The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-17
GAR DEGRADES
| GEN. KUROPATKIN
Removes Him from Command
Of Army Without a Word
of Praise.
GEN. L.INEVITCH MADE
COMMANDER-IN-CHIE
Russians Will Create New Army
~-Rojestvensky to Give Bat
tie to Togo.

ST.. Petersburg, March 17.-There is a
persistent report that railroad commute
cations have been cut behind the Rus
sian army. ~
No official dispatches have been
given out up to this hour, and no pri-
ceived.
News is awaited with intense anxiety.
KURoPATK1N ORDERED HOME
Linevitch Takes His Place-Czar's Or
der a Surprise.
St. Petersburg, March l7.-With the
Japanese hanging on the heels and
Hanks of the remnants Of the broken
and defeated Russian army, General
soldier, has been dismissed and dis
graced.
General L1nev1tch, commander OF the
First army, is appointed to succeed him
in command Of all the Russian land and
sea forces operating against japan.
The word disgrace is written in large
letters in the laconic imperial order
gazetting the. change. The order con-
also disposes Of the rumor that Kuro-.
patkin asked to be relieved.
The Russian military annals contain
no more bitter imperial rebuke. While
it was known that the war council had
already decided to supplanJ huropat-
kin after the Mukden disaster, the de-.
cision to confer the task Of saving the
remainder of the army on Llnevitch In.
bruited last night, came as a surprise.
Tie Pass Was Too Much.
It seems that Emperor - Nicholas,
upon the advice of General Drago-
miroff and War Minister Sakharoff, de-.
termined that the step was necessary
when it became apparent yesterday
morning that Kuropatkin, while con-
centrating for stand at Tie pass.
seemed unaware that the Japanese had
worked around westward again and
practically allowed himself to be sur
prised. .-
Old reports brought by General
| Gripenburg regarding Kuropatkin' s.
failing mentality also had influence
upon observation-disclosures, therefore it
! was considered imperative in view Of
army to turn over it's command to
Linevitch, who alone had been able to
bring off his army in order after the
battle of Mukden His record during
the Chinese war had also demonstrated
his capacity as commander.
| Kuropatkin will return to st. Peters.
burg forthwith.
| Linevitch's Great Task.
The task confded to Linevitch Of
| army of 100000 men to Hardin is a
| desperate one. He is hemmed in on
all sides. General Kawamura presume
bly, is pressing northward thru the
mountains eastward, ready to swoop
down. Generals Nogi and Oku are on
the west Of the Russian forces, the
whole line of the, railroad is threat
ened.,. if not already cut, and Chinese
rear of Hardin. A contamination of
the Mukden disaster is feared. Napo-
leon s plight in the retreat from Mos
COW with Kutusoff's Cossacks harassing
the starving, freezing Frenchmen, was
hardly as bad or dangerous. a
Nothing further has arrived from the
front, but it is feared that the deci-
mated battalions which had hardly re-
covered from the decentralization of the
| Mukden retreat, have again been thrown
into confusion by Field Marshal Oya-
ma s relentless, merciless pursuit.
War Office Fears.
The war office greatly fears that
more of the siege and field guns which
| N
have been sacrificed in the hurried
flight from Tie pass. The question Of
ammunition and food is also vital, as it
is known that the Russians were COM
PEELED to burn further stores at Tie
pass, where the commissariat was only
beginning to feed the haif-famished
troops, when the new retreat was or
dered. But even in the face of the
possibility of the complete loss of the
army and the admitted fact that VIadi-
vostok is already possibly lost, the en-
peror still shows no signs of yielding.
Preparations for continuing the war on
larger scale than ever are proceeding.
New Army to Be Created.
The dictum has gone forth that an
other army of 100000 men is to be dis
avoid delay it has been decided instead
Of sending only reserve men to form
new armies largely Of regular units,
leaving the reserves to replace the reg.
ulars in garrison duty at home.
Thruout the war many military men
have contended that it was fatal mis-
take to send reserve men to the far east.
be sent to the far east. 1t is not I'M
| probable also that some of this year q
conscripts will be sent.
Separate armies are to be organized
under Generals Grodekoff, Grippenberg
and Kamaroff. Even in the most opti-
mistic quarters, however, it is realized
thai a general mobilization is likely to
be accompanied by widespread disorders
unless the composition and functions of
the popular representation under the
imperial rescript are more satisfactory
than now appears probable.
Practically no progress is being made
by the Bouhgan commission. The en-
peror has been so much occupied with
the war situation that he has twice
/ postponed action on Governor General
/ Bouligan's recommendations and the
latter is represented to be so dissatisfied
u that he desires to resign and turn over
his work to his assistant, NJ. Vatatsl.s
| Rojestvensky to Go On.
The war council, it is also understood,
has definitely decided that Vice .Admi-
raj Roiestvensky shall continue his voy-
age and give battle to the Japanese IN
t the forlorn hope of wrestling control OF
i, the sea from Admiral Togo.
If Rojestvensky is successful 1t rs
4 Continued on I'd Page, 4th Column