The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-03-01
WAR IN THE ORIENT,
The Two Huge Armies Have Lately
Been Comparatively Inactive.

! Been Conn aratiyely Inactive.
According to the Russian estimates,
Field Marshal 0yanaa has 265,Oo0 reg
ular troops and probably 100000 re-
servists. The Japanese credit General
Kouropatkin with 10000 men. of
whom 100000 are on the fighting line.
During the last week the two huge
armies were comparatively inactive.
There was continued skirmishing and
much artillery dueling, but no heavy
fighting. A large Russian cavalry
force is reported to have moved around
the Japanese left flank and got as far
south as a point west Of iiaoyang,
where it was met and driven back by
General Oku's men. Russian dispatch
es speak of raiding movements of the
Japanese operating from Mongolia
against the railroad north Of Mukden,
and it is said that General Kouropat-
kin is strengthening his left flank to
be in readiness to meet any move Gen
eral Kuroki may make.
The intensely cold weather in Man
churia is over, and it is possible for
troops to nov with comparative ease.
1t will not be when spring comes, the
SHOWS melt, and the roads become bot
take the offensive to any purpose, it
should do S 20 0
Last week four Russian battleships,
II cruiser, and two auxiliary cruisers
left Libau to reinforce Admiral Rojest-
sensky. He is presumably still at
Madagascar, bat will leave there be-
fore the monsoons set in and make
navigation difficult for torpedo boats
and small cruisers. Consequently the
last reinforcement cannot reach Ad-
miral Rojestvensky unless he makes
another long wait after he shall have
crossed the Indian Ocean.
1t Is questionable whether Admiral
Togo will permit him to do so. The
Japanese admiral may not be now on
his way to meet the Russian squadron,
but he probably will be soon. There
is no reason why he should play a
waiting game and allow the Russian
vessels to pursue their course unmo-
Tested to Japanese waters. His fleet is
stronger than theirs, not on paper per-
haps, but certainly in fact. 1t is in
finitely superior as a fighting force.
AS Russia cannot hope to drive the
Japanese off the mainland SO long as
the latter are the masters of the seas,
the destruction of Admiral Roiestven-
sky's squadron, which it would take
Russia years to replace, must expedite
peace. 1t would be better for Russia
to end hostilities while her fleet is in
tact. There are endless rumors of
peace, but the decisive word has not
been spoken. If the matter were left
to the people Of Russia that word
would be spoken at once.
There are potent reasons why Rus
STA, though able to send more men to
Manchuria and to borrow more money
should wish to put an end to a war
which never should have been allowed
to begin. There is too much domestic
strife to make it possible to conduct
successfully a trying foreign war. II
1t were possible to win victories In
Manchurla popular discomfort would
not be queiled. The people can 10
longer be pacifed by the promise Of
battles to be won by General Kouro-
patkin.
The death of the Grand Duke Ser
gius shows that the revolutionists have
resumed their policy of assassination,
says the Chicago Tribune. They have
notified other members Of the imperial
family that they have been sentenced
to death. The workingmen in st. Pc
tersburg and other great cities have
not been pacified. There is an insur-
rection in the Caucasus. 1t is feared
hat famine and pestilence may visit
Russia later in the year.
The report from st. Petersburg that
the matter of peace has been discussed
by the Gar and his ministers and that
an attempt to secure it will come as a
sequel OF the assassination of the
grand duke may not be true, but 1t
ought to be.