The San Francisco call., 1904-09-10
KuropatkIn Shot
Is Alarming
Rumor.
People Muttering
at Course Of
AIexieh.

ST. PETERSBURG. Sept e.-This
evenings reports are to the effect that
kuroki has tackled Count Weinberg
forces. and another is that Kuropatkin
is wounded Neither can be confirmed
Rumor has il that the second PACING
squadron starts tomorrow. II is De-
lieved from good sources that tney
cannot get away until Monday at the
earliest owing TO the important PROB
ability Of needing troops for the de-
lense Of Nlsdivostok. it transpires that
General Linevitch cannot send the su-
perior force called for by General ku-
ropatkin. This and other uncomtort-
2 bic reports flew through the Bourse
to-day with the effect that consols are
down TO 81. ne lowest point reached
Yet
Business men fully realize that the
war is 10 be very prolonged, when nos
tMities even now are seriously affect
ing trade. An instance is the Mini
Novgorod fair. always reckoned sure
barometer. II closed showing 20 per
cent reduction in the volume Of bust
ness. " hile Of weightier import is the
announcement that not less than 4
million rubles Cs500 000) worth Of bills
falling due have been protested
The story Of the inability OF mer-
chants To meet their obligations going
over the country. and another issue OF
0,00o 900 rubles $50 900 ,00O) notes is
announced. The enormous losses OF
life recently have caused further call
on reserve forces. while all who vel
unteered are forthwith accepted.
Military men differ as TO where the
next night is 10 be. Some say under
The wall Of Mukden. others Tlenling,
while the Invalide is Of the opinion that
l.. ~ HNags
spring at Harbin.
The meag ger reports published in the
foreign press are not fully commune
Gated TO the Russian papers and for
three days practically no newspaper
dispatches have been coming through
from the front. Information may be
VIZ ED Cor strategic reasons, but the
public is disposed 10 regard il other
wise. resulting in the circulation Of the
widest reports. some Of the Russian
papers de anding in pretty Outspoken
fashion reorganization Of the cOndi-
lions at the front and also demanding
that General KurOpatkin be given un-
trammeled control as commander in
chief. evidently aiming al Viceroy
AleZieff, who is supposed to be respon-
sble for insisting latterly that the re-
Inducements should go to Vladivostok
IN view Of the probability Of early
japanese operations there or at Har-
bin. thus depriving Kuropatkin of
troops which would have turned the
scale at LiaOyang. The Russ is espe-
Cially bold considering the restrictions
placed on the Russian press. 1t de-
Clares that numerical superiority is not
enough and that what is needed is some
Of the do-or-die spirit Of the Japanese.
The paper quotes the words Of General
DragomirOff, former Governor General
Of Kieff. an authority on military mat
tiers, as follows:
Give me q soldier who is firmly de-
termined TO die for his country and 1
viii guarantee that my tactics will be
superexellent. The man who will lay
down his life is terrible. A bullet may
stop such a man. but will not stop a
company. II is difficult to fight and
more difficult to vanquish them"
The Russ continues: What we need
is an entirely new organization of
everything connected directly or in
directly with the military operations.
A good deal is admirable but good
deal also is deplorable. The fact that
things have not gone well at the
thester Of war may be due TO the fact
that everything is not directed with a
single aim, subservient to single un-
divided viii. KurOpatkin, now en-
trusted with the command OF the Man
churisn army, should be commander in
chief"
The following dispatch filed at IAbau
has been received from the captain of
the Russian cruiser Ural:
Have just returned from a thirty
days expedition raiding the enemy's
contra band on the Spanish coast"
The announcement that the water
supply Of Port Arthur has been cut of
does not create particular anxiety here
II Is explained that the water Of Port
Arthur was never good and that the
fortress is provided with a large dis
tilling apparatus.