The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-08-09
RUSSIAN OH THE WAR.
Staff Officers Remarkable Let
ter to a Journalist.
he BIUsHEs FOR HIS COUNTRY.

SO Dangerous an Enemy ms the Jap
nnese, lie Declares. RussEn Has New
er aiet-Esussians right indifferent
", Under compuIsion, lie says-why
SO Many officers Are killed.
The following extract from letter
Of Russian STAFF officer at the front
addressed to a journalist on d ST. re-
tersburg paper, appeared in a recent
number Of the Stuttgart Osvobozhde-
ME, and requires no comment, says the
London Times
II our official sources Of information
are occasionally compelled, for political
reasons, to observe silence, we can all
understand the reason. We can all I'M
derstand why silence was maintained
as to the loss Of nearly 5000 men at va
fangow (Telissu), and also as 70 the
loss by one regiment Of its colors that
sacred object Of military honor. We can
all understand why nothing was said
as to our hasty retreat before an enemy
only equal In numbers. But what we
cannot understand III the effort made
by journalists to keep the public III an
optimistic frame Of mind. to distort
facts as much as possible and to write
Of that Of which they know nothing. II
you will read attentiyely the official
report you win see that on June ia the
enemy had only two incomplete divi
sions, while we had two and half.
Moreover, with US a regiment consists
of four battaIions, save in the east
Siberian units, which have three. We
had also two brigades OF artillery
that Il, ninety-six guns besides Cos.
sack horse battery with nine guns, the
Primorsky Dragons and two regiments
Of Cossacks.
Our force, as you see. was not small
one. 10 the assistance OF the Japa.
nese came d division the STAFF report
says a brigade Of infantry with two
or three batteries. while three regi-
ments were sent to US by Eail. But
you talk of this as our heroic battle
with an antagonist three times our
strength We have always known
how TO die with some exceptions, but
this does not mean that an enemy so
rare from a military point of view as
the Japanese is not to be feared or
deserves the contempt which our Gus
tom is to shower upon this civilized
nation. | have a right to speak. for
l have spent considerable time in
Japan, and | tell you frankly that II
often blushed for my country when
compared many things there and here
An enemy 50 dangerous, whether as
regards persistence, readiness for war
or moral strength. Russia has never
met Japan is a dangerous enemy for
this reason Our soldier. unfortunately |
despite yalor and resignation Is in
ferior to the japanese soldier ia dis
cipline, and, what is still more impor-
tant, fights with indifference, under
eompulsion. For the japanese this Is
war for an idea, which penetrates all /
without exception, from the minister
to the husbandman. Here you have the
reason for such incidents as occurred
at Chongchu you are probably I'M
aware Of this where the Cossacks
refused to charge. and as result we
lost three officers. 1t is from this fact,
and not from the color Of the uniforms,
which, ever since huropatkin's arrival,
have been undistnguishabl from
those Of the men, that the true reason
is to be found for the large percent
age Of losses among the officers
Our Transbaikai and Siberian Cos
sacks are our weak point. In conse-
auence Of their loose behavior and
want Of preparation for active service
they are of little use TO US.
Our officers, as whole, especially
those trained in the Junker schools, are
undoubtedly inferior 10 the Japanese
as regards professional training. The
majority, 1t Is needless to say, go un-
der fire not for the sake Of an idea tthe
only idea that could have any force
with US would be self interest), but for
the sake Of tradition or for distinction
But they do not consciously die for
their country's sake. for its good, be-
cause it is evident upon anything like
an attentive consideration Of the mat
ter, that we are in the wrong II you
only knew what we did during the
Chinese campaignl Ones heart bleeds.
1t IL not without reason that the Chi
nese stand openly on the side Of the
their ancient enemies.
we have the greater chances Of vic
tory, but the guarantee Of these chances
lies Iii the Baltic squadron alone, for
we cannot secure victory now by mere
weight Of numbers Ton land) and still
less IN the future. Do you really as
sumo that the Japanese have only
thirteen divisions in their army be
sides reserves? Are they really SO
naive as not to have increased this
force during the last few years?
Given equal numbers on either side,
there IS. on our part on the STAFF at
any rate no hope Of absolute and In
dlsputable victory after the refusal
OF the Twenty second regiment to at
tack at Tuirencheng and after the ter
rible havoc wrought by the Japanese
artillery at Yafankow.