The San Francisco call., 1904-11-29

RIDES ABOUT
In AN AUTO
Commander in Chief
of Cars Armies Is
Up to Date.
CHINESE

CHEFU, Nov. 28.-General Kuropat
kin is the possessor of a new twenty
horsepower automobile, with which ht
is able to rush at high speed from ont
part to another of a line twenty five
miles long, according to a Frenchmar
interested in the manufacture and sale
Of automobiles who has just reached
Chefu from Mukden. This gentleman
spent three weeks with General Kuro-
patkin, who wished to procure twenty
automobiles specially constructed tC
carry ammunition speedily in emergen-
cies. These will be used only in winter
when the Manchurian roads are gener-
ally in excellent condition. On his first
trip in the automobile General Kuro-
patkins only comment was:
Il have an advantage over General
Shafter"
The Chinese now regard the Russian
commander in his machine with super
stitious awe, believing the automobile
to be an atrociously powerful specimen
of the foreign devil" The French in
formant continued:
THE two armies lie facing each 9TH
er, each having three fortified lines.
The soldiers of both armies live mostly
in caves behind the trenches, which
when covered with snow present the
appearance of a great host of polar
bears waiting to spring at each other.
These caves are warm, even when
without fires. The Russian soldiers are
in the best of spirits and have unlim-
tied confidence in their leaders. They
expect that General Kuropatkin will at
tack during the winter. The Russian
force now numbers 1000 men.
THE cavalrymen from the Don dis
trict are superior to their Siberian COM
rades. They are intelligent, brave and
active and are mounted on fine and
powerful horses.
There are only few hundred wound
ed al Mukden. but there are 10000 at
Harbin.
L came out on the Siberian Railroad,
which seemed to be doing a tremendous
work smoothly Along the railroad be-
tween Mukden and Hardin there are
lines of warehouses full of supplies, and
these supplies remain almost untouched,
as up to the present the army has sub
sisted chiefly on the country.
The Russians are improving in the
handling of their artillery, while the
japanese artillery seems to be less eff
fective. Originally the Russians did not
conceal their artillery, which the Japa-
nese quickly disabled. Now they handle
and conceal their guns in scientific
manner.
THE belief is general that Port Ar
thur will be able to hold out until re-
lieved, no matter how long relief may
be delayed. Much is expected from the
second Pacific squadron.
General Kuropatkin is not talkative.
The only reference he made to the war
in conversation with me was, 1t is pro-
crossing as 1 wish The general still
lives in a railway car and the light in
his office is burning night and day. 1t
is commonly stated that he never
sleeps, and his officers are not surprised
when they are called into conference at
any hour of the night.
The generals only relaxation is at
dinner time. when he always has seY-
eral officers as guests-sometimes a
score of them. Wine is plentiful, but
General Kuropatkin drinks only min
eral water Every officer seems to have
unlimited money, the Government be-
ing lavish in this respect.
MY opinion is that Kuropatkin will
never retreat to Mukden unless defeat
ed decisively, and / think that the next
battle will end in a Russian victory"