The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-09-09
PLAN TO CRUSH r
The Opinion Of an Impartial English
Correspondents in the Field.

Ieled overland from the seat OF war
lacross 200 miles OF the great Monaghan
desert n the Trans-Siberian railway.
THAT newspaper:
You may call me a pro-Russian if
lyou please. but remember that / am
the only Englishman who. in perfect
Impartial frame Of mind has lived
with both the combatants. and has re-
turned TO England unmuzzled and free
ito tell the truth.
Tt is thought in this country that
because Kuropatkin's advance army in
IManchuria has received some heavy
blows in detail. Kuropatkin and his
men will shortly be wiped of the face
Iof the earth by an immensely superior
force.
Now, the idea OF the Russian Off
lcers in command of Kuropatkin's ar
know what you do not know-that, far
from being outnumbered, the out
number the japanese. But they have
carefully and deliberately concealed
this fact. What is more. with perhaps
a few executions, no actual Russians
have taken n part in the fighting.
The advance army which is now at
IN @1A5 NAAoAoN III AAAAo L olNS III
lSiberians n Buriats. All of these
%troors are of a vastly inferior quality
to the actual RussRns, and they will
simply cripple the japanese as much
las they can before the real campaign
with Russian troops begins.
Over here the talk Of Turing the
lany-of the japanese has become
Ian old tale to be laughed at. But /,
who have seen the amazing and col
I~losssal preparations that have secretly
been made to get the japanese up
north, cannot laugh at it myself.
Il have on the word of an English
imam who had to assist in their trans
port that upward of 10000 Russian
troops crossed the Baikal lake between
February 8 and July 20.
1T is said here that the Russians
Icannot send troops down to Manchuria
lat a greater rate than 800 q day. Gut
Il have travelled Up the Trans-Siberian
line. Inc sat by the side Of the Baikal
lake. and watched the Russian trans
port system working easily n well,
and know this to be utter nonsense.
With my own eyes during the time l
was there 1 was able to account for an
leverage of 400 troops crossing the
lBaikal lake daily.
''You wonder what has become of
them. Well. at Hardin for instance,
lis a monster army. 1t was impossible
lof course to guage the exact numbers,
but 1 should say there are at least
100000 men there, and all these men,
be it remembered, quite fresh n un-
ifatigued, are in excellent health and
lexcellent pirits. When the japanese
Ireach them-for they do not intend to
take them south-the Japs themselves
will be war-worn and weary with
marching.
ION the way from Hardin TO China
I saw a submarine on a specially con-
Istructed car en- route to V~ladivostok.
lat Hardin I was llOwed to go any
lwhere I pleased n see everything l
wished, with the result that Twas as
Itonished at the immensely of the army
lgathered there. the excellent physique
Iof the men and there splendid morale.
Later 1 went south and met 200 Japa-
nese prisoners going north on their
way to Tomsk. They were travelling
lin the same vans used by the Russian
TROOPS, and were being fed on the same
I%rations. / also saw the empress hos
hospital train, an infinitely finer and
better equipped one han any l saw In
South Africa.
above Mukden 1 fell in with a party
lof Beers who had offered their services
Ito the Russian government as scouts.
But they told me the system of scout
ling there was very different from scout
ling in South Africa. If the Russians
Host a man they sent a company; il the
company were destroyed they sent a
regiment; if the regiment were turned
back they sent forward a brigade; and
liz the brigade could not manage the
business they ordered up a division.
lon going back to Hardin 1 had an ex-
ltremely pleasant and time
with may of the Russian officers there
They were perfectly charming to uS,
but did not disguise the fact-nor did
the soldiers-that they hated England
with a bitter hatred. They frankly
lsaid that after they had finished with
1.-THE Japanese that it would be our turn
next.
Speaking of the war they admitted
THAT their artillery was very inferior to
the Japanese; in fact. that their field
lguns were too heavy and could only
fire one shot to every five of those OF
1.-THE Japanese. But they are rectifying
this, and I myself say 25 batteries OF
item guns each on h way to the east
THE guns were of a modern pattern
THAT locke to me like Krupps.
Another weak point seems to- me the
lmuch-vaunted Cossacks. Armed WITH
la futile carbine n a heavy sword
they are simply o for powder. 4
handful of Beers would romp around
with them.
They are physically fine men, blu
they are not civilized; they cannot even
lspeak Russian. They are to my MIND
lQuite unfit for modern warfare.
Moreover, as they are paid SO mucf
la day and get no rations, they are ter.
irible hooters, and have done great harm
lby soaring away the Chinese who could
lprovide food.
1.-The Russian officials are at last
finding this out Int are now trying tc
tcheck the evil. But wait until the regu-
liar Russian cavalry, which has not We
appeared or the scene gets into action
Everywhere. too, gigantic prepare
itions are being made to feed the army
(which is porting so relentlessy and
lsteadily into Manchuria. Everywhere
huge depots of clothes and foo were
lin curse of construction, and every
Iwhere siding are being built with thu
utmost possible speed. It was by IN
lBaikal lake that / personally checked
1.-THE rate at which the troops were pour
ling in, and marked the esst section o.