The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-02-26
PARIS EXPECTED
JAPAN WOULD SCORE
Knew in Advance That Russia
Really Was Poorly Prepared
for the War.
JAPS IN FINE CONDITION
Their Army and Navy Are Both Mag
nificently Organized and Every
Unit Is Brought to Highest
Efficiency.

, Paris special: In military circles here
1t was feared that when war broke
out between Russia and Japan the armies
of the car would be badly beaten, at
least in the beginning.
A very prominent French general who
is thoroughly familiar with the Japanese
soldier writes in the Armee and Marine:
THE japanese soldier is al excellent
fighter, but his great value is his endur-
ance and %quickness Of movement. He is
fully able to march forty to fifty miles a
day and get up next morning quite ready
for more work. There is the stuff in them
to make good soldiers, for, as the great
| Napoleon said, 1t is with good feet that
battles are won.
GAS to their shoes a la guerre CONNIE a
la guerre. During the first campaign in
| China the Japenses soldiers did not hest
tate to put on their ordinary footgear
when their military shoes were worn out
or hurt their fet.
"They can get a handful Of straw any,
where and with a turn of the hand it is
transformed into a pair of sandals.
1.-THE japanese, whose enthusiasm is
easily excited, is capable at any m
OF an astonishing amount Of energy.
stimulated by an ardent patriotism, a
fanatical pride, he is capable of prolonged
effort without getting discouraged.
IF his profound contempt for death
prompted by oriental fatalism be taken
Into consideration, the power Of an army
Of such men will be understood"
Letters from Russia, on the other side,
state that the car is very much dis
tressed at the reports of mortality among
the Russian troops sent to the east,
which has been caused by the general
lack Of sanitary arrangements.
lie Poorly Prepared.
Though 1t has been the boast Of Rus
STA tina it's military organization is as
perfect as that Of Germany, it Is evident
that the country is no more prepared for
a distant war than was France in 1870
when Napoleon declared war against
Prussia.
Dispatches received here from French
men residing in Korea describe the miser-
able condition Of all the Russian troops
with the exception Of the Cossacks, who
take care OF themselves.
The regular troops are in need Of every
thing and live upon coarse black bread
and cabbage.
The car is said to regret deeply the
loss of NJ. Whites services, as he thinks
hi the former minister of finance would
nave been able to raise a Russian war
loan while Russia now is in great need
of money.
TIL mission of NJ. Bezobrazoff, the
cars personal friend, to the far east is
d. l y ~ AN SH1A . AoSS oSNSAAi =
thwart the plan of the strong war party
at court.
NJ. Bezobrazoff. who today is the most
talked about person in Russia, was at
one time an officer in the imperial guards,
but had to resign on account Of extrava-
gance. Then he disappeared and nothing
was heard Of him for years, but six
months ago his name came UP in connec
ton with forestry concessions on the
Yalu river.
1t is said that Admiral Alexieff was
made viceroy owing to Bezobrazoff's in
fiuence.
The latter suddenly returned to st. Pc
many conferences with the car before
starting upon his secret mission.
On the Gay Riviera.
The Riviera is unusually gay this sea.
son. The report that the kaiser might
spend the winter there caused a great in.
fux of noble and wealthy people from al
parts of Europe, who still live in the hope
of seeing the kaiser there next month.
The number of Russian princes is great
err than ever before, and many Of these
live In ~unequaled if semi-barbaric splen
dor, being even more reckless in theil
expenditures of money than the American
millionaire, whose number is quite small
this year.
Foremost among all the exalted exoti,
personages ranks Princess Schahowsko
Strechneff, a dashing Russian beauty
whose wealth seems to be boundless.
She arrived at Nice about two week
ago in more than royal style, accompanie,
by an enormous suite of Circassian at
t%endants, secretaries and servants, VIII,
all wear national Circassian costumes re
splendent with gold lace n preciou
stones.
Her private car is the most luxuriou
ever seen here. 1t possesses nine differen
systems of safety brakes, is heated b
electricity, and owing to a wonderful ar
rangement of the wheels and axles cal
be adjusted in a few minutes to run O.
any gauge of rails in Europe or Asia.
The princess will embark at Villefranch