Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-07-22
RUSSIA MAY GET A
CONSTITUTION YET
Gar Is Utterly Disguised With
the Collapse Of the
Bureaucracy.
CORRUPTION IN SERVICE
Some Samples Of II That Have Served
to Arouse the Gear to a Realization
of the Fundamental Weak
ness Of His Stat.
Convright. 1904. by w. r. Hearst.)

Copyright, 1904, by w. r.. Hearst)
Berlin special: In a letter to a close
| friend at her fathers court at Darn
| stad, the czarina writes that the czai
is intensely angry at the many dis
| coveries of wholesale corruption among
military and civil officials and has seri-
Gus thought of giving a constitution TO
the Russian people
The war with Japan has revealed TO
Gar Nicholas how thoroughly rotten IS
the whole system in Russia
Intensely religious and patriotic hiln-
self. the car is at a loss TO under-
| stand the lack of patriotism and sense
OF honor among the so-cailed higher
classes.
The many defeats of the Russian
army may be wholly ascribed 10 the
corruption among army officers of the
highest rank, whose crimes are daily
costing the lives of hundreds OF SOL
diers.
At the beginning of the war the car
was informed that the war department
had on hand immense quantities OF
! ammunition and military stores, but
one big arsenal after another in all
parts OF Russia is found to be empty.
or nearly so, as the officers in charge
nave sold the equipment stored for
emergencies to INSCRIPTIONS dealers.
Big Guns Had Vanished.
When the Russians. after the battle
Of the Yalu, were in need of field artil-
cry to replace the guns captured by
the Japanese, General Kuropatkin tel
egraphed to Warsaw for a large num-
Der of modern guns supposed to be
stored there.
Not a gun could be found and in
v~estigation showed that the guns had
been sold to a big foundry and had been
melted down. The general in charge OF
the arsenal was ordered to appear be-
fore the czar at st. Petersburg, but
committed suicide when he received the
telegram.
The czar Immediately ordered a
hundred new field guns from Krupp
and Creuzot. for which he paid out of
his own pocket.
These guns are now being shipped to
Denmark, consigned apparently to a
Danish firm, and are Immediately re-
shipped on the Danish vessels to Kron-
stadt, as the German government does
not dare to let the Krupp works eX-
port them direct.
Also In the Red Cross society whole
sale frauds nave been detected. and
several u aristrocrats have been
arrested and are awaiting trial at the
Peter Paul fortress.
Discovery of ~Swindiing.
Not long ago a Moscow merchant
sent 5000 vests to the Red Cross soci-
ETY. for the troops at the front. Not
hearing anything about them he called
to make inquiries, and was told blandly
that the garments were too small n
would be returned TO him.
As they were not returned the mer-
chant went to the grand duchess at
the head of the Red Cross work and
told her that swindling was going on.
The lady answered that she knew
this, but could not find out any spe-
cifc instances.
At the suggestion of the merchant,
the grand duchess went the same eve
ming to the railway station, where a
number of the packages she had pre-
pared were ready to leave by the train
for the east.
She caused CONSERVATION among the
starr by demanding to see the contents
When the boxes were opened they were
found to contain bricks and stones.
The grand duchess came to st.
Petersburg and laid the matter before
the c~zarina, who was induced to go
with her TO the station.
Several cases which had been packed
at the palace with presents from the
czarina to the troops were opened in
her majesty's presence, and more han
half were oun to have been tempered
with, the contents distracted and rub
bish placed In their stead.
1t is discoveries OF this kind, the
~cZerina writes. which have made the
car a heartbroken man, but which
have also made k.ss determined 10 get
in closer touch with the masses of the
people. in whom he has full confidence.
Nothing but death car now prevent
him from changing Russia into consti-
tutional monarchy, but the czarina is
full of fear for the future, as the party
In power will not hesitate to assassin
ate him as soon as he tries to carry
out his plans.
Big Salmon From the Columbia.
Portland CreRonian. The school ~ ola