Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-01-14

OF PORT
ARTHUR
Character and Career OF me
Noted Officer, Ger.
StOeSSel

mander a, Port Arthur with the abs
+, Iluts certainty 5t final capture in vie
p and ,hs terrible suffering and great To-
F. Iof life involved. al will have to DO
with respect 90 she exhibition Of BRAY
. ierv AMI tts ioggAi persistence waie
. the occasion presents General An.
,5le Mikhaloviteh Sro-s-el has mad
himself w5rIt.faucuS whether he live
\ 90 suigy the fruits 5f MS fame OF No
IAN Russia. from Gar 70 peasant unite
. in proslaimiug SJcessei a national hero
and the world comedies tnat Russia ha:
cause Tor its opinion. Stoessel has done
and az this writing is still doing Won
isrful work. While from a humanitar-
ian stand point, one cannot admire the
character which can daily see the men
about him slaughtered and dying from
hunger and disease in an apparently
hopeless cause one must also remember
that war is not wagei on humanitarian
principles and that General StoeSsel
was placed in his present position TO
defend Port Arthur as a soldier. In
this be is certainly doing his duty to
his country and 20 the Car. He has
taught even the japanese 70 dread a
handful Of imprisoned Russians. He
has swept hack again and again the ris
ing tide Of war, and fearful havoc has
been esusei among the assailants of
Port Arthur Now. in his last extrem.
.ty be- is still undaunted, as with his
diminished garrison he faces certain
iefeat
Prom the first General Stoessel has
.eeognizei that Port Arthur is 10 be
ne grave. No illusions have bright.
ned bis outlook. When the bulk Of the NJ
'ussian army was withdrawn from !"
'ort Arthur, Stoessel told the garrison IN
bat their doom was sealed. "'On three ca
Ides the sea and on the fourth the 10
nemy. was MS description Of the or
.iuatiou. Later on in message to a pl
riend, the defender Of Port Arthur to
nd; "l now bid you goodbye forever. II
orr Arthur will be my grave. It en-
difficult 70 reconcile this pesslmism NJ
ith the splendid defense that has been DO
aintainei But StOessel. like manv iel
his felloweouutTymen. is a fatalist
q sees. or slpposes he sees. the end r
at Is inevitable, vet he struggles to
.ert 70. Knowing that Port Arthur
ls' fall, that his life will be los, with
this accomplished soldier sets about
IN ,oolnesS deliberation and consum. eu
ne skill 20 exact the heaviest penal. TEL
IS from the aSsailants and 10 DELAY
fall as long as possible. al
When the war began. the name oy tn,
'cssei Was not mentioned among the
'at generals upon whom Russia ie. di.
AIDED. All the talk vas Of others who wa
'e since been forgotten. Yet this Ipr,
n had been training for a great mil. te,
~ roeert Prom the Army Asad.
y of fayiof, S,oesssl graduated ,bir.l .l,b.
n'ne years ago. AZ The same time 90,
companion of his youth and Of bis i
dies now General Kuropatkin. pa..al,
hnal examinations az the academy
friends separated aaI though serv. H..
nearly lifetime ia tbs ,ans great .v,
~ have u-ver before been am ~
'cd In the same resi5u. This of r.lo-
~ testimony at the ya~ae.s Of m,
sia 5 military organization
ioessri is spoken .f asa s.n NJ ,t. i.
'aek' Hts family tradition. t,,.I .-
generations beer associated v,,, '
battlefield They date hack mr,.I-
-'" rrars Dr. ras great war ui,bIs
Pies Aii of >erIra Ba,as ,f,.-l.r-''
nl reverse Voa ras great vi-,,-r -'
'ulio"a- Aueag tss rris..,r. .,. RI
s''ess'L who asuea... ,ts ,r-.,
eau'" of tHt golgaeror Tts -
of This Swedish soldier b..,-.
kuss.an egnart.s TIE 49,. 81
10 VIII distinction against NsrLi',
prard army Ar-rrarl. t. ~ .'
. GOVERN" .f .as fs,.r.s 49,. ''
Emperor Alexander T.s ,,t- %"
q che oari,t rals.,s b...-. III -1'
OF ,eo laaHs g RE Ins-,..,l y
d. lie Commanded ite tsIv.y.,5
q A'aF''sa. 10 'sis uas vas t-
.N mo prrseai .sisslr ~ p.-.I ~
pr "a' s aeE ,a l., dfi,.,,t -'
'ns Ana'a's Stoss-. sas .-F.4l
. s'Trs of cadets az ,a r,-- .,l
H" tpiains ras ss iaaro,-s a
an "-.iafr s-isnsc t5all r.st. 4. ,'''
'A5 sas 'Psag at ns P-.,,.sl AAl
'i NAasis vtsFa acre st4l..-
'' play az var aaklss f,,is.. Aia
'aa a''E',ias thez- rhsa,. IN.
n''ie -sl4iss vas ssas /, n.l ..''
F aea4suy st PaUsv. 49,