The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-21
kUR0PATkIN; THE
E MAN WHO WAITS
7. p. 'Gonnors Analysis of the
Russian General on Whom
So Much Depends.


So Much Depends.
Those who still feel compelled % believe,
however reluctantly. in eventual victory
for Russia at the close OF the death strug-
bic between the two nations, base much of
their opinion on the extraordinary ten
!, whom l. know compared the general the
! other evening 10 Fabius Cuncta:or, the
man who wore out Hannibal by his delays
and SreStored the cOmmOnWeal" of Rome
Be this as 1t may, the commander who
/ hung on with the bulldog tenacity 10 the
last at L-s', Yang is simply displaying
/ in Inaturee age the qualities of his boy
hoo.
For Sc was kuropatkin's innate inabil-
tty ever to realize when he was beaten
that gave him his first chance of seeing
active service. 1T was In 1856" saws d
writer in contemporary, 'and kuropat-
KIN applied for employment in the kho-
kand expedition, being at the time an OBJ
scure lieutenant without influence. he
petitioned his colonel 10 that effect. and
his comrades, according 10 the Russian
custom, petftioned on his behalf. The
icolonel refused and dismissed the petition
stending at the foot of the staircase,
where the colonel left him Eighteen
hours afterward the eoloneI came out OF
his apartment and found the young Of
I
this time, he aeceded TO his juniors re-
quest. Very well, you can 60, he said.
/ You're the sort OF man tue army
wants" Quite so. Just now the Rus
sian army needs all the patience with
which 1t can be inspired from beadquar-
/ ters, If ever an army did And now let
me further illustrate this trait OF huro-
lpatkins by some passages from Mr.. Geof-
frey Drage's admirable book, Russian
Affairs.
The last OF the great men 1 have cnos-
en- TO represent the ideals by which Rus
isia is animated writes Mr.. Drage, lis
General Kuropatkin. The MAN on whom
the mantle of the great General Skobelett
has fallen. and who has been. since 1873
minister of war. He is the most brilliant
IsoIdier and one of the most capable adj
illustrators in the service of the car.
Practically in the prime OF life, endowed
with indonitable will and nntlring INDUS
/ try, the strictest Of discipHndrlans, he IS
gentle and modest in manner. He has had
more than thirty-five years of military
service. and has won the affection ana
respect of all who have served under
him,
che has studied the practice of war
under a great chief, and has an intimate
knowledge OF the peoples OF the east, ana
1.-THE balance of power in Asia. Ills tlrst
distinctions were gained in 1863, when, at
the age of 20 he assisted at the stormlng
of Sanarkand and won the orders or 81;
Stanislsus and St. Anne for distinguished
N.
A in a course of special stusy at the starr
college which was followed oy promo
ton to the rank of captain. In 1879 NJ
was sent on a special mission 20 france
and Germany in the course of which ne
Eaok part In an expedition from Algiers
Into the Sahara and became knight OF the
y Legion of Honor.
on the outbreak Of the Russo-Turkish
war in 1871 Kuropatkin became lieutenant
colonel and chief Of the staff to General
Si1obeieff and greatly distinguished hiul-
self at Pleyna. Indeed there Is nt'ie
doubt some of Skobelsffs laurels
were won by him. SkObeleff was dash
ling impetuous, reckless leader; kuropat-
kin he cool. patient, calculating correc-
tive who restrained him. In 1873 Colonel
lKurApatkin became professor or military
statistics at the staff college, Dut plhlns
for more active service, Vas sent IN 1851
as commandant Of the TurkeStan hlIles
on the expedition which resulted in sthc
Production of Kuldja-
8R4
Later in the same year he COMMANDED .,
the reinforcements sent TO General Sko-
/ beleff, who was conducting the campaign
against the Tekke Turcomans. Starting
from Samarkand in November. 1871 Win
la detachment 900 strong, ne hurrleo
through Bolhara 20 Charjuy, barely three
days ride from the Tekke lair at merry :
then. fetching a long detour by way OF
Khiva, TO avoid the Tekke bands with
ibeadnrlarters on Dec. Is. Well might Sko-
belief say 'kuropatkin is the only man
capable of performing so dangerous d
mission. In was under MS .eaaersnIp
that the southern coiunn forced the IN
trencbment of Yangi Kaka on Jan n
b 1881. and he headed one OIL the coIuiiil 10
lin the famous assault aiid capture u
Geek Teppe on Jan q.
after a period of service on the staff
at ST. Petersburg. during which ne was
intrusted with schemes of mobilization
and defense of the western frohtier Ol
Russia. he became governor anu eoui-
manler in chief of Transeaspla when II
/ was made a government in 1880. In TINS
post he showed great capacity as a ciEll
administrator, and obtained repue eS, ,H
for firmness and sympathy as Wen as
for thorough knowledge OF the natlve
character and here he remained MI ne
became minister of war
e General Kuropatkin has thus been
| trained in many schools. He is master
| of the science of war on its theoretical
side, besides having had abundant expe-
lomatic missions and has made the mill
I-tary politics of Asia his speciality. his
opinions are therefore OF the utmost
2 value and the expression he gave OF them
t in AN address at Askabadon on Nov. 3,
1897 in a speech to party or Enghsn
tourists. was remarkably frank. he lalo
! special stress on the fact that, since the
Introduction of railways and telegrapns,
central Asia had been completely WITHIN
The control of the central government, so
! that whatever happens there now is a
proceeding authorized by the car SHe
/ and then report the fact to his imperial
master are over. The policy OF the gov
/. ernor GENERAL at Tashkent now Is direct
: ed from st. Petersburg, and that policy
: according to General Kuropatkin. il
peaceable.
1.-THE principles which govern the pol
| icy of Russia he said, are simple They
T are the maintenance of peace, OF ordel
and OF prosperity in all cases OF the pop
Z uation' On this account the hasty an.
! nexation of new territories is DISCOURAGED
: | because of the responsibilities II Involves
: for the Inhabitants Of conquered lands be
= come Russian subjects. children OF tht
car. and are invested with every priv
. lege enjoyed by citizens OF the empire.
= This utterance is the more noteworthy
: because ii is coupled with an explicit dec
larafion that the policy of the local gov
. ernor in central Asia is the policy OF 81
: | Petersburg Without this it might nave
/, PASSED for a mere expression OF the prin-
= ciples which have governed the lire Of &C
: ton of Kuropatl0n himself and Of bis
! master, General Skobelef
3 ION this point shobeleff spoke ever
Z more emphatically, and contrasted th'
Y action of Russia in this RESPECT with tina
;. OF England in India. In proclamation
e TO his troops after the vic.ory at Geol
u | TeDpe he Salos "A new era mas openes
n for the Tekkes-an era of equality ant
: OF a guaranteed possession of property
q for All. without distinction. Our centra
% Asian policy recognizes no parlahs. Here
in lies our superiority over the English.
., In support OF his statement that Russia
t policy made for peace. General kuro
o patl<in adduced the orderly condition o
4 central Asia the growing attachment
shown BY the inhabitants to their new
rulers and the steady increase of wealth
'-rffp trading classes are now the stanch
,,r nm hn~ 5rrx N