The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-03-25


whether Kouropatdn was not almost
as good leader as their lost General.
'Kouropatkin.' said Turkestan
officer to me- during one of these dis
cussions, possesses all the Characters
tics of Skobeleff cast in cooler mould
They worked admirably together, Kou-
ropatltin imparting GOODNESS and cal
culation to Skobeleff. and Skobeleff fire
and enthusiasm to Kouropatkin We
are desolate now that Skobeleff is gone,
but 1t is consolation that We have
still got Kouropatkin. He is now the
Skobeleff of Russia
During the first few days succeeding
Skobeleff's death a strong and angry
feeling prevailed in Russia against the
Government. 1t was felt that the dead
heros merits had never been properly
appreciated by the State, and 1 en-
countered various officers at Moscow
who were persuaded he had been poi
soned.
ITO appease the army the Emperor
felt that he could not do better than
summon Kouropatkin from Central
Asia and give him a high appointment
at home. Since then he has been treat
ed as favorite at Court, and If he has
secured little notoriety abroad 1t is sim
ply because he has always devoted him
self to his profession and let politics
| alone.
'Skobeleff had in him all the elements
of great statesman, as well as those
of great General. His political in
| fiuence was becoming positively em-
barrassng to the Cars Minister when
he died.
"Kouropatl<in has never sought to
form n party in Russia-he is quite con-
tent to be a great General, and nothing
more
The judgment was pronounced away
back in 1885, 1t does not hold good
now.
Gen. Kouropatkin is now the unchal- |
lenged head of the war party in Rus
STA. He believes in pushing Russian
troops to the uttermost ends of Asia.
In the movements toward the Indian
frontiers, which have alarmed England
in recent years: in the absorption of
Manchuria, and in the threatened at
taclls on Korea, his hand is plainly to
be seen by any one familiar with Rus
sian politics.
Before becoming Minister of War,
Kouropatkin commanded the Russian
army. He would probably command it
amounted to a national emergency, for
he is unquestionably Russia's greatest
General.
He is the idol of the army, for Sto-
belief is a name to conjure with in the
Russian service, and he was Skobeleff' s
man in four campaigns-the
War, the Khivan expe-
dition and the Khokandese and Merv
One of Kouropatkin's strongest sup ,
porters today is the same Gen. Amen
koff who admired his march through
the desert to join Skobeleff before Cock
Tepe.
Gen. Annenkoff made a great reputa-
ton by building strategic railways in
Central Asia, and his was the vast
scheme for Transsberian line to the
Pacific. He first outlined that plan in
detail during visit to Paris in 1891.
Many so-called practical men laughed
at him then, but his ideas have since 6
produced the greatest railroad in the
world, at an admitted cost of G55,000000 E
and perhaps great deal more.
Annenkoff is one of Skobeleff's men, I
like Kouropatkin. No General is
thought much of in the Russian Army ,
unless he is able to say, II was with
Skobeleff at Plevna," or 81 fought in
Turkestan under Skobeleff." There is ]
hardly a single prominent General IN {
the service who is not one of Skobeleff' S
men. {
That great commander showed I'M s
erring Judgment in picking his subordi-
mates. The unknown subalterns whom
he chose for his staff officers and the
Captains and Colonies to whom he en-
trusted the command of small armies
have since become, almost without ex-
cepton, famous Generals. l.
Michael Annenkoff was born in 1898, I
and received his first commission in the |
Russian army in 1863 He is an older
veteran than Kouropatkin, for he serv- |
ed as staff Captain during the Polish {
instruction, and rose to the rank of r
Colonel at the remarkably early age 1
Of rs.
He was with the Germans during the 7
Franco Prussian War as Russian at !
-ache, and acted as one of Skobeleffs
chief staff officers in the Merv cam
1aign. :,
Gen. Annenkoff has played leading :
part in the intrigues against England
IN the Indian frontier, and is credited ,
With having at least fifty specific
schemes for conquering India pigeon
loed in his desk
Il question whether there is a single L
British officer who has such a good II
of English and foreign books
m India as l have pulled about in the q
library of Gen. Annenkoff," said an h
lnglishman who became friendly with L
lin while travelling in Central Asia.
Another we'll known Russian soldier, |,
Who might be expected to play a lead S
ne part in time of war, is Gen. Obrub- 1,
heff. He is the hero of hundred des-
crate fights in the successive Central n
ASIAN campaigns, and enjoys "A greater s.
equation for personal courage than D
robably any other Russian General. Is
During the siege of Cock Tepe Obrub-
heff was sent out by Skobelef one n
light to reconnoitre the position of the
Lie refnsnl u 10. | y