Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-10

and a son. The boy is in the Imperial UNI
versity, at Tokyo. and 1t Is said that he, as
well as his mother and sisters. take calmly
the honors that have befailen the name. or
Togo If that is true, then the children
take after their father in at least one re-
spect.
"when the shells were bursting all around
the flagship Mikasa. .'our august Vice adj
miral was the coolest man on board.
Rear Admiral Rojestvensky.
Rear Admiral q. p. Rojestvensky. the
commander Of the Russian feet, now face
to face with the Japs in the East Indies.
and Vice Admiral Togo, the Japanese
Dewey, are nearly Of an age, the former
being born in 1S48 and the latter a year
later.
Rojestvensky first saw the light of day
near Moscow, and after getting the the
oretical, impractical education of Russian
naval officer blossomed out suddenly as
hero. For two unexampled feats of -brav-
cry In the war of 1S7T-78 he gained the st.
Georges Cross. He served In the Black
and Baltic seas. gaining a high reputation
as seaman, and in 1903 abandoned sea-
going for the post of chief of staff at the
reputation. He had fought well with his
sword. but fought much harder battle
for efficiency. Had that battle been decided
before February, 1904. Russia's naval dis
never have taken place.
Rojestveflsky is typical Russian and
typical naval officer. His men call him
Admiral Moltchalivi," the silent admiral.
and taciturnity goes well with the reserved
expression and manners of the Russian aris-
tocrat. The naval man shows himself in
his tastes, for he is devoted to the sea, not
merely a profession, but also a life
passion. Rojestvensky is always at sea.
When tied to the ministry of marine he
spent his leisure navigating experimental
craft and tiny sailing boats in the, Gulf Of
Finland, he has written of the sea, and 1t
IS said that his society friends dreaded him
because he insisted on talking of nothing
but the sea. Such a man ought to prove
a good sailor, and In fact, as a sailor and
navigator not even Makaroff surpassed
him.
Stern Disciplinarian.
Rojestvensky is stern disciplinarian,
but he differs from all disciplinarians, past
and present. Blame in the form of a string
of anathemas might be expected from
silent admiral Rojestvensky, however,
is humorist, and during the last six
months he has been worrying his ill-mated
officers and men into efficiency by charac
teristic methods. Instead of storming or
reprimanding he issued periodically gen
eral orders" holding. up careless and igno-
rant officers to the derision of the fleet.
1.-The commander-in-chiefy of the second
Pacific squadron" runs one of these, has
to inform the fleet that study was the pur-
pose for which cadets d. and F. were APP
pointed to the cruiser Aurora. These young
gentlemen have been wrongfully given ex-
ceSsiVe leave, and the commander-ln-chief
now purposes to extend their holdings for
such a lengthy period that they will be
as weary of play as they now are of work"
A whole series of similar orders was is
sued, with the result that shirkers were ter
rified into hard work and ignoramuseS into
acquiring knowledge. If the Baltic fleet
has been able to start at all, it is due to
Rojestvensky and to no one else.
Whether the admiral will prove as good
in fighting as he has proved in organiza-
ton and discipline remains to be seen. His
opinions are definite enough. He is an en-
thuSiaStic believer in the big battleShip,
likening each armored vessel to a separate
army corps unit in itself, which retains
its value though the feet of which it form
ed part may have been destroyed or dis
about the dispatch of the squadron. the
ground that fleet without torpedo boats
and scouting ships was useless, Rojestven-
sky replied that he wanted only battleShipS
and armored cruisers. "A fleet gains in mo-
blity by not being hampered with small:
craft is one of his dicta He declared that
the japanese successes at Port Arthur were
not gained really by torpedo boats and de-
stroyers, but by the battleships behind
them. His whole conception of a naval
battle is a fight between big ships until the
bigger and more powerful destroy the
smaller and weaker.
Not a Favorite.
Among his officers the Russian admiral is
not favorite. They declare that they never
know his mind and that he springs sur
prises of blame upon them without warm
ing Many an officer whose work has been
inspected without comment by the admiral
has afterward found his name quoted in an
ironical reprimand addressed to negligent
officers generally. Rojestvensky has none
of the bluff heartiness of manner associated
usually with such genuine iS
said never to express approval, and he al
ways issues blame In such a way as to
make the cuprit feel it most
His men, however, like him To them also
he is reserved and apparently unapprecfa-
tive. But he is a redresser of grievances,
and had he lived on the lower deck In
have made an excellent sea lawyer"
He examines the sailors clothes, eats their
food and tests their hammocks, and if any.
thing is wrong never ceases until he has
got St Petersburg to set it right. He never
expresses comradeshp with or affection for
his men. They are there, he implies to do |
their duty; and he looks after their welfare |
only because it facilitates the doing of duty |
Has His Human Side.
Rojestvensky, nevertheless, has his human
side. Neatness of person and irreproach-
able uniforms he regards almost as impor- |
tant as gunnery and seamanship. His own |
appearance is not distinguished, though his |
features are regular and he has a lifelong |
wart over the nose, which is the subject of |
much joking among irreverent "mitchmen" |
The admiral, however is invariably uni
formed like an emperor. and in this condi- |
ton he will grub in grimy stokeholds and |
pick his way among greasy cases of beef for |
hours in the hope of discovering something
wrong. He is intensely punctilious, and is |
responsible for the paraphrase of Bacon
Manners make seamen." Another foibIe is |
his love of pretty surroundings His Office
under the gilt spire of st. Petersburg "Ad-
miralteistvo" was adorned with photo
graphs, mirrors, relics. of old frieadships1
and cozy furniture, and resemblel lady's |
boudoir rather than place of work Ap-
parently these harmless luxuries in no way
demoralized his tough character, for his
long swims and solitary cruises in single
handed yachts are constantly referred to in |
the Russian press.
Rojestvensky did not want the command |
of the Baltic fleet, though once appointed |
he never wavered in his belief that 1t should |
be sent out.