all on the defensive against the despised Japanese, Jap-anese, driven back wherever assailed, humiliated by the necessity of an apology to Great Britain, none so poor to do her reverence. Plucky Japan has thoroughly and -completely exposed the Russian bluff. ... , Russia Exposed cs a Bluffer. The fear of sl conflict between Slav and Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon for world supremacy which has been the hobgoblin hob-goblin of the nations for fifty years, has been dissipated dissi-pated pretty thoroughly in the past six months. Husky little Japan has aready shoVn up Russia as A world bully. j A national bluff may be worked along the same general lines as one "personally conducted," as the tourist agencies say, but the difference between the bluff personal and the bluff national is found in the fact that the former generally ( needs resources of strength and prowess behind it, while the latter can be operated without much of either, though as a matter of fact an appearance of both is essential to success. . Russia has been bluffing the whole earth - for a hundred years on the strength of the defeat of . Napoleon during the Moscow campaign. As a matter mat-ter of fact, historians and military critics are agreed . that Kapoleon was not defeated by the Russians, but by the climate and by the enormously long line of communication' which could not be maintained. Whenever he met the Muscovites in battle the latter were invariably worsted, and their fearful defeat j at Borodino inspired them with such dread that J they did not again venture to oppose him in the i field. The utter ruin of the French army, however, j which the Russians attributed to their own valor, gave them a prestige in Europe which was greatly ' increased as the empire enlarged its borders. The growth of Russia through Asia has been at the expense of a great number of petty tribes, each unable to muster more than a few hundred, or at most, a few thousand, fighting men, and each-generally overrun iff a single, often short expedition. The tremendous progress of Russia in Asia is the astonishment of all Europe, and Russia was thus ! enabled to assume a credit not properly its due. The name of Russia became a terror word throughout through-out both Europe and Asia and the enormous mili- tary and naval showing made On paper inspired the nations of the earth with an awe of the colossus of the North. ' ''',.. Tie habit the Russian Government had acquired - tt t!3f2ng and threatening: the, petty nations of ' .V' . ' : !' - ' ; .." ' 1 "a " ; - ' |