Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-04-03
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ST. PETERSBURG. March 80
The imperial commission issues re
port today to the effect that it fav
ors a continuance of the war. fndn,
nothing in the present situation t
demand peace, and is very gratifying
to the emperor who said: 81 canno
remain czar if | must sign treaty
of peace"
Meanwhile gloomy reports come
from the far East A telegram from
Gunsnu Pass says the remnant of the
Russian army is probably outfanked
while news reaches here this aiter.
noon from Yelda, Russia. that tho
cars favorite administration building
was burned by an angry crowd OF
peasantry and the tocsin sounded for
a revolt.
ST. PETERSBURG. March go
A report from Chinese sources places
the Japanese column twenty-seyen
miles northeast of Spinghai. If this
is true it shows Oyama has started
another thanking movement
ST. PETERSBURG. March 90
There is no news from General Line
witch today. and it is possible tne Jap
anese have cut his communication
Harbin dispatch says a japanese
proclamation has been received saying
they will arrive there by the middle
Of April.
PARIS. March 3O.-Reports are cur
rent tnat the railroad between Vladi-
vostok and Harbin has been severed
by the japanese and that heavy seige
guns have been sent towards Vladi-
vostok from Port Arthur and that the
Russians have evacuated Gunshu
Pass after severe fighting
TOXIC, March 3O.-Tne steamer
Industry was seized by the japanese
while headed for Vladivostok.
WASHINGTON-The momentous
question of peace or war seems TO
hang on a gamblers throw 1t is the
belief of the Russians that tney have
one cnance in hundred or one in a
thousand to make the throw success
fully and win the game. The car and
some OF his advisers. it is known
through private dispatches received
mere. swing between hope and fear.
They hesitate whether to stake every
thing on a single playa play in
which they- might recoup at least a
part of their dreadful losses if the
fates for once We're to be on their
side. or in which continuance OF
their i'll luck would sweep everything
from the board and leave them hope
lessly bankrupt.
This is the dramatic situation which
exists at ST Petersburg at this mo
ment II shows how the weight Of a
single nair swings the balance first
one way and then the other-toward
peace one hour. toward desperate mil
itary measures the next. 1t shows
how impossible it is for anyone to
forecast. even for day or an hour,
what the final decision of the czar is
to be Peace. war, The lives of many
thousands 0f~men. tne fate of nations
and of peoples, depend not upon any
settled policy not upon the wisdom
OF strong and wise men but upon the
ever shifting mood OF a single man
OF mediocre ability, upon the whim
of a man whose will is as unstable as
water who, like a gambler. approach
es the table uncertain and desperate,
trusting 10 cnance to show him watch
number to place his coins upon that
the tickle goddess may be wooed and
won-a ruler who trusts not to policy
or the patriotism and efficiency OF his
statesmen and soldiers, but to freak
of fortune. This is the interesting
news that comes to Washington
through the highest of official chan
nels. and it explains much that has
been confusing and contradictory in
the cable dispatches from the Rus
sian capital during the last few weeks
The peace party in Russia has been
gaining strength steadily. Every
Russian defeat mas added to its
strength and made it more determined
to see the war brought to an end The
war party has held out to the last
It's members are reactionaries, ignor-
ant and conceited, who have learned
nothing from experience. Despite
Russian defeats they still cling to the
belief that something will happen to
restore Russian prestige. And now,
after having seen tne flower of their
army destroyed or demoralized and
their best generai OulmdlCheu, Nh'S
still Insist that the last card shall be
played. and as that card turns up they
will stand or fall.
The war party insists that before
terms Of peace can be discussed Ro
iestvensky's fleet must hurl Itself tt
destruction against the battlesnips o
Japan or locked in life-and-deati
grapple with the enemy destroy him
even at the cost of itself. On paper
Rojestvensky is superior to Togo Ac
tually the Russian fleet outnumber
the japanese. Apart from the rnysi
cal strength of the rival fleets. lhre
clements 20 to make up modem naVa
warfare-profession skill, the ma
behind the gun, and luck. The wa
party has turned fatalist. II is pre-
pared to stake everything on luck.
is trying to induce the czar to sen
orders TO Rojestvenslly that shall rea
something like this:
"At the earliest opportunity you ar