The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-17
SWAP HORSES.
While Russian Army Is Yet
Crossing the Stream.
Gen. Kuropatkin Is Dismissed
and Disgraced.
LINEVITCH SUCCEEDS.
Hemmed i'm ON All Sides He Has
Desperate Task.
VIII Try to Withdraw Shattered
Army to Harbin.

st. Petersburg. March 17.-1:05 p.I
m.=With the japanese hanging on
the heels and hanks of the remnants
Of the broken, defeated Russian army,
General Kuropatkin. the old idol of
the private soldier. has been dismissed
and disgraced, and General Linevitch,
commander of the First army, is ap-1
pointed to succeed him in command of
all the Russian land and sea forces
operating against the japanese The
word disgrace is written in large let
ters in the laconic imperial order
gazetted, which contains not a single
word of praise and also dispOses Of
the rfmor that Kuropatkin had 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
suppIant Kuropatkin after the Muk-
den disaster, the decision to confer the
task of saving the remainder of the
army on Linevitch in the very midst
of its fight although bruited last night
came as a surprise.
It transpires that Emperor Nicholas
upon the advice of General Dragomiroff
and War Minister Saxharoff determined
that the step was necessary when it be-
came apparent yesterday morning that
Kuropatkin while concentrating for a
stand at Tie Pass. seemed unaware
that the Japanese had worked around
westward again and practically allow
ed himself TO be surprised Old reports
brought by General Grippenburg re-
garding KurOpa atlSin's falling mentality
also had influence. Under the circum-
stances therefore it was considered inn
perative in view of the exceedingly
perilous position of the army to turn
nd IN fr1aT ffrh
alone had been able to bring off his
army in order after the battle of Muk-
den His record during the Chinese war
had also demonstrated his capacity as
q commander. Kuropatkin will return
to St Petersburg forthwith
The task conhded to Linevitch of
withdrawing what is left of the great
army Of $4,000 men to Harbin is a
desperate one He is hemmed in on
all sides General Kawamura pre-
sumably is pressing northward
through the mountains, ready to
swoop down; Generals Nogi and Oku
are on the west of the Russian forces; !
the whole line of the railway is
threatened if not already cut, and
Chinese bandits are even reported to
be in the rear OF Harbin- A consum-
nation of the Mukden disaster is
feared. Napoleon's plight in the re-
treat from Moscow with KutusOf S /
Cossacks hara ssing the starving,
freezing Frenchmen, was hardly as
bad or dangerous.
NDlnlnR IuILneE mas arrived
the front. but 1T is feared that the |
decimated battaliOns which had
hardly recovered from the demOrali /
cation of the Mukden retreat, have
again been thrown into confusion by
Field Marshal Oyama's relentless. /
merciless pursuit. The war office
greatly fears that more of the siege
and field guns which Kuropatkin
managed to save at Mukden have
been sacrificed
The question of ammunition and
food is also vital. as 1t IS known that
the Russians were compelled to burn
further stores at Tie pass. where the
commissariat was only beginning to
feed the half famished troops when
the new retreat was ordered. But in
the face of the possibility of the COM
plete loss of the army and the admit
ted fact that Vladivostok is already
possibly lost, the emperor still shows
no signs of yielding Preparations for
continuing the war on larger scale
than ever are proceeding.
The dictum has gone forth that an
other army of 100000 men is to be dis
patched to the far east and in order to
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
u1ars in garrison duty at home.
Throughout the war many military men
have contended that il was fatal mis-
take to send reserve men to the far
east. A division Of the imperial guard
will be sent to the front. It is not i'm
probable that some of this years con-
scripts viii be sent.
Separate armies are to be organized
under Generals Grodexoff, sGrippenberg
and Kamaroff. Even in the most Optim-
istic quarters. however, it is realized
that a general mobilization is likely to
be accompanied by widespread disorders
unless the composition and functions Of
the popular representation under the
Imperial Tescript are more satisfactory
than now appears probable
Practically Is nRInQ
made by the Bouligan commission.
The emperor has been so much occu-
pied with the war situation that he
has twice postponed action on Gov
ernor General Bouligan's recOmmen-|
dations and the latter is represented
to be SO dissatisfied that he desires to
resign and turn over his work to his
assistant
The war council. it is also under
stood. has definitely decided that Vice
Admiral Ro5estvensky shall continue
his voyage and give battle to the
Japanese in the forlorn hope of
Wrestling control OF the sea from Ad-
If Rojestvensky is successful it is
claimed that an entirely new COM
plexion viii be placed on the situation.
In the meantime the completely
disheartened ranks of those who are
crying for peace are growing, the
strongest convert being Prince Nest
chersky, who as shown by his article
in the Grashdanin this morning, has
become suddenly a Jealous advocate
of reform, declaring that to make an
end of the war would not require more
heroism than to conclude peace after
victory. He thanks God for sending
defeat instead of victory, which he
says would only cover with laurels the
gaping wounds and misery of the
poverty stricken people and the bad