Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-10
CHIEF OF BALTIC FLEET
Personality of Rojestvensky,
 Russia's SilentAdmiral."
DEVOTED FOLLOWER OF THE SEA

OOmmander of the "second Paci4lc
 squadrOn" Has Spent His whole
 LiRe Tn Naval Accomplishments 1s-F4e
 Is Considered striot DIsciplina-
 rian and Capable organiEer-Dis-
 liked by His Omcera.
 Never has an armada started for war with such an ominous presage of dis aster as has descended upon Russia's Baltic squadron on its emergence Into the open sea, says the London Chron- tcle. The man of the hour is emphat- ically its commander, Rear Admiral z. P. Rojestvensky, who is now contin- uing his three months voyage to the Pacific with death in his rear and the menace of irretrievable ruin in front.
 Incensed as it is at the North sea tragedy, English public opinion is too just to arraign personally the Russian admiral before determining how far he and how far some of his reckless or '.panicky" subordinates are responsi- ole. The restraint is creditable and will certainly be Justified. Ro1estven- sky is the last Russian on earth to fight an imaginary danger by wreaktng indiscriminate destruction. When the facts come out it will probably be found that certain Russian officers nerves were too much for them, that they acted without orders and that so far from the firing beginning through the admiraps orders it ceased as soon as his flagship became aware of the facts.
 For a few weeks to come Rojestven- sky's name will be associated exclu- sively with tue North sea bIunder, but that is not his position in history. As commander in chief of what Russians denominate the .'second Pacific squad ron" his fortune is bound up with bloodier if less exceptional events His Heterogeneous fleet is Russia's last hope. and he himself is an essential part of that hope.
 Rojestvensky is a comparatively, young man. He was born near Mos cow in 1S4S and after getting the theo- retical, impractical education of d Russian naval officer blossorned out suddenly as a hero. For two unexam- pied feats of bravery in the war of 1S77-7s he gained the St. George cross. He served in the Black and Baltic seas, gaining g. high reputation as seaman, and in 1908 abandoned seagoing for the post of chief of staff ut the minis try of marine. Tn q year he made a reputation.s Be had fought well with his sword, but fought much harder battle for efficiency. Had that battle been decided before February, 1904, Russia's naval disasters before Port Arthur would probably never have taken place.
 Rojestvensky is a typical Russian and a typical naval officer. His men call him Admiral Moltchalivi,' the si- lent admiral, and taciturnity goes we'll with the reserved expression and man ners of the Russian aristocrat The na- val man shows himself in his tastes, for he is devoted to the sea not merely as profession, but also as life pas sion. Rojestvensky is always at sea. When tied to the ministry of marine he spent his leisure navigating expert mental craft and tiny sailing boats in the gulf of Finland. He has written of the sea. and it is said that his society friends dread him because he insists on talking of nothing but the sea. Such q man ought to prove a good sailor, and, in fact, as sailor and navigator not even MakaroR surpassed him.
 Rojestvensky is a stern disciphna- rian, but he differs from all disciplina- rians past and present. Blame in the