Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-03-22
DISASTER TO
KUROPATKIN
A Noted Russian Correspondent Shows
Up the Cause Of Weakness in the
Army Of the Gar.
LACK OF INFORMATION SHOWN
Japanese Knew All That Was Going
on in the Ranks of Their Enc
mies-Russians in the Dark.
LACK OF INFORMATION SHOWN

| 81. petersburg, MarCn lS.-M. AIT
iloff, one of the Associated Press cor
respondents who was wounded at Lilac
Yang, continuing today his descrip
ton, begun yesterday, of the causes
of the Russian defeats, has drawn q
powerful picture of the complete Grim
inal lack of knowledge on the part
of the Russians of the country and
the enemys movements, and Of the
utterly imprudent gossip and babbling
which acquaints Japanese with every
movement and plan before they are
| inaugurated. He compares the Rus
sian army to a powerful yokel moving
forward blindfolded, wildly brandish.
ing his arms and shouting aloud what
he will do to the enemy when he
catches him. He cannot see his path
nor his enemy. Here he stumbles up
hill. There he falls into valley.
The keen-eyed enemy easily avoids
his waving arms and mighty fists, and
pours in succession of blows which
sent the Russian yokel Keeling back
ward to his bitter establishment.
NJ. kiriloff adds that the blame for
the successive defeats is not kuropat-
kin's. 1t is simply due to the fact
that the machine is out of order. A
good workman was given bad helpers
and miserable tools. The elements
of misfortune were in the army itself.
Behold the result. The mishaps were
attributed to the defensive positions
of kurOpatkin, and it was said when
the Russians assumed the initiative
all would be we'll. This was not real
lied, because every movement was
preordained to failure ny the prema-
ture publication or dilatory execution
of the plans. The merest STRIPPING
substitute lieutenant chatters reck-
lessly and informedly of dispositions
and movements which should be
known only to the few chiefs. The
disposition and plans of the battle of
the Shakhe river, for example, were
openly discussed several days in ad-
vance in the railroad restaurant at
Mukden in the hearing of many Chi
nese, civilians and camp-followers.
The general staff gives information
to whomsoever asks it. Babbling is
the bane of the bureaucracy, says NJ.
Kiriloff. While thus opening the ia
panese eyes the Russians close theirs.
Not only company and battalion COM
manders, but even colonies and at
times commanders of divisions, enter
into battle ignorant of the very ma
neuvers they are expected to execute.
For instance General Orloff, on Sep,
TENDER 2 was entrusted with the
movement on which the battle of Lao
Yang hinged, and he blindly led 49,
900 men into action ignorant of why,
wherefore or whittier. Naturally there
was disaster instead of the destruc-
ton of General Kuroki's forces and
victory The general staff is in
attentive to the all important duty of
mapping. Even now the Russians
have unsatisfactory maps, and units
in the hills country are unable to keep
in touch with each other. The Rus
sian intelligence department is defect
i've. 1t knows nothing of the japanese
numbers, positions or movements, not
only in the unsettled mountainous reg,
ions, but even on the populated plains
of Manchuria. Instead of easily Sc
curing the sympathy of the Chinese
the Russians alienated them, and they
now side with the Japanese. The
Russians drove away the Chinese ban
dts who are now the eyes Of the ia
panese army, and who destroy bridges
and communications as well. Kuro
patkin is also hampered by frantic re-
ports from nervous generals, particu
larry those of Rennenkampff. who
sends poems" instead of results.
The late Lieutenant General Kel
Ter was also at fault. Kuropatkin was
obliged to reprimand him sharply a
short time before his death. These
faults existed and still exist The
army has been defeated and will be
in the future unless they are rene
died.