Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-09
STOESSEL SURPRISED
His First Inquiry Of Japanese
Was Of Kuropatkin.
AMAZED OVER NEWS
HAD EXPECTED RUSSIAN GEN
ERAL TO RELIEVE PORT ARTHUR.
Had Been Misled All Along by Re
ports-Commends Fighting Quail
ties of Mikado's Troops.
AMAZED OVER NEWS

records an interview between Gen.
Stoessel and Japanese officer, in
which the former learned with
amazement of the defeat and heavy
losses sustained by Gen. Kuropat-
kin. from whom he had expected
relief. The tenor of his remarks
indicated also that he had been mis-
led in the reports to him of the situ
alton in the field.
The Russian general was unstint-
ed in his praise of his treatment by
his Japanese captors and remarked
also upon the superb fighting quail
ties of the mikado's troops.
HEADQUARTERS THIRD JAPANESE
ARMY AT PORT ARTHUR, January T. via
Tion-Tsin, January 9.-Captain Tsunoda. the
Japanese staff officer who was sent to Port
Arthur to inform General Stoessel of the
contents of the message of the Emperor of
Japan, saying that the garrison should be
treated with the greatest consideration,
says:
General Stoessels first inquiry was about
the whereabouts of General kuropa tkin. 1
said l did not know exactly, but understood
he was somewhere about Mukden.
General Stoessel remarked that he had
last heard from General Kuropatkin Octo-
ber 6, saying he would come to relieve Port
Arthur soon. General Stoessel added that
he had sent out Chinese spies, who returned
and reported that General Kuropatkin with
a relieving army, was at Kinchou, twenty
miles north of Port Arthur.
General Stoessel was plainly incredulous
al my statement that General Kuropatkin
had been defeated and driven back toward
Mukden, so l produced maps, showed him
the position of the two armies near the
Shakhe river, and gave Stoessel details of
kuropatkin's defeat, with the loss of so 600
to 10000 men, at which the Russian general
expressed amazement and quickly remarked
that he had been msled.
Asked After Baltic Fleet.
General Stoessel then asked where the
Baltic fleet was, and told him that some
of the ships had not passed the Cape of
Good Hope.
With hopeless expression General
Stoessel said:
Now that Port Arthur has fallen there
is no use for the feet coming any further
L then asked General Stoessel what had
caused the most damage to the garrison
during the siege. he replied:
Your eleven-inch howitzers. After they
arrived our defensive works became use
less ~
General StOesseI then pointed ont that he
and Admiral AleXieff had been through the
Boxer trouble and had seen the work of the
Japanese army. General Stoessel also said
ne hdd Deen associated with the Japanese
Generals Gamaguchi and F'ukushima at
that time, and expressed the Opinion that
the Russian and Japanese forces had horne
the lion s share of the work Since then he
nad nad high idea of the organization and
nShung qualities of the japanese army"
Opinion of Cause of War.
The real cause of the war was, in Gem
eral Stoessels opinion. the ignorance of the
Russian people of the fighting qualities of
the japanese. The first attack on Port Ar
thur, in February, by the japanese fleet
was a tremendous surprise. The forts he
explained. were only partly garrsoned by
2.n00 troops.
AT this poin; General Stoessel said he
had always opposed the scheme of Governor
Sakharoh OF Port Dalny in spending money
IN building up Port Dalny instead of fin
lshmg the defenses of Port Arthur SAX
haroff. who was an engineer officer, died of
dysentery during the siege.
Continuing. General Stoessel praised the
ingenuity. pluck and patience of the Jana
hese infantry. especially in making siege
parallels and trenches to the forts
referring to the artillery General Stoes-
sci said at first he did not think the artil-
iery practice good, but he was soon COM
PEELED to recognize how good it was Cen
eral kondratenko and "A colonel of engi-
neers urman), General Stoessel pointed out.
were killed in North KeekwaA fort by a
japanese shell Just prior to the explosion of
December Is. General St6essel felt their
loss greatly. as kondratenko was a clever
engineer.
Had Served in Three Wars.
General StoeSseI further said he had
served his emperor in three wars and had
feen thrice wounded. first in the Russo
Turkish war. second in the Boxer trouble
and third at Port Arthur. Now he felt he
had earned the right to return to Russia
To live in his old age with his family The
general added that he was taking home
with him five children of officers who had
been killed during the siege
After his conference with General Nogi
General StoeSsel expressed gratifiea ton at
meeting so pleasant gentleman. He had
not expected the considerate treatment ac-
corded him. General Nogi appeared %
General Stoessel an old friend rather
than as the commander of an army which
had forced him to surrender
nTCpnSJTTON NE TCnNrpc