Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-22
THE MILrTARY INFLuENoE.

The military influence Is very power
ful at St Petersburg and the indicatiops
are that It Is now being strongly exerted
! against peace. 10 appears to be also in
evidence at Portsmouth. The state
ment is made that General Linevitch
has expressed absolute confidence in vic
tory and since the conference began he
and his generals have not only reassured
The czar that the army was never in
/ better condition, but have sent messages
to NJ. Witte imploring him not to make
peace. According to the report they de-
mand an opportunity. to retrieve the
honor and prestige" of the army and
II is observed that "in country where
the army is the bulwark Of the govern
ment the wishes of its generals are not
likely to be disregarded by their sover-
eign." That the czar is in sympathy
with the desire OF the army to retrieve
its lost prestige is not 10 be doubted,
but In view OF the failure Of past asstr-
ances from his generals he may have
some misgivings as to what they now
ttil MN AtBuluAhb their uuiliNg W utlcdl
the enemy. He can hardly fail to call
to mind the boastful declarations and
promises of Kouropatkin and others
whose carefully prepared plans proved
futile and whose armies were beaten in
every important engagement. These
also, it will be remembered, assured the
czar that their forces were in the best
possible condition and could be de-
pended upon to sustain the honor and
prestige of the army.
1t is doubtless a fact that the Russian
army m Manchuria was never in better
condition than at present. 1t has been
reorganized since occupying it's present
position and has received large rein
forcements. The most trustworthy esti-
mates place it's strength at nearly half
million men, well equipped in all re-
spects. 1t is an army composed largely
of veterans and is capable of doing tre-
mendous fighting. They occupy a
strong position. But while the Russians
have been strengthening themselves the
Japanese have not Leen less active in
augmenting their army and increasing
its equipment There is reason to be-
lieve that both in men and in guns they
are superior to the Russians, while at
least equal in organization and In cour-
age and fortitude. Judged by results
Oyama and his subordinate command
ers are much greater generals than their
opponents. They have shown the high
est ability as strategists and tacticians.
The Japanese do not boast, but they
are not lacking in confidence. What
they have already accomplished GER
tainiy Justifies them in feeling that II
the war goes on they will win other vic.
tories. In a recent interview the Japa-
nese minister to London said: "If the
war continues our forces will capture
Vladivostok and Hardin, taking by force
territory of greater value than the pay
ments demanded by Japan, after which
our army will intrench an advantageous
line, from which it will require treble
the number of the enemy to dlslOdge
u.s." This indicates the japanese plan
IL the war goes on and it is altogether
probable that she could carry At out. II
she should do so it would force Russia
to fight an offensive campaign, entailing
greater strain upon her than she is
now experiencing.
In the event Of the military influence
prevailing with the car and defeating
the efforts of peace, it is most probable
that the Japanese will force a general
engagement without clay. Undoubt-
edly they are fully prepared to do this
and are quite as eager for 1t as the Rus
SLAMS profess to be, and the very gen.
eral Belief, outside of Russia, is that the
result would be another great victory
for Japan.