The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-22

The activity of the Russian and Jap
anese forces in Manchuria has brought
the seat of war into prominence again
In the prospect Of decisive battle, per-
haps the last one. The fact that Russia
has changed pitchers" and has substi
tuted General Linevitch for Kuropatkin
makes the present commanders person
ality Of interest at this juncture.
General Linevitch (Nikolai Petrovitch)
Is an infantry officer, who has seen none
of the big campaigns of the last half OF
the nineteenth century, but has had a
great deal Of experience corresponding to
that which British officers get on the
frontier Of India in their smaller ex-
petitions.
In height about 5 feet inches, his full
face, were his chin shaven, has often
been compared to that Of Lord Roberts,
but In profile his distinctly Muscovite-
tipped nose spells the resemblance. He
is in no way powerful man to look at,
but lean and Of slight build; and appar-
emily he has led a less rapid life than
most Russian officers.
He is a good husband and father, a
temperate man, plucky, but by no
means great general. Unless assisted by
a most able staff, he would have no
equal terms. ..-t
The Japanese will be delighted to beat
him, because he treated them with sc
much contempt in China in 1900, and in
variably said that any. debatable matter
would be settled by the European gen
erals" as if the Japanese were not civ.
ilized.
That he is dashing and brave is un-
| doubted. General Stoessel could not be
induced to advance toward Picking 1r
July, 1900, but Linevitch, when he ar
I..S~r .-4o dole
| concurred at once in the views of the
British, American and Japanese generals
| then at Tientsin. L.a
OF the behavior of the troops under
! Linevitch's command en- route to Picking
| it Is needless to say more than that they
showed the Chinese all the horrors o.
| war. AT the assault on Picking, on Aug
! H., 1900, as his troops filed past him tt
| the attack, he made an amazing speech
! to them, giving them license to behave
like savages, and it was Linev1tch,, too
who, after having, at a conference OF thu
allied generals, decided that the 18th O
August should be devoted to reconnais
sance, the 14th to concentration and thu
18th to the assault on Picking, tried tt
steal a march on his colleagues, and, b!
| a rapid coup de main on the early morn
| ing Of the 14th force his way into Picking
and snatch the laurels from those whom
| he had allowed to bear the heat and bur
den Of the day on the march up from
| Tientsin; but he found the Chinese o.
the lookout for him, and was rather Sc
verely handled
A memorable incident took place abou
sIsthisetims-. Atsase differences of the allie
i generals, General Lineyttch stated tina
sf ne had 1866 men IA and around Picking
4 whereupon bluff old General Chaffee, tn
/ commander of the American forces, slap
ped the table with his fist and said
'Well, that's a darned lie, anyhow Thi
was interpreted to Linevitch, who know
no other language other than his own, bu
| he merely said, "Da-da-da-da."
When the Summer palace was occupied
l General L1nevitch and the superintendent
of the Russian Red Cross society (spe
cially deputed by the czar) stripped
of practically everything worth taking
and shortly after Linevitch complained t
everybody that he feared he was a RUNE
man, because there was some, talk {
levying customs duties in Port Arthur o
i the loot he had shipped. il.
Yet his troops love the old man an
affectionately speak of him as Papa
Linevitch.