Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-26
DETERMINED TO WIN
THE CAR TO SEND OUT A SECOND
ARMY.
Gen. Grippenberg Placed in Charge
Announcement by the Emperor
100000 Reinforcements.

The division and reOrg IMITATION OF the
Russian Manchurian army, regarding
which there have been rumors ever since
the battle of Liaoyang, has been officially
announced in an imperial rescript appoint
Ing Gen. Grippenberg. commander OF the
Sd Army Corps in the province of Wilma, as
commander of the seconu army, now being
modified for immediate dispatch to the far
east, leaving Gen. Kuropatkin in command
of the first army.
The appointment is a surprise. The first
rumor that it was impending reached the
Associated Press Saturday Until then it
was generally believed that Gen. Linevitch
would be selected to command the second
army. Gen. Grippenberg will leave for the
far east the middle of October
1t Is now evident that Gen. unevitch Will
remain in charge of the Amur district. in
Guiding the defenses of Vladivostok.
The Cars Letter.
Emperor Nicholas sent the following au-
tograph letter to Gen. Grippenberg:
THE intenc, energy with which Japan is
conducting the war, and the stubbornness
and high warlike qualities displayed by the
Japanese impel me to considerably
strengthen the forces at the front in order
to attain decisive success in the shortest
possible time.
Since by this increase the units will
reach a figure making their continuance in
one army impossible without prejudice to
the proper direction. maneuver1ng and mo-
bility of the troops, have found 1t neces-
sary to divide the active forces in Man
chura into two armies, leaving one In the
hands of Gen. Kuropatkin. l appoint you
to command the second. Your many years
service in warlike exploits and your wide
experience in training troops assure me
that you, following the general directions
of the commander-in- chief. will success
fully lead to the attainment OF the objects
of the war the army intrusted to you;
God bless you for your great and glo-
rfous services to me and to Russia Ever
your affectionate NICHOLAS"
Gen. Grippenberg's Career.
General Grippenberg, commander of the
second army, was born on January 1. 1888.
He is ten years older than General Kuro-
patkin, but ranks three numbers lower in
the list of generals. General Grippenberg
is married and has three children. One
son. captain of artillery, was wounded In
the battle of Liaoyang. General Grlppen-
berg was educated at home. and passed
through no military school. He won his
first commission while fighting in defense
of SebaStopol, and then came into promi-,
hence in the campaign in Turkestan in 1863
and 1868. where he won the st. Georges
Cross and was promoted to be captain.
He was severely wounded in this cam
paign He went into the Turkish war as
colonel. and a reward for his services
was appointed aid-de-camp to the emperor.
He again won the ST. Georges Cross, and
was promoted to the rank of MAJ or general
He became a lieutenant general in 1880,
general of infantry in 1901, and recently
was appointed general abide camp to the
emperor.
The Cars Determination.
The emperor Is personally convinced that
the political, as we'll the military, pres
tige of the empire is at stake, and that
every other consideration must give way
before the exigencies of war. The resources
of the empire In men and money must be
drained. If necessary, in order to turn the
scale and vindicate the power of Russia
The reorganization amounts to formal no.
tice to the world. as the emperor frankly
explains In his rescript that he intends to
vastly increase the number OF troops at the
theater of war in order to force the strug-
gle to successful issue in the shortest
possible time. 1t is intended to silence def
initely all talk of foreign Intervention by
the announcement that Russia means to
night out the issue with Japan on the field
OF battle. Probably 100000 additional men
will be placed in the field.
Five corpS-the Third Fourth Fifth
Eighth and Sixteenth-are already destined
Tor the front, and the talk Is that five more
corps will be sent forward. Eventually
the creation of this second army Involves
the selection of a commander-in-cbief MOI
only Is there no intimation In the rescript
That General Kuropatkin will have com
mand or both armies. but he is distinctly
Gr;us Upon the same footing as General
CflppenDerg. In the best informed circles
tnere is little idea that Viceroy TIexiefr
the present nominal commander-tn-chief
VIII exercise the actual functions of COM
mander of the 100000 or 700 600 men that
@ussid mas resolved to put in the field
A New Phase of the War
hussia's recognition of the fact that the
iorces now in the far east cannot sue
cessfuily prosecute the war against the
men Japan IS able to put In the field, and
the knowledge that the latter power Is
no" modifying 10000 more men for the
I n, ana the decision to reorganize the
russian army upon a gigantic scale in
order TO be able to assume the offensive
quickly, marks a distinctly new nhasa NJ
the war. The physical difficulties to be
i ie' Win IN promptly getting out such
lai se endorsements over a single line
OF railway more than 5000 miles long are
Iui!y realized but with the Circum- RaikaI
railway completed the authorities expect
70 pIacticaily double the present capacity
ior the transportation of men, munitions
ana PROVISIONS, and send out two corps
instead or one monthly. Within three
months three corps are expected to reach
harpin swelling the total number of Rus
Sian soldiers in Manchuria to constdera hlv
over haIf million. In the meantime the
armies at the front. continually augmented
by rresh troops. will act a buffer to
hoid In check the japanese until the army
VIII be able to assume the aggressive
through sheer weight of numbers
In the reorganization special plans have
peen made to overcome the deficiency in
guns under which the Russians have been
laboring. Over 600 additional field and
rapid-fire guns are to be sent to the front.
The great struggle for mastery in the
far east now seems destined to assume
Titanic proportions