The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-29

tonished at the immensity Of the army
gathered there, the excellent physidue
or the men. and their splendid morale.
Later / went south and met 200 Jap
anese prisoners going north on their
way 70 Tomsk. They were travelling in
the same vans used BY the Russian
troops. and were being fed On the same
rations. L also saw the Empress hos
pital train. an infinitely finer and better
equipped one than any 1 saw in South
Africa.
Above Mukden fell in with a party
OF Beers who had offered their services
20 the Russian government as scouts
But they told me the system OF scouting
theTe was very different from scouting
In South Africa
Better Artillery.
IF the Russians lost a man they sent
a company; II the company wore de-
strOyed they sent regiment: ~ the reg
iment were turned back thev sent for
ward brigade; and II the brigade could
not manage the business they ordered up
division. On going back to Hardin I
had an extremely pleasant and instruc-
tive time with many Of the Russian Of
fcers there. They were perfectly charm
ing TO US, but did not disguise the fact
nor did the soldiers-that they hated
England with a bitter hatred Tney
frankly said that after they had finished
with the japanese IL would be our turn
next.
Speaking OF the war. they admitted
that their artillery was very inferior 10
the japanese; in fact. that their field
guns were too heavy, and could Only
IRE one shot TO every five Of thcze OF
the Japs. But they are rectifying this,
and 1 myself saw twenty-five new bait
teries OF ten guns each on the way East.
of q rrnU IaFsr ff4r-rm HsN
looked 70 me like Krupps.
Incompetent Cossscks.
Another weak point seems 10 me the
much-vaunted Cossacks. Armed with
futile carbine and heavy sword, they
are simply food for powder handful
OF Beers would romp round them.
They are physically fine men. but
they are not civilized; they can not even
speak Russian. They are to my mind
quite unfit for modern warfare
Moreover, as they are paid so much
day and get no ratiOns, they are ter
rible looters. and have done great harm
by soaring away the Chinese who could
provide food.
The Russian officials are at last find
ing this out and are now trying TO
check the evil But wait until the regu-
lar Russian cavalry, which has not yet
appeared on the scene. gets into action
Great Food DepOts-
Everywhere. TOO. gigantic prepara-
lions are being made to feed the army
which is pouring so relentlessly and
steadily into Manchuria
Everywhere huge depots for clothes
and food were in course Of construction,
and everywhere sidings were being built
with the utmost possible speed II was
by the Baikal Lake that I personally
checked the rate at which the troops
were pouring in, and marked the last
section Of the railway round the lake
in the last stages Of construction When
this IS finished, the 10000 soldiers who
have been working on IL Will be re-
leased and sent down 20 the front.
make No Mistake"
From what have seen in Hardin
and further south I have returned con-
WINGED that In actual fact the war IS
only just beginning
Make no mistake The Russians are
simply hanging back. They are slow.
but they are sure. All along the 5000
miles OF line I saw camps and troops
countless troops-being drilled and pre-
pared for war.
have seen the japanese troops and
have seen the numbers OF both. and
the work OF both. D."