Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-23
Believed to Have Resulted
From Deep-Laid Plot.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

couraged. But at the outset it was feared
that the whole Black sea squadron might
De injected with the germ of treason
that all of the crews might take
| part in the insurrection and that sympa-
theuc uprislngs at Baltic naval stations
might give the revolutionists control of
what Is left of Russia's sea power. Consid-
cradle shrewdness WAS evidenced by the
projectors OF the movement be the plan
narrow or broad In scope when they select
ed for the initial explosion the battleship
kniaz Potemkin. by far the most formula
Die vessel remaining under the Russian
flag. The ignominious failure Of Admiral
Kruger to suppress the revolt and the al
| most Simultaneous decision of the crew Of
the Georgef Pobiedonosets, the next most
powerful battleship In the fleet, to join the
mutineers were suspicious events for the
insurgents and the governments prospect
Of reasserting its authority seemed hopeless
when the remainder of the squadron was
dismantled at Sevastopol.
Admiral Chuknne, the real commander
OF the Black feet has peen something
OF hero in Russia. He is an officer of
whom great things have been hoped, but he
has not had an opportunity of winning fame
In the present war. though the wastage Of
admirals has been very heavy in the far
east. Since Admiral Skryuiof was with
drawn to go to Port Arthur Admiral Chuk-
nine has been in command OF this force,
which has been of secondary Importance
since 1t Is confined to the Black by
treaty obligations. 1t is in existence on the
suferance Of Europe. and certainly the
English, the French, the German and other
governments would not long remain silent
provided 1t became the rule rather than the
exception for pirates to capture Russian
battleships and endanger the shipping be-
longing to merchants flying the flags of
these different governments.
Black Sea Fleet.
The Black sea feet came into being in
1871. when France and Germany were too
busy to pay much attention to external af-
fairs. and when England also had her hands
full. Then it was that Russia revived her
claim of the right to have armed ships in
the Black This demand. as is well
known, was subsequently acknowledged,
provided they never passed through the
Dardanelles. Consequently this Black sea
fleet in the past two years, while stirring
events nave been happening, has felt itself
neglected and forgotten, from the admiral
In command to the youngest officer hoping
to win promotion by actual service and 1t
may be that chagrn at their own misfor-
tune has not made them particularly tactful
in their treatment of their men. Besides
the disposition has been to draw the better
material for the other fleets. leaving the
dregs. both to officers and men, here in
the Black sea.
The later developments tend to show that
had the two mutinous battleshps acted to-
gether instead of separately, one remaining
idly at Odessa, the other going to the Rou
manian port of kustendje, they might by
threat of bombardmeut have forced the
garrison of Odessa to surrender raise
the revolutionary flag; or the mutneers
themselves, having replenished their sup
plies, might have proceeded to Batum or
Poti, where their presence would doubtless
have acted like torch on the accumulated
material for a cOnflagration in the eau
casus. That the mutiny in the Black sea
feet did not have more serious results must
be attributed in large measure to the fact
that the officers still remain lOVa1 the
existing government. The Russian peasant
on land or on sea, does not make the high
est type of soldier. He is a fatalist and
good fighter but he lacks the power to take
the initiative, the power to plan and devise
and execute But for this fact the govern
ment of Russia would have ended long ago
SO far as its existing autocratic form is
concerned.
Great Perplexity.
Inquiries show that the position of both
the officers and the men since the outbreak
of the war with Japan has been one of
great perplexity and difficulty. Life in the
Black sea is dull at best. and the conscrpts
have no love for sea life such as can be
provided by these inclosed waters. The
more adventurous spirits among those of
the quarter deck and the lower deck had
been encouraged to hope that the restric-
tons combining the fleet to the Black sea
were about to be removed. Widespread
were the reports to the effect that the ad-
miraty had decided that the men-of-war
should break through the DardenelleS at
the risk of the consequences, no matter
what they might be. Unfamiliar with the
f1rst-class warships possessed by the pow
ers in the Mediterranean, the crews of the
various ships did not recognize the mad
ness of this action, which they too readily
ascribed to the authorities, of pitting the
Russian ships with two exceptions of the
poorest fighting qualities) against the
splendid men-of-war of the nations who
were parties to the treaty of Paris. 1t was
soon found that the Russian admiralty
naturally did not entertain this idea. In
stead, the more promising officers and
crews were withdrawn, and there succeeded
a feeling of discomfort with the life OF mac
ton and uselessness, and TINS was acceh-
tuated when raw conscripts were drafted
aboard to replace those who had been with
drawn for war service. These men went
ahoat full of discomfort. and they served
merely to add fuel to the flames. In this
manner discipline had been undermined,
and when efforts have been made to sup
port it brutality in some instances has no
doubt been resorted to in the belief that in
cipient mutiny could only be checked by
showing a determined front Harsh acts of
this kind were frequent on board the kniaz
Potemkin previous to the outbreak. All
naval officers are well aware of the fact
that when once the spirit of mutlny has
gained possession of the crew of a ship 1t
is difficult to suppress 1t.
In similar cases affecting the military the
new scenes and the change to new positions
almost invariably has the effect of making
the men forget past misfortunes. But when
men are dissa tisfed with a ship it appears
to be almost impossible to prevent it from
running its course Besides this the revo-
lutionists and socialists had many SYM
pathizers among the members of the crew,
and the evidence collected since the out
break shows that revolutionary litera-
ture had been secretly circulated until al
most every man on board the ship appeared
to be in personal revolt against the govern
ment of the cZar.
There was a minor mutiny last summer
which. however, was quelled with great
rigor, and in January of the present year
the sfiipbuildng yard at Sebastopol was set
on fire, seriously damaging two warships
which were being built for the Russian
navy. 1t Is now believed that the same
causes which brought about the latest
mutiny of the Black sea fleet were respon-
sble for these earlier dsaffections. almost
forgotten during the march of events liz the
orient.
Japanese Comment.
TOKYO, July 22.-The comments of the
Japanese newspapers upon the mutiny at