OCR Text |
Show INSIDE STORY OF RUSSD-IAP WAR Commanding General of the Russian Army Explains Causes of Defeat A Merciless CrltlcTsm of the Men. and Measures That Carried on Losing v Contest. Were Totally Un- prepared to Cope' With Japanese. . St. Petersburg. Gen. Kuropatktn's history of the Russo-Japancso war, which was confiscated by the Russian government, has nt last become- accessible, ac-cessible, dcsplto tho most extrcmo precautions to prevent this galling ofllclal Indictment from reaching the public. Tho work Is" romarkablo for Its historic valuo as tho closing chapter chap-ter of tho war from tho pen ot the commandcr-ln-chlef, and for tho merciless merci-less criticism of tho mon and measures meas-ures which, In Kuropatltln'a estlmato, swept Russia and Its army to defeat. Tho work consists of three bulky volumes, respectively devoted to tho battle of Llao Yang, of tho Shn river nnd of -Mukden. The Voluminous gen- ... oral orders, statistics, reports and " pther documentary mat tor, with tho "conclusions," constltuto most amazing revelations of disorganization disorganiza-tion and Incapacity, and oven of disobedience diso-bedience of specific urgent orders by certain general ofllcors entrusted with high commands In tho field, notably General Kaulbars, against whom nt formidable Indictment is framed, saddling sad-dling upon him tho entire responsibility responsibili-ty for tho defeat at Mukden. Kuropatkln's reasons for the failure of tho war aro based chiefly on a comparison com-parison of tho wnrllko spirit of the Japanese, their preparedness and valor, val-or, which, ho says, had nover been Been In any previous wnr, and their ability to maintain tho numorlcal superiority su-periority necessary to assume tho offensive, of-fensive, with tho disadvantage ot Russia, Rus-sia, owing to tho inadequacy of tho single-track railway trom Europe, with commanding officers disobeying orders and In a hopeless stato ot contusion and cross-purposes', with a low state-of state-of morale and confidence among the troops, and continuous news from homo ot Internal troubles and of Intuits In-tuits and reproaches against tho army. Tho general pathetically concludea that if Russia had been united and 9 ready to make tho sacrifices necessary B to safeguard her dignity nnd lnteg- V rlty tho "valiant Russian army would l havo striven till tho foe was subdued." j |