The San Francisco call., 1904-02-24

the absence Of General Kuropatkin'
whose appointment to command the
Russian military forces in the Far East
was gazetted yesterday.
THE war will end in August or sep
tember. in the complete defeat or the
japanese" said a high authority IN IN
innate touch with the Russian war
plans, whose opinion can be taken
faithfully to represent the belief IN the
| highest official quarters. He added;
How the japanese can hope to sue
ceed when our army in the Far East
! is strengthened to a point equal or
superior in numbers to that OF our
| adversaries we are honestly unable TO
comprehend. 1t will not be difficult TO
| place two, four or even six hundred
thousand additional men in the field II
necessary. When our forces are con-
centrated and ready they will finish 0y
driving the Japanese into the sea.
Frankly, it seems to us that the
japanese either have utterly failed TO
| appreciate Russia's resources or have
counted on the aid of Great Britain or
the United States, neither of which
powers ever contemplated becoming IN
volved So far as Great Britain is con-
cerned, we do not believe any halluci-
nations existed there. We think the
British statesmen who did so much TO
push Japan into war realized that with
Japan's defeat they would accomplish
two things for Great Britain-hrst, to
| give Russia a check-for, of course,
| the war must impede our progress tenn
porariIy; second, to cripple Japan's
maritime power, which was beginning
| to be greatly felt in the Pacific.
RUSSIA To BIDE HER TIME.
'It can be said with the utmost pos
itiveness that Russia will bide her time
and will act on the defensive until she
is confident that her weight of numbers
will leave no doubt as 10 the result.
! Reinforcements are going forward at
the rate of 5000 per day. Probably some
time will elapse before Russia feels
prepared to assume the offensive.
THE conviction is growing here in Of
fetal circles that in spite of japanese
deniaIs the japanese fleet was severely
crippled off Port Arthur in the engage
ment which began on February s. The
Admiralty has no direct official infOr-
nation to support this except the man
ner in which the Japanese abandoned
the attack at the end of forty live min
utes. 1t is pointed out at the Admir-
| atty that two weeks have now elapsed
without the whereabouts of the Japa-
nese fleet being definitely reported and
the opinion is gaining ground that it
has gone to a Japanese port for re-
pairs
He pointed out also that it had al
ways been the japanese policy to an
nounee only victories, adding:
I'VE know they sustained losses in
/ the China war which were never ad-
mitted."
STATUS OF kUROPATkIN.
General Kuropatkin will not leave for
another fortnight. In the meantime he
is going to his country estate 10 bid
farewell to his relatives. His status
has not yet been fully settled. BY the
terms of his appointment the general
will command the Manchurian army
subject to Viceroy Alexieff, but his
powers probably will be extended to
include the troops north of Manchuria.
! The official view of the status is that
Viceroy Alexieff will remain in supreme
command, but the Viceroy being
sailor General Kuropatkn will be ap-
pointed his lieutenant for the army, as
1 Admiral Makaroff is for the navy.
The Viceroy's departure from Port
Arthur was not due to apprehension OF
the possibility of it's investment, but
simply to the requirements OF the
strategicaI situation, so as to enable
him TO direct the operations now III
progress along the line of the Korean
frontier from a more central point Pos
sibly he will not remain at Mukden'
but will &C from place to place as CIT
cumstances demand.
Speaking on the subject of the pos
sfbIe investment of Port Arthur the
military authorities here do not be-
Iieve the Japanese will attempt TO
make a landing in force on the Lao
tung peninsula. They say there is
nothing the Russians would like bet
for as such an attempt is doomed 10
certain failure. The authorities here
assert that the southern portion OF the
neninsula is strongly guarded and that
the northern shore presents 1nsuper-
able obstacles. The only chance for
the Jauanese. il is claimed, would be
~ march down from Korea. but to do
! this. If is added, they must first de-
feat the Russian army on the Manchu-
rian side of the Yalu River and, even
If successful, they would be face to
face with an impregnable stronghold.
ALEXIS REMAINS AT HOME.
Grand Duke Alexis (uncle of the
Car and high admiraD has reconsid-
cred his determination to go to the
Far East. He is extremely anxious to
go. but the Grand Duke felt that his
duties here would necessitate his re-
naming in st. Petersburg.
The Russian Government has no Of
fetal confirmation of the report that
the foreign commanders at Chemulpo,
except the commander of the United
States gunboat Vicksburg, protested
against the Japanese entering the har-
Dor of Chemulpo. preliminary re-
port from Captain Roudnif of the
sunken Russian armored cruisr Va
riag, the senior officer, says Admiral
Uriu served notice that if the Rus