The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-20
.ALEXIEFF OUT OF A JOB Asks Emperor That He <. Be Recalled. 'REQUEsTwlLLBE GRANTED Appointment of Skrydloff the Last Straw. Already the viceroy Had Been shorn
 of Power-For Some Time He Has Been Ignored
 by czar.

St.Petersburg. April 19.-viceroyAlexieff has applied by telegraph to the Emperor to be relieved of his position of viceroy in the Far East. It is expected that the request will be immediately granted.
 While no official announcement has been made yet, there is reason to believe that the above statement is correct
 The immediate cause of the viceroy's application Is reported to be the appoint ment of vice-Admiral Skrydloff, one of Admiral Alexieffs strongest enemies and sharpest critics. as successor to the late Vice Admiral Makaroff In command of the Russian navy in the Far East
 Vice Admiral Skrydioff had an inter- view with the Emperor today and dis4 cussed with his majesty the question of his (skrydloff's) relations with Alexieff
 The relinQuishment of command by Viceroy. Alexief would not surprise in- telligent observers of the Far Eastern situation, who are familiar with the gradual change in the Emperor's attitude toward the viceroy, and BezobraEoff, who represented the militant or advanced element which was anxious that Russia should remain in Manchuria.
 The Militant Element.
 It was to these two men that the Anglo-Japanese entent first lost its ter TOTS. They believed that Great Britain would not go to war and that Japan could not do so. To the indignation of Japan, they succeeded in turning the policy of the empire from carrying out the treaty for the abandonment of Man churia pending further demands on China.
 August 12 last, after Japan had sub naitted an inqury as to whether Russia was disposed to reopen the negotiations respecting Manchuria and Korea, a viceroyalty in the Far East, special secre- tafy of State. and advisory committee was created. Aiexieff being appointed riceroy aad Bekobrasoff Secretary of State
 Seventeen days after these appoint riierts were made. Mir. wilte who had been opposed to the policy of Alexieft and Besobrasoff. was relieved of hls portfolio as Minister of Finance
 It was thought his new official advisors induced negotiations with Japan and that they claimed that they misjudged temper and purpose of the Japanase and left the Emperor in ignorancc of the preparations for war which Japan was milking and the rising war spirit in that emrire.
 Alexief Reniss. ~
 The enemies of Alexieff have persis- teftiy asserted that as the man on the post, he chould have kept the emperor informed concerning these vital points.
 On the eve of the warAlexieff apparent ly still had the confidence of the Czar, but the lack of preparedness of the Port Arthur fleet as shown in the cases of the battelships Retvizan and .Ccarevitch called the attention of the Emperor to the slackness of the naval administrat ton in the Far East.
 The antl-Alex,eff party in St. Peters, burg held that Vice-Admiral Stark. who was the vIceroys representative was re- sponsible under him for the first reverse a: Port Arthur.
 Viceroy Alexieff recommended the ap- pointment of either Vice-Admiral Dubaz- zofr or vlce-Admiral Makaroff to com mand the fleet in succession to Admiral Stark. The Emperor selected Makaroff and at the same time Issued a special ukase, giving him absolute control This was the first blow publicly given U Alexieff. The second was the ap- pointment of General Kuropatkin as commander-in-chief of the army in Man churia. Kuropatkin sided with Count Lamsdorff, the foreign minister. and M Witte against the policy of Manchurian annexation, and stated to the Chinese minister to Russia, MT. Hoo Wei Teh, that tne Wnole trOuDle originated Wltn Alexieff.
 Alexieff Without Power.
 That there might De no doubt of Kuro- patkin's exact Jurisdiction. the Emperor issued another ukase defining it and gave the former minister of war complete con trol of military operations in the Far East.
 Officials In St. Petersburg say 1t must then have been evident to Alexieff that his star had waned. He had neither the army nor the navy under his control. and in time of war there Is no civil ad- ministration or very little.
 When the Petropavlovsk was sunk. Alexien started from Mukden for Port Arthur. telegraphing to the Emperor on his arrival there that he hoisted his fag on the battleship Sevastopol, and would direct the operations of the fleet until new commander was sent It is said that no answer to this was sent by the Emperor. Without consulting Alexieff's wishes and without considering Vice-Ad- miral Doubazzof. whom he had original lv recommended. the Emperor telegraphed Vlce-Admiral Skrydloff to proceed to Port Arthur via St. Petersburg and as- sume command of the fleet. It is said that not even this fact was officially com municated to Alexieff and he was al- lowe to learn of 1t through the Em- ,eror'a dispatch AIexfeff reached a de.