The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-27
The Czar's New Deal.

The exigencies Of war have forced
the czar to the organization of a second
Manchurian army and the qualification
of the powers of both Niceroy Alexieff
and General Kuropatkin.
Admiral Alexieff was appointed on
Feb. II, 1904, to the supreme command
of the Russian land and sea forces in
the farthest east Alexieff regarded the
whole business as little picnic which
would be concluded before midsummer.
When Kuropatkin was sent to take
charge of the land forces, later, Alexieff
was a trife disgruntled because the or
der clipped his wings somewhat; but
since that, Alexieff's wings have been
clipped some more, and Kuropatkin, who
announced that he would wipe out the
Japs in August, is to share with Gen
eral .Grippenberg the conduct of the
armies Of Manchuria, while to the
supreme command the car will send
Grand Duke Nicholas Nichalaeivitch,
who will keep Kuropatkin and Grip
penberg and Alexieff all in line.
The reasons given by the car for
this reorganization and increase Of the
army are cogent. Japan s intense en-
ergy and stubbornness and high war
like qualities ilnpel Russia to strength
en- her forces at the front. This means
that the Russian forces are to be in
creased by some three or four hundred
. thousand men, probably doubling the
force now under control Of General Ku-
ropatkin, while the czar's Baltic squad
ron of twelve battleships, four cruisers
and twenty odd torpedoboats and tor
pedoboat destroyers, is reported as hav-
ing dropped down from Kronstadt as
4Ar as Libau. This squadron is more
formidable on paperzthan it actually
is as a fighting forca;$but. if it is pos
sessed of any fighting talent, it might
be used with disastrous, effect upon
Japan IS well-worn fighting ships which
have used up badly the ships of which
Alexieff took charge at Port Arthur
about seven or eight months ago, and
which included some Of the best battle.
ships Of the Russian navy. g.
The car little knew that, within
seven months after the issue Of his
supreme manifesto, calling upon his
subjects to defend the empire from the
"pagans," hef would be publicly ad
hitting his failure to wipe out little
Japan and admitting her superior fight
ing ability.
And nothing Injuries a Russian czal
more than humiliation by an oriental
power. He bears the title Nicholas II.
Emperor and Autocrat of All the Rus
sias, Of Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, Nov
khan; Gear Of Poland; Car Of Siberia
Gear of the Chersonese Tauride; GA,
of Georgia ;s%Lord of%Pskov and Great
Prince Of Smolensk, Lithuania, Volhy
MIA, Podolsk and Finland; Prince oil
Esthonia, Livonia, Courland, Semigalia
Sen1ogitia, Perm, Viatka; Lord ant
Prince of Novgorod, Tchernigovski
! Riazansl1y, Mstislavsky and All North
tern Countries; Lord of Turkestan, Tor
wegian Heir Apparent, and fifty othel
extraordinary titles, according him lord
ship over remote Asiatic lands and PEG
piles. i Ill.,, = a. [
These titles are no mere figures o.
speech. To the Asiatic mind they rep
resent suzerainty. let it be understood
by these Asiatics that the car has me
with reverse; let it be understood tina
"a pretentious campaign has failed, an
that the car, as an Asiatic potentate
has to send afeld new troops to proven
sutter failure, and weakness will be in
sferred at once by the Chinese of Mon
sgolia, Manchuria, the central Asian
tribes, the nomadic: Kirghiz, the Kal
fmucks, kept in order only by the fea
of the heavy-handed Cossack; tn
,Tcherkness, the Nogais, all of whom il
"a crisis would side with those VIII
might appear strong enough to over
throw existing authority. The Pole
Of Lithuania and of White and Eittl
Russia still have ears to strain for tn