New-York tribune., 1905-01-09
PORT ARTHUR SURRENDER
The Russian Force-ReasOns fJr o.
sfiBate Resistance
10 the Editor of me Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: read your able and discriminating Ar
ticles about the Russo-Japanese conflict with
much interest. rejoicing at the same time that
your sympathes are given to the side Of tustlca
honor and real progress for the wOrId-that IS
the side Of Japan ApTopOs Of this note IN
your issue OF this morning that you estimate IN
your editorial entitled After the Fan" that the
garrison of Port Arthur must have numbered az
the outset OF the siege from $1,000 to 4OOO09
Now. in the same issue OF The Tribune appears
General StoesssFs last report before surrender
ing. In this dispatch. addressed directly To the
Car himself, the general clearly had no motive
for conceaIlng the facts; hence the statement he
makes to the number OF his army may be ac-
eepted as final and correct. lie says: only one
quarter of the garrison is alive and Of this num-
Der the majority sick" II. then. a remnant
OF 25.O00 soldiers surrendered. II is safe 10 as
sumo that the garrison originally numbered at
least $1,000 men, perhaps more. for 25.0OO Is
quarter Of 100000 20 this as Il may. this
capituIation Of even 5000 men Is by FAR the
largest in Russian history. The Russians are
not in the habit OF surrendering Theirs says in
his account Of the battle OF Frtsdland. "Napo-
leon had for trophies eighty pieces OF cannon;
few prisoners. IL Is tue. for the Russians chose
rather to drown themselves than surrender: but
5000 men. killed. wounded or drowned covered
with their bodies both banks OF the Ale"
From the frightful slaughter Of Borodino tie
French gathered only handful Of Russian pris-
oners. At the appalling and singularly OBJ
stinate battle OF ZorndOrf body OF two thou
sand Russians collected on hummock preferred
to be cut to pieces rather than yield themselves
sfter the action was practically decided.
Now. while the Russians undoubtedly a
brave Ieople. such facts as those cited above
do fndf hat fhav hra han
OF the races which have crossed bayonets with
them: otherwise they would not have been
beaten by inferior numbers at Friediand or
Zorndorf. would the Turks have driven
them back at Silistria. slaughtered eighteen
thousand OF them IN one afternoon. with only
forty thousand behind intrenehments. against
cne hundred thousand led by Skobeleft; nor
would the great. heroic NOgi and his indOmita-
bic japanese have been able TO hold their iron
grip Port Arthur.
The reason for the obstinacy OF the Russians
In battle appears 10 be due not only TO courage.
but also to the fnhexible pride OF the Russian
autocracy. that pride which sustained StOesse.
and which is now standing behind Gar Mich
olas, and practically demanding Of him a re-
sistance against peace and against the Just
yearnings Of a downtrodden people. resiStancs
which may cost him his throne and renew IN
Russia the Reign Of Terror Of 80 All the
officers Of the Russian army ard navy, not 70
speak of the personnel OF the bureaucracy be-
long 70 the hereditary gentry and nobility
styled the autocracy It Is their diaboIicaI pride
and arrogance, their aversion to yielding to any
influence whatever, except the traditions Of their
class. which cause them to force their troops 70
stand and be slaughtered; while such is their
scorn Of the peasants and bourgeOisie VINO III
the ranks that they care not how many are
sacrificed. To the average Russian aristocrat
the mujiks. even IN uniform, are mere verulin.
To him Russia means the autoeTacy and ths
throne. Thence the source OF the tsnacity and
ambition OF the aristOcracy, They and they
alone are benefited by the aggressions OF Holy
Russia Admitting all that Is due TO General
Stoesseps physical courage, IL must on the other
hand. be conceded that his frTnness IN deferring
the surrender OF Port Arthur. after further re-
sfstance was useless. was undoubtedly due IN
part to his class pride and 20 a knowledge that
that very class pride would cause his court mar
tial by the autocracy in the event OF his yield
ing. as II is now announced Is to be the case
on his return TO Russia.
AS for Nogi and the great Japanese soldiers
and people. they deserve the active sympathy
and applause OF the world for what they have
already accomplished toward reducing the
holy pride of the aristOcrats and hierarchy OF
empire whose corrupt and Unsuitable am
billion has been q menace TO humanity long
enough. The time has come for those who love
freedom, true progress and genuine development
on ethical lines which admit the rights OF all TO
come out firmly on the side OF the power which
Is now trimming the wings Of the Russian eagle
and extracting the claws OF the Russian bear
9. G. ". BENJAMIN.
Washington, Jan. 5. 1905.