The Irish standard., 1905-03-18

home nor the welfare of his country,
but solely at the dictation of a few
men led on by the ambition Of more
empire, the Russian peasantry of the
rank and file has once more made
record for himself that cannot be
blotted out, even though that record is
made in retreat after an overwhelm-
ing defeat. What other soldiers in the
world, after fourteen days of fighting,
overwhelmed in numbers. could have
made that long and arduous retreat
from Mukden to Tie Pass without de-
moralization? 1t is to the individual
Russian soldier that Kuropatkin owes
his escape with the bulk of his army.
And all this has been accomplished by
bis army after ten months of repeated
defeat. 1t is easy for soldiers to fight
when they are winning victories, but
it is hard to persevere under repeated
disaster.
General Won Boguslawsky, the fore
most German military writer, says
that no other soldiers could take such
beating and Still retain their organi-
zation. The character of the Russian
soldier was exemplified by the rem
nants of General Rennenkampf's COM
mand which when ordered to retreat
from their positions on Friday night
solemnly and pathetically kissed the
ground on which two thirds Of their
fellow soldiers had died during the
fourteen days of fighting. They could
not understand why they were COM
manded to abandon a position which
they had been able to hold against the
repeated attacks of the japanese for
fourteen days, even though at such
great sacrifice. They preferred to re-
main and die if need be. But, when
ordered to retreat they did that in the
same stolid and matter of fact way in
which they had fought for fourteen
days in their positions in front Of the
Japanese. While the world is giving
praise to the soldiers of the Mikado it
should not forget the men who are
sustaining disasterous defeat and still
maintaining their morale. The New
York Evening Post, upon the observa-
tons of General Greene and the char.
acter of the Russian soldier has the
following to say:
Being without Imagination, he en-
tiers battle as General Greene re-
ported, singing Justify, yet with grim
determination and quite thoughtless of
his fate. He is essentially one of
mass, and as long as there are others
to direct and give orders he is there
to obey them when under fire. But if
all are killed who have the right to
give orders, the soldier of the long
overcoat will frequently stand still to
be killed, because of his sheer stupid
ity. 1t is the lack of imagination
which does it all with him, just as, per
contra. it is the presence of a lively
Imagination which makes the Japan
csc the most reckless and daring SOL
diers since the days of the Saracens
flushed with victory. AS was the case
with the barbarian soldiers Of the
Mahdi, the Japanese go to death
eagerly because of their vivid mental
pictures of the resulting great happi-
ness in store for them, their ancestors.
and their descendants.
writing in the Berlin Tageblatt
Colonel Gadke of the German army
has been summarizing his impressions
Of the Russian private of today. He
too, was amazed at the power of the
Russian soldier in frontal attack.
and his obstinate refusal to retreat
from the place assigned to him. For
his conduct on the retreat this Prus-
sian observer. like the American. has
only the highest praise, and he also
attributes it to the Russians instinct
for Masses The Russian soldier, he
finds. is till willing to give everything
that there is in him in the way of
strength and endurance. But while
Skobeleff and his chief subordinates
knew how to get the last ounce out of
him. the generals Of today have evil
IDENTIFY no such knowledge. To them
and to the regimental officers is due
the weak character of the offensive
movements of the Russians. To Gadke
they seemed more like mere feeling
of the enemy instead of an attempt to
drive an attack home at any cost save
defeat. When it came to fight with
the haynnet, the Russian ranks fought
like lions, and for once showed their
superiority.
Hitherto his faith has been simple
and childlike. A phrase, God and the
Gar has covered for him both re-
ligion and philosophy-and helped him
to endure his frightful trials patiently
and bravely until the end. The Car
he has up to this time been willing to
hold bameless. Will it continue so
much longer? If Russian soldiers
eyes are once opened; if his magma
ton is ever stimulated by knowledge
of better and freer life outside of
Russia, these very staying qualities
which make him so wonderful SOL
der in adversely may yet be equally
worthy of admiration in a struggle
h;c oo,nroccorc