Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-11-18
The Dawn Of Liberty in Russia

crate the Balkan Slavs.
Skobeleff and Kuropatkin were the
forces ON the Russian lett.
Prince Charles of Rumania command
ed the right. Captain Rediger was
attached to the center when the Rus
sian forces closed round Plevna. In
posts of extreme danger he acquitted
himself well, winning promotion and
two decorations for valor. Then came
reconstruction in the newly made Bal
kan kingdoms. Servia and Rumania
were wholly freed, while Bulgaria still
remained in nominal dependence to
the Sultan. To Bulgaria Colonel Red
lger went, as Assistant Minister and
then Minister of War, to help to build
up strong Slav army against possible
Turkish aggression. He laid the foun-
dations well, and today Bulgaria has
a well-organiZed force, with a war
strength of 100000 men.
The year 1884 saw Colonel Rediger
back in st. Petersburg, teaching the
art of war at the Academy of the gen
eral staff Four years later he was
transferred to the War Ministry, as
Chief of the Chancellery, the post he
held when he was recently gazetted
Minister of War. General Rediger has
seen no fighting in the Far East, but
he has won a great reputation as a
great administrator, kind of Russo
German Moltke His books on mill
tary subjects are many. THE Organi-
cation of Armed Force won the Max
lrieff prize of the Imperial Academy;
and he has also written on 1.-The Non
Commissioned Office Question in the
Chief European Armies" Notes on
War Administration, The Mobiliza-
ton of Armies" "The Field-work of
Our Army" and many articles in the
Russian Invalid" and Military Rec
ord" General Rediger probably in
spired the new plan for reorganizing
the Russian War Office, by which the
War Ministry and the general staff be-
come two Independent bodies, di-
rectly and separately responsible to
the Emperor, much as is the case in
Germany. The War Ministry will deal
with organization and administration +;
the general staff with strategy and tao
tics. General Rodgers personal char
acter wins him many friends. One of
his distinguished students says: 81
was General Rodgers pupil at the
academy, and consider him the most
brilliant professor | have ever known
He is thorough ger tlemap in his
views, acts, and conduct, ans ( per.
sonally think no better choice could
have been made" The work proves
the man, and General Rediger has a
great chance to show what stuff he is
made of.
A harder task even lies before AID
miral Birileff, the new Minister OF
Marine. He has to CLEAN the frag
ments of fleet from Far-Eastern wa
tiers. In the Black Sea there is yelled
mutiny, corruption, Reorganization
Socialist disorder fills the Baltic yards
! A new fleet is to be created, new types
\ of vessels chosen, new assignments tt
be made to the worlds ship-building
yards. France and the United States
built many ships for Russia, but Ger
many will now press her claims, ant
the path of the new minister will be
full of international snares.
| Admiral Birileff brings robust dis
position to his new task. He is a rol
licking salt, with Homeric stammer
a practical joker like Lord Charles
Beresford. Stories about him are mum
berless. Here is one: When Admiral
Shestakoff was in power he passed g
rigorous rule that his young officers
must not bankrupt themselves buying
bouquets for visiting royalties. The