Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-28
: = 4
ALEXEIEFF.
The Cars Mild hammered Autocrat Of
Manchuria.

From the London Mail. ..--....,.
A pleasing personality. with nothing in
his appearance to strike terror to the
world, is the man who holds the keys OF
peace and war In the far east today. Ad-
miral Alexeieff, q man whom the car has
many times been pleased to- honor, is still
young enough to look forward to great
conquests, yet just old enough to impress
us ASA kindly. middle-ageda man. with
patriarchal beard. whose delight Is to dam
die child on his knee.
He Is the first Russian vfceroy in the far
east, the man upon whom Nicholas II has
a new empire. Just what part Alexeien
has played in the recent moves on the great
chessboard Of Asia nobody outside the
cars empire knows. He has been In his
time governor general OF Eastern SIBERIA
and governor of Russian Manchuria; and
he is today commandments Of the Rus
sian forces in the Pacific. 1t Is an ONCE
hardly understood In England for Alex
eieff has power over the forces on land and
on sea.
If he has played his part in the strange
developments which have brought Russia
face to face with Japan. Alexeieff has con-
tributed his share also to the strength OF
the Russian navy. Time was when the
czar's navy was commanded and officered by
Englishmen, when the sea power Of Russia
was not such thing as appalled, its enc
mics. But 1t is different now, and Rus
STA q feet stands third among the navtes OF
Europe. With ports 1000 miles apart. Rus
STA has a naval position which Sir George
Clarke declares absolutely unique and
its new sea power is due not q little to the
foresight and skill Of its greatest sailor.
So lately as 1900 Alexeieff was side by
side with the forces of japan. against
which he may soon be engaged in war. He
was in charge of the Russian troops in
China. and had under him when war began
frrn haf all fho nth tn.
gether, except Japan. The story is told
that the Russian band played the French
''Marsefllaise as 1t marched into Picking,
and that 1t was only after some minutes
OF acutest agony that the general was able
to stop the army of the autocrat sounding
the republican march. But it was the
simplest blunder and should not be taken
as in the least suggesting lack of discipline
Where Alexeief rules, there the soldier
knows that obedience is the only virtue in
the world.
If Alexeien is not the slave of a strict con-
vention-and we know that his soldiers were
he knows how to fit in freedom with eff
cheney. 1t was he probably Of whom a
traveller was thinking when he wrote home
that Il have seen high Russian officers
they had been chums." Yet the same trav-
eler wrote that on the trying march to
Picking. where soldiers of all other ma
tionalties collapsed in hundreds along the
iodu lioAh SuHStiohc OF UySGut6Tys Ut Op-
pressed by the great heat. 1 never saw
single Russian fall out Of the ranks"
When the allies left China the czar sent
Alexeieff sword shining with gold and
diamonds. and inscribed: For victories at
the seat of war in Pechil. 1900"
Since then the emperor has made him
lord Of Russia's far eastern empire. with
powers almost absolute under the czar HIM
self and special committee. The admiral
has become. as Russian paper said. the
instrument Of the will and purpose Of the
car. and that In the territories where Rus
s1as movements cause. the greatest I'M
easiness to the rest Of the world
1t Is said that when he hfst received his
nag A!exeien had a consuming passion for
Russian bridge" and was the best player
for bridge today. especially II 1t Is correct
that the car has telegraphed to him that
I give you full power tn maintain. If nee
arms" We shall hear more OF Admiral
Alexeieff II that IL true