The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-08-24
Russ1A's PLIGHT.

Stan Oftleer in the Czar's Army Tells > Why Japan Wins.
 The following extract from the letter of Russian staff officer at the front, addressed to journalist who who has distinguished himself by his Chauvinistic articles in a St Peterburg journal, ap- peared in recent number of The Os~ vobozhdenie, the organ of the Liberal Opposition, published at Stuttgart:
 If our official sources of information are occasionally compelled, for political reasons, to observe silence, we can all understand the reason. We can all un- derstand why silence was maintained as to the less Of nearly 5000 men at Wa fangkau (Telissu) and also as to the loss by one regiment of it's colors, that sacred object os military honor We can all understand why nothing was said as to our hasty retreat before an enemy only equal in numbers. But what we cannot understand is the effort made by Journalists to keep the public 1 in an optimistic frame of mind to dis tort facts as much as possible, and to write of that of which they know noth- ing. If you will read attentively the official report, you will see that on June 14 the enemy had only two incomplete divisions while we had two and a half Moreover. with us regiment consists of four battalions, save in the East 1 Siberian units, which have three. We had also two brigades of artillery--that is 96 guns. besides Cossack horse battery with nine guns (sic1 the Prim- I InrciftY a,,A ,,f Cossacks.
 Our force, as you see, was not q small one. To the assistance of the Japanese came a division4-the staff report says a brigade of infantry with two. or three batteries. while three regiments were sent to us by rail. But you talk of this as our heroic battle was an antagonist three times our strength! We have all ways known how to die. .(with some .ex- ceptionsl but this does mot mean that an enemy so rare from a military point of view, as the Japanese is not to be feared or deserves the contempt which our custom is to shower upon this civ- ilized nation. have right to speak, for have spent considerable time in Japan, and tell you frankly that often blushed for my country when | compared many things there and here. I An enemy so dangerous, whether as regards persistence, readiness for war, or moral strength, nFtssia has never met. Japan is a dangerous enemy for this reason: Our soldier. unfortunately, despite valor and resignation, is inferior to the Japanese soldier in discipline, and
 what is still more important fights with indifference, under compulsion. For the Japanese this is a war for anI idea which penetrates all without ex- ception from the minister to the hus- bandman. Here you have the reason for such incidents as occurred at Chonchu you are probably unaware of this-where the Cossaeks refused to icharge, and as q result we lost three Of l f1cers. It is from this fact, and not from the color of the uniforms, which, ever since Kuropatkin's arrival have been undistinguishable from those of the men, that the true reason is to be found for the large percentage of losses among the officers.
 Our Trans-Baikal and Siberian Cos sacks are our weak point. In conse- quence of their loose behavior and want of preparation for active service they are of little use to us. The army awaits with impatience the arrival of the 51st and 49th (?52d) dragons. It is hoped that they will help to place the scout ing on proper footing.
 Our officers, as a whole especially those trained in the bunker schools-are undoubtedly inferior to the Japanese as regards professional training. The ma jority, 1t is needless to say go under fire not for the sake of an idea (the only thing that could have any force with us would be self-interest) but for the sake of tradition or for distinction. But they do not consciously die for theircountry's sake, for it's good, because it is evident, upon anything like an attentive con- sideration of the matter, that we are in the wrong. If you only knew what we. did during the Chinese campaign! Ones | hnnrf hlaadc ;, ,,nf xvifh0t4f raa en,,