Evening journal., 1905-03-18
GENERAL KUROPATKIN
STARTS FOR HIS HOME
St Petersburg Is Alarmed Regarding the Fate Of
the Russian Army, There Being No Pause
in Japanese Advance
RAILROAD SAID TO have BEEN CUT

st. Petersburg, March 1S.--Decided
anxiety is felt here regarding the fate
Of the army in Manchuria under its
new commander. no news of military
developments the last two days hav-
ing been received here The only dis
patches from the front are the brief
announcements yesterday that Gen
eral Linevitch had assumed command
and. that General KuropatNn was de-
parting for st. Petersburg, which dis
poses Of rumor that the latter had
committed suicide, and the Associated
Press Changtufu dispatch filed the
morning Of March l6, and written At
the station of Kayuan, which was then
held by the Russians. In this cores
pondent's opinion no pause In the
Japanese advance is probable for some
time. The Russians are losing heavily
IN the rear guard actions, and Japar
nese columns are reported 10 be push
ing northward as fast as possible to
complete the development of the Rus
sian forces. General Lineyitch, how
ever viii have considerable acces-
sion Of fresh troops IN a day or two,
the Fourth European Corps being now
at Hardin and departing southward.
Military officials here declare that
there are now 26s,Q00 men at General
Linevitch's disposal IN Manchurla. and
It is believed that this force will be
SUFFICIENT TO cause the Japanese 20 ex-
'ercise greater caution IN their pur-
suit
Prince Hilkof. who will leave St.
Petersburg soon TO prepare the Siber-
ian railway for forwarding the new
levies which have been determined
upon. said that there had been no
breakdown as yet and that he hoped
as soon as navigation opened 1t would
be possible to transport one-fourth of
the outgoing soldiers by the rivers and
relieve the railroad to that extent.
Although General Kuropatkln's
downfall was inevitable from the mil
itary standpoint nevertheless it has
aroused sympathy in circles familiar
with the long campaign that has been
waged against him by the general
stan. General SalSharoff was his open
enemy, and General Dragomiroff his
most severe critic; and many OF his
own subordinates were Jealous and
grudgingly obedient Many epigrams
about General Kuropathn's shortoom-
ings are being attributed to General
Dragomiroii. and the supercession Of
the former at Such a critical moment
Is directly attributed to Dragomiroff's
advice. Emperor Nicholas now giving
ear to the veteran strategist In mill
tory matters.
General Linevitch is distinctively
line ofhoer, with a. long record as a
fighter. lie Is almost as cordially dis
liked by the general stan as Is his
predecessor, and there also is bad
blood between Kuropatkin and Line
witch, dating from a personal quarrel
In the days when Kuropatkin was com
mander Of the trans-Baikal army,
which led Lineyitch to demand salts
faction. Kuropatkin assumed the posi-
ton that he could not fight an ohicer
Of inferior rank The succession OF
this officer will naturally increase Gen
sral Kuropatkin's s diseomfiture.
There is persistent report that
railroad communications have been
cut behind the Russian army. News is
awaited with intense anxiety. --ese