The Washington times., 1904-05-01
THE. DELICATE SITUATION
OF THE MILITARY ATTACHE

on steam tactics. The grandfather OF
the present naval attache was vice a.
miral in the Russian navy, and his IN.
Gle, Capt. Ivan Boutakof1. ~zeas In cox
man0 OF one of the frigates IN the RUS
sian fleet that steamed into the harbor
of New York in 1868 and served notice
upon the powers that the Cars gov
eminent would tolerate no European
Interference in the settlement OF the
questions at issue in our civil war.
Commander Alexandra Boutakon was
born in Cronstadt in 1851 After grad
uating at the University OF st. Peters
burg he entered the navy. and followt-
a period Of service in the Far East ne
made his first visit to the United states
in 1893 when serving as Lieutenant Oh
board the Russian cruiser Dmitr1 DON
skoi, the flagship of the fleet which ytss
tied our shores at the time OF the Clt-
cago Worlds Fair. The sea service OF
the present naval attache has includ-1
four years in the Far East ana three
years in the Mediterranean During the
latter period he was successfully execu-
tive officer CO the Russian gunboat Khra
brig and in command OF torpedo boat
No Il9 and i.he torpedo boat destroyer
Vinoslivy Commander Boutakon was
married ten years ago TO Olga Kazana-
keff. niece Of Admiral Kazanako1, now
president of the Red Cross IN Russia
Russia has for some time past had
very capable military attache IN this
country In the person OF Colonel RaS-
popow.
1t may be permissible to digress just
here to point out that the ambassadors
and ministers at Washington are IN no
wise responsible for the acts OF tss
military and naval attaches OF their
respective nationalities stationed In
America. The ENJOYS must answer for
the official behavior of the secretaries
and other under-diplomats attached to
the embassies and legations. but the
war experts stand on a different foot
ing. The candidates for the military
nd naval q SnlaNfaH frdananH-
emily by the respective departments
which they represent, and report direct
10 them. Indeed. in some countries they
are not known as attaches" but as
voy has no knowledge either OF tho
Instructions which they receive or thu
dispatches which they send.
Germany is particularly well provided
can military and naval progress. She
has her regular attaches. Major Ottn
Won Etzel. of the army, and Commapd-
er Erwin Schaefer, of the navy, but
in addition the German Emperor ara
most Of the members of his staff are
fighters by profession Baron Stern
burg is a colonel in one of the Saxon
Hussar regiments. and IN his suite may
be foand representatives OF several OF
the crack German regiments. InfOr-
nation Is gathered for the British war
authorities by two comparatively young
mes-Lieut- Col II, j. Foster. OF the
royal engineers. and Captain de Chair.
of the royal navy. Japan has at pres
ent only one war expert on duty in the
United states. namely, Commander
Isam Takeshita. of the imperial Japa-
nese navy. The Japanese army was
formerly represented by Colonel Wanta-
nabe. who witnessed all the heavy fight
ing In the Chino-Japanese war. but he
was withdrawn when il became evident
some time since that Japan WOULD ere
long need all her lighting men for ac-
tive service.