The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-30
VIEW OF A WARRIOR
SWEDISH TRAvELER WRITES OF
 KUROPATKIN.


 sxw,atbetie Pfeture of the Russiar Commsude der-in- Chief--A Soldier who Deserves to Be Better Known to the World. By Sven Hedin.
 Stockholm, Oct. 22. Lest we forget: Kuropatkin Is 6 very honest, brave and capable man hampered by a pack of incompetentf having the Czar's ear.
 I know the Russian commander-in- chief. so-cailed, very well. and I assure vou there lives no more serious, nor better equipped soldier. mentally and physically. If at present he does not come up to expectations, look for the cause elsewhere. l saw them much to- gether, Skobefeff and and his pupil Kuropatkin. Than the first named. no general of modern times was more pop ular. his very appearance used to eiec- trfYy the common soldiers. Into battle he rode on a picturesqueiy caparisoned charger, wearing snow white linen uniform, his breast covered with or ders and decorations fnnumera5le, a gold headed riding whip, festooned with blue silk ribbons, in his finely sloved hand. perfumed and groomed like a young swain, ready for the marriage feast.
 An. how Ivan Iyanovitch doted on Skobeleff, as great as he was pretty Kuropatkin, for many years that gen. erals chief of stan, might have adopt ed with profit his means of attaining popularity, but he is of sterner stun.
 skobeleff loved war, Kuropatktn re- gards 1t as an inevitable evil-there is the difference. The first was nis sol diers' hero. their pride; Kurop itkin tries to be their father. War" he once told me, has become the most intricate of fine arts that must be studied with patience and diligence no part of the campaign durst be left to accident or momentary enthusiasm nowadays"
 Kuropatkin's very personality exudes unperturbable calm. feeling of secur- ity. Where he is panic can never en- sue for every man knows :h,s kuro- patkin could be no more interested In him If he were his own son.
 Learned Being q Soldier In Africa.
 Kuropatkin learned the soldiers trade in the severest school as pri- vate of the French Foreign Legion in Africa His experience in lighting against the savage Sahara tribes Is very ably set down in considerable volume, rivaling his Turkish war" and account" Skobeleff's wonderfully suc- cessful war academy he entered at the age of 30. In the beginning of 1881 we find him commanding one of the sov- eral columns ordered to break down the Tekke-Turkoman's stronghold of Geek Tepe Kuropatkin told me that he ce- cided at once that the fortress could be taken only by strategy. According ly he resolved upon mines. This e"ort the Asiatics regarded curiously. They had not the slightest idea of Ku-opat- kin's intentions. thinking tha', having proceeded far enough, the Muscovites would crawl through the hole single file to be killed as they emerged, one after the other.
 That would bring a ton of powder to the mouth and blow up the several thousand men they had massed there to slay the Russians as they bobbed up out of the bowels of the earth, no one dreampt in Geok Tepe," Kuropatkin said. land it happened just as I anti cipated. Then, the road being clear, I stormed the place at the head of my troops.
 Kuropatkin Ts of Small stature.
 General Skobeleff captured immense quantities of ammunition and proyis- ions and the enemy fled in confusion. Two months later the principal Turko- man chiefs made their submission to the Czar and thus another extensive territory in Central Asia was brought under Russian influence.
 q first met General Kuropatkin in October, 1890, when he was Governor general of the Trans-Caspian region an immense territory situaAed between the Caspian. found the place a desert-even today most hand books describe it as such. mentioning only few oases-and I expected nothing better at the mo- ment of setting out to explore this new Russian province. Imagine then, my surprise when I found Kuropatkin in 9 comfortable and clean little residen- tial town and in a government house of stately dimensions and appointments, inside and out A I drove up at the place. two men-servants stepped up to help me make my toilette. After wardas I was conducted to the audi ence room, where the officer on duty received me. It was a beautiful apart ment. decorated with Asiatic weapons, trophies and fine paintings. Soon the general entered fin great uniform, for he was about to preside at the council.
 Like Napoleon and the Great Freder- ick, Kuropatkin Is a man of small stature. but more powerfully built than those captains. At the time his full beard was a deep black. it has proba- bly, many silver threads now.
 Kuropatkin discoursed on my travels like a man who knows Asia like his pocket, he seemed to make mental note of the discoveries told him about, and spoke with infinite information and humanity of the needs of his province.
 met the general repeatedly in vari- ous parts of the world since then, but never saw him idle or lacking in inter- est for those whose welfare was en-