The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-11-20

know the Russian commander 10
Chief, socalled, very well. and | as.
sure you there lives no more serious
no better equipped solder, mentally
and physically. If at present he docs
not come up to expectations, look for
the cause elsewhere | saw them much
together, Slsobelaff and hia pupil Kpro-
| patxin.
| Skobeieff loved war, Kuropatkin re-
CARDS il as an inevitable evil; there is
the difference The first was his sold
lers hero. their pride, Kuropatkn
tries to be their father War he
once told me- has become the most
intricate Of fire arts that must be
studied with patience anu diligence
no part Of the campaign burst be left
to accident or momentary enthusiasm
nowadays.
KuIopatLin's very personality OK
udes imperturbable cain, a feeling of
security Where he is, panic can
never ensue, for every man knows
thar Kuropatkin could be no more in
terested in him if he was his own son.
1t is not generally known that Ku-
ropatkin learned the soldiers trade in
the severest school-as a private Of
the French Foreign Legion in Africa.
His experiences in fighting against the
savage Sahara tribes Is ably set down
in a considerable volume rivaling bis
Turkish War" and his "Kashgarie,
Geographic Historical Account" Sko
academy he entered at the age of 30
In the beginning Of 1881 we find him
commanding one of the several col
umns ordered to break down the TEX.
ke-Turllamans stronghold Of Grck
Tepe. Kuropatkn told me that he
decided at once that he fortress could
be taken only by strategy. Accord
ing ". he resolved upon mines. This
effort the Aisaucs regarded curiously
They had not the slightest idea of XII
ropatkin's intentions. thinking that
having proceeded far enough, the
Muscovites would crawl through the
hole single file to be killed as they
emerged. ono after the other
"That would bring a ton of powder
to the mouth and blow mp the several
thousand men they had massed there
to slay the Russians as they bobbcd
up out of the bowels of the earth. no
one dreamed in Geek Tepe,' KuTopat
kin said. and it happened just as ]
anticipated. Then. the road being
clear. stormod the place at the head
Of my troops.
Gen. Skobclen captured immense
quantities of guns, ammunition. and
provisions and The enemy fed IN con
fusion. Two months later the prin'
cipal Turkoman chiefs made their sub
mission 10 the Car, and thus another
extensive territory in Central Asia
was brought under Russian influence
first met Gen. Kuropatkin in DC
tober 1880. when he was Governor
General of the Trans-Caspian region.
an immense territory situated be-
tween the Caspian. Persia, Afgaanis-
.an. and Bokhara He found the place
a desert-even today most hand books
dc cribe il. as such. mentioning onlF
a few oases-and I expect nothing bet
Ter at the moment Of Getting 0d' 20
explore this new Russian province.
Imagine. then. my surprise when
found Kuropatkin in a comfortable
and clean little residential town and
in a Government home Of stately d.
mensions and appointments. insidc
and out. A. J drove up az the palace
two men servants stepped up - help
me make nv toilet Afterwsrd 1 was
conducted 10 the audienCe room
where the officer CT duty received me-
It was a beautiful apartment. decor
ated with Asiatic weapons trophies
and fine paintings soon the General
entered in great uniform. for he was
about 10 preside At the Council
Lie Napoleon and the great Fretier-
lex. Ku-opatkiu g. man of small
stature. bat more p0verIr''g
-han those Captains At the time his
full beard vas a desp black Il has
probably many silver thrsads now