Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-03-22
DEFEATED AND
INUNDATED
The Gar Deals Out Bitter Portion
to General kuropatEin, Russia's
Fallen Military Idol.
LINEvITcH NOW IN COMMAND
's Fighting General and Has Fine
Record-Deposed General Starts
for st. Petersburg.

st. Petersburg, March 21.-Decided
anxiety is felt regarding the fate of
the Manchurian army under its new
commander, no news of military de.
velopments during the last three days
having been received. The only dis
patches from the front are the brief
announcements yesterday that Gen.
eral Linevitch had assumed command.
and that Kuropatkin was departing
Tor st. Petersburg, disposing of a ru-
NOR that Kuropatkin had committed
suicide, and the Associated Press
Changtufu dispatch filed the morning
OF March 16, and written at the sta
tion of Kaiyuan, which was then held
oy the Russians. In this correspond
ent's opinion no pause in the Japan
ese advance is probable for some time.
The Russians are losing heavily in
the rear guard actions, and Japanese
columns are reported to be pushing
northward as fast as possible to COM
plete the enveloping movement of the
Russians.
Will Have Fresh Troops.
General Linevitch will have a con-
siderable concession of fresh troops
in day or two, the fourth European
corps being now at Harbin and de-
parting southwark.
Military officers declare that there
are now 268,OO0 men at General Line
vitch's disposal in Manchuria, and It
Is believed that this force will be
sufficient to cause the Japanese to
exercise greater caution in their pur-
suit.
Prince Hilkoff, who will leave st.
Petersburg soon to prepare the ST.
berian railway for forwarding the new
levies which have been determined
on, said that there had been no break
down as yet, and that he hoped as
soon as navigation opened it would
be possible to transport one-fourth of
the outgoing soldiers by the rivers,
and relieve the railroad to that ex-
tent. Although General Kuropatkin's s
downfall was inevitable from a mill
tary standpoint, it arouses sympathy
in circles familiar with the long cam
paign that has been waged against
him by the general staff. General
SakharOff was his open enemy, and
General DragOmirOff his most severe
critic, and many of his own subordi-
mates were jealous. Many epigrams
about General KuropatKln's shortcom-
ings are attributed to General Drago-
miroff, and the suppression of the
former at such critical moment is
directly attributed to General Drago-
miroffs advice, Emperor Nicholas CIV
ing ear to the veteran strategist in
military affairs.
Ltnevitch a Fighter.
General Linevitch is distinctly a line
officer with a long record as a fight
er. He is almost as cordially dislik-
ed by the general staff as was his
predecessor, and there is also bad
blood between Kuropatkin and Line
witch, dating from personal quarrel
in the days when Kuropatkin was COM
mander of the trans-Baikal army,
which led Linevitch to demand satis-
faction. Kuropatkin assumed the po-
sition that he could not fight an Off
Ger of inferior rank. The succession
of this officer will naturally increase
General Kuropatkin's discontinue.
In the dismissal of General Kuro-
patkin the word disgrace is written
in large letters in the laconic imper-
ial order gazetted, which contains not
a single word of praise, and also dis
poses of the rumor that Kuropatkin
had asked to be relieved.
Bitter Imperial Rebuke.
The Russian military annals con-
tain no more bitter imperial rebuke.
While it was known that the war
council had already decided to sup
plant Kuropatkin after the Mukden
disaster, the decision to confer the
task of saving the remainder OF the
army on Linevitch in the very midst
of it's fight, although bruited last
night, came as surprise.
It transpires that Emperor Nlcnolas'
upon the advice of General Dragomi'
rolf and War Minister Sakharon, de-
termined that the step was necessary
when it became apparent Yesterday
afternoon that Kuropatkin, wnlle coh-
centrating for stand at Tie pass
seemed unaware that the Japanese
had worked around westward again,
and practically allowed himself to oe
surprised. Old reports brought by
General Grippenberg regarding kuro'
patkin's failing mentality also had IN
fluence.
Under the circumstances, therefore.
it was considered imperative, in view
of the exceedingly perilous position
of the army, to turn over it's com.
mand to Linevitch, who alone had
been able to bring off his army In
order after the battle of Mukden. HIS
record during the Chinese war had
also demonstrated his capacity as a
commander.
A dispatch from Changtufu reports
that General Kuropatkin left there TO-
night for st. Petersburg.
CHURCH AND STATE.
Plan for Separation Debated In the
French Chamber,