Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-03-30
MAY NOT TRY TO
HOLD HARDIN
RUSSIANS MAY BE COMPELLED
TO RETREAT FARTHER
WESTWARD.
LEAVE RUSS LAND TO JAPS
ABANDON NORTHERN MAN
CHURlA AND RUSSIAN MARI
TIME PROVINCES

St. Petersburg, March 25.-The pos
sibility that if the Russian army
should be unable to hold the lower
line of the Sungari river at Chun-
chiatsu, it may be compelled to retreat
not only to Hardin, but also further
westward along the railroad, abandon
ing to the Japanese Northern Man
churia and the Russian maritime
Amur provinces as well, is the start
ling news from the front.
The strategic weakness of Gen.
Linevitch's position as he falls back
northward is made clear by Gunshu
dispatch to the Associated Press in
which it is pointed out that unless
Chunchiatsu and the Sungar lines,
scant hundred miles below Hardin,
can be held 1t will be
Difficult to Maintain
a position farther back before Hardin,
where, with the front of the army par
alleling the railway, the practicabiity
of turning movement to completely
sever communications and isolate the
army 5000 miles from home is too
| serious for Russian consideration. In
] view of this possibility the dispatch al
| luded to suggests the ACCESSIBILITY of
Immediately providing Vladivostok
with war munitions and supplies for a
two years siege. The correspondent
estimates the number of reinforce
ments needed to give Gen. Linevitch
the requisite superiority in force at
least 100000. That such dispatch
should have been permitted to pass
| the censor at the front
Is Significant,
and if Gen. Linevitch has commune
Gated a similar estimate Of the situa-
ton direct to st. Petersburg, it may
account for his majestys increased
disposition to listen to peace counsels
and open negotiations before the Jap
anese establish themselves on Russian
soil. With Manchuria entirely aban-
doned to the Japanese and Vladivos-
tok as Russia's solitary sentinel on
| the Pacific, it is realized that Russia
will be practically at Japan's mercy in
the matter of peace terms. 1t can now
be definitely stated that the decision
to appoint Grand Duke Nicholas Mich
olaievitch to the supreme command
in the Far East was reconsidered, be-
cause the outlook at the front does not
warrant the risk of compromising the
prestige of member of the imperial
family. Military authorities here be-
lieve that unless Gen. Linevitch is
sure of his ability to hold the lower
Sungari lire, he
Will Risk His Whole Army
If he fortifies and concentrates there
as if he should be defeated his line of
| retreat lies to two sides of triangle,
the third side of which is open to the
enemy's advance.
At the general staff the view that
Gen. Linevjtch may be compelled to
! abandon Hardin and retire toward
Lake Baikal, leaving Vladivostok to
its fate is regarded almost unwarrant-
ed by anything that is officially known
there, it being pointed out that Field
Marshal Oyama will have long and
| idDolluuS IhSh W DIluS up dn army u
100000 or 100000 men.
Meanwhile Russian achievements
are arriving at Hardin at the rate of
1900 per day. Nevertheless it is sig.
nificant there there is now a we'll
marked peace parry at the war office
st. Petersburg, March "a. - The
party within the government which is
urging the emperor to indicate tc
Japan Russia's willingness to end the
war if a reasonable basis can be
reached, as related in these dispatches
of March 20, has been greatly encour
aged the last few days, and an aetna
pacific proposal may be just ahead.
The subject has occupied much o.
the attention of the conferences al
Tsarskoe Selo, certain grand dukes
supported by Gen. Sakharoff, the min
lister OF war; Admiral AveIlan
the head of the admiralty, anc
what is known as the war partv
are still bitterly opposed to the ides
OF peace under present circumstances
but with the exception of the minis
tiers OF war and marine the emperor
ministers of war and marine the EN-
peror's ministers, backed by M. White