The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-03-04
1t Has Forced Britain to An.
nounce Her Absolute 10y
atty to Jap Alliance.
REPORTS DID NOT AGREE
The Agents MisIcd Russian Home Of
flee and Caused King Edward to
Send Word to Gar That Eng
land Stood by Japan.

ambassador, on last saturday Tor st
Petersburg, was connected with King
Edwards alleged efforts to bring about
the restoration of peace, now processes
to know the real reason for the am
b~asSador's sudden visit to the car,
which it says was one of the cauSeS fol-
the panic on the Paris pourse.
The reason, according TO the News,
was the question of his position as
RuSsia'S legitimate representative in
Great Britain. There have been some
time other Russian representatives in
London, making count Be~niekendorff's
task most difficult. These are Nine.
Denovikoff, a celebrated writer on Rus
sian politics; Baron WesSilitsky, for
merly of the Russian diplomatic ser
vice, now correspondent of the Novoe
Nrenya; Nj. Pobiedonostzeff, procur-
euer of the general holy Russian synod,
whose immense power II influence in
Russia are notorious
Watching the Ambassador.
Their duty has been to watch Count
Be~niekendorff, Who's diplomatic path
they have long made thorny. Thei re-
ports SO contiCted with the ambussa-
doris that Count I.amsdorff, the Russian
f TO e nas stf ter was Ultimately a unable
wrong. They insisted that Great Brit
ain would not fulfil her pledges to
Japan In the event of war, while their
co-aSents at Paris concurrentiy insist
ed that Japan was blutting.
Their intrigueS led to Prime Minister
Balfour's public declaration that Great
Britain would observe the terms of her
alliance with japan, which was intend
ed not Only to e%nlighten Pobienonost-
Zefls panSlaViSt agents in London, but
their friends in Paris who, cooperating
with Count Demun, were trying to
n 10 N acc IA1 - tl,- = - $ !,
Minister Delcasse. because he declined
to abandon al attitude Of strict neu-
trality.
The intrigues were brought to King
Edwards notice by very high French
politicians. His majesty therefore
asked Count Beniekendortf to make it
thoroughly understood at St. Peters
purg mat any move of France outside
the strlcteSt neutrality would bring
Great Britain into the field. ~lonrside
of Japan.
the moment adds the News,
"the success of Count B~enielendorffs
mission, on Which may depend not ONLY.
the limitation of the war, but ~TIuropcan
complications over the Balkan cues
ton. remains doubtful"
Lamsdorff May Resign.
A st. Petersburg telegram says that
LamsdOrff is tired of his p0si-
tlon as minister of foreign affairs and
consequently wishes to give in his
resignation. The step constantly has
been in his mind during the last six
months, as he is diametrically opposed
to the course of Russia's policy in the
far east.
rms IN itself is a piece Of news likely
to excite universal interest. but what
follows is still more i!.oOrtant. This
is in effect that no less a person than
NJ. W1tte, the minister q finance. the
Napoleon of Russian statesmen, is to
be the future minister of foreign af-
ralrs, at the same time retaining his
present post as president of the council
OF ministers. This will give him a posi-
ton quite exceptional in Importance.
or late people who have been hostile
TO Wltte have had>to acknowledge that
everything he predicted concerning the
war has come absolutely and strikingly
true, while Admiral Alexieef and the
BeZabraZoff clique, which a~ntagonized
the moderate advice of White, have
failed in their highly optimistic predic-
tons and have not lived up to their
promises. Be~zabrazoff, who was the
r~lngleader of the jingoes, is today fallen
TO full disgrace, and his career is fin
ished. Former Minister of War Kouro-
patkln, who refused to serve unde:,
AleX1eff, the latter being Junior to him.
now goes out with the understanding
that AleXieff is officially s~iGetracked.
Makarotf taking charge of the navy.
replacing AleXieff's unfortunate nom
inee, Stark.
Plot Against kouropatkin.
k~ouropatkin, who has not proved
particularly good as war minister. Is
known as an excellent soldier. Never
theless his friends say today that he
has hnnn cont r,,t / -, r,ln,. ,-. f, =
reputation, as the task before him is
we'll night impossible.
General ~Sakharoff, chief Of staff of
the military district of Turkestan, has
been appointed to act as minister OF
war during the absence of Genera
Kouropatkin.
Stark is the first victim of the pres
ent a He is recalled, and now peo-
pie wonder how such a mar as Starb
could possibly have been placed in SC
highly responsible a position as that
Of commander of the fleet at Port Ar.
thur. Admiral Stark Is Just exactl,
opposite what he should have been
and Is quite untitled for the response.
bility which he sadly belied. He is
we'll known In the navy as one of those
drawing room seamen who could no,
bear to hear the firing of a gun, and II
consequence whenever it was possible
placed as much distance as possiblt
between himself and his ship when gur
practice was to tai place. The sounf
of a gun gave him symptoms of sea.
sickness.
The name of Alexieff Is banded
about as one of those from whom extra.
ordinary things were expected, ant
whose record SO far has been in tn,
highest degree disappointing. It Ii
openly said he made a vast mistak,
IN placing q great distance between tn,
ships of the fleet. 1t is suggested
strongly 1t was poor policy to divid,
up the fleet already none too strong
He Is held up to censure as havin,
been guilty of allowing such a fin,
md valuable ship as the variag t,
,e sacrificed in the way 1t was.
Russia in Serious Position.
The trend of intelligent sentiment a
the present moment is to take the sit
uation of Russia as a serious one, It 1
now rather late, perhaps, but 1t Is gen
orally realized that the task this coun
try has undertaken is of a vastnes
which few people had even contem
plated. At first the cry was, Let u
get troops to the front. Let us ge
them In thousands and hundreds o
thousands" Today The same. peopl
are beginning to cry, How are we go
Ing to feed such masses at such. q dis
tance from the base with one singl
and fragile line to depend upon?"
Il HHH --E@E-a.-