Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-10
.necIal cnrrespondence.

Special Correspondence.
~ r. PETERSBURG. Sept go
AsA That the Cars recent sensa-
\ tional dismissal of the Grand
Duke Nicholas Nicholevitch
from his exalted position of presiueht
of the council of national defense
was anything more than !, SOP thrown
to the indignant public. no one VINO
knows the real conditions that govern
the Russian army and the true
strength of the grand dukes believes,
That it presages reform in the ser
vice even the most optimistic cannot
bring themselves to hope.
There is very general opinion
abroad, based on nothing tangiole'
that the inevitable result of the Russo
Japanese war would be the institution
OF widespread reforms in both the
army and navy of Russia The slar-
ing defects then shown to exist IN
both departments, the deplorable
I state of rottenness and stagnation due
to incompetency and dishonesty, would
arouse the country and the bureau
ocracy, it was thought, to 4 UNIVERSAL
national housekeeping. But far from
such being the case. both branches o.
the service aresin a far worse condi-
ttion today than they have ever been at
any nreyious date The enormous
losses of the war with Japan have not
been made good and it is a fact that
aside from the immense natural re
sources the land Of the car Is ap-
solutely at the mercN of even the
smaller of its neighboring nations OIL
Europe.
Despite the fact that the average
Russian soldier gets only four cents
n day, the cars immense peace army
of about 9 900, 900 men costs $40, ooV-
900 a year to maintain: and when II
is taken into account that TINS sum
is{supposed to be spent entirely upon
maintenance and that 1t does not IN
clude the building of new barracks or
notifications. the purchase or an, am
munition, the up-keep Of ,hospltais
or the supplying of the modern SOL
| dier's equipment, which form 50
heayv an item in the army budget Of
other countries, it will be realized 70
what an extent the Russian people
are being robbed by those intrusted
with the expenditure of this immense
| amount.
bery has been going on can be judged
| from the fact that in the opinion OF
| one of the leading military authori-
| ties of Russia no less sum than
| 5n,0OO,O0O is needed immediately to
/ provide absolute necessities iofS tile
| army--to provide hospitals for the
| sick. barracks for the well. guns fo1
| the proficient, ammunition for the
| rifles and clothing and food to make
| Inc soldier fit to stand the rigors oil
i Russian service.
i POWER OF GRAND. DUKES.
I. And all this deplorable state o.
affairs is due TO the rule of the CRANE
4 dukes. the chief culprit being the
/ Grand Duke Nicholas NicholeSitch
/ commander in chief of the guards ans
i Of the st. Petersburg military district
\ president of the council Of nationa
i defense and the ruling spirit of the
lwar office. who has blocked ever,
1 reform. curtaild every expenditure
l and has juggled the immense amounts
Il of money that passed through nj
4 hands for his own advantage.
j With a powerful party behind hin
4 TINS incompetent relative of the czal
1 has given the most important posts IL
1 the army to his nephews and cousins
i so that the Grand Duke Serge Nicheie'
i witch presides over the artillery. Pete
4 NiSholevitcll rules the engineerint
j corps; and Constantine Constantinoyitci
j Is the autocrat of the military acaGe'
4 mics. None of these profusely decorat {
4 ed gentlemen hasithe slightest idea .
4 his duties They learn nothing. set
4 nothing and do nothing. The only tWf
j phases of their duties in which they
Il take the slightest interest are In ap
4 leaIlng on horseback from time y