The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-09-23
KUROPATkIN TELLS
WHY JAPAN WON

ture cannon, explosives and all
sorts of munitions of war, as well
as torpedo boats and cruisers.
had seen much of this myself,
and, as l have already said, urged
the car to make great concessions
to avoid a war with Japan.
With all their strong points, the
Japanese manifested weaknesses
that may be shown again in future
wars. | shall not enumerate them,
but l will say that, in many cases
the outcome of the fight was in
doubt, and that in other cases we
escaped defeat only through the err
rors of the Japanese commander.
But she could stand great errors
and still win, for the strength of
Japan was in the complete union of
her people, army and government,
and it was this union that gave her
the victory.
The Russian people did not want
the war and few volunteered for
service, while Japanese mothers
killed themselves for shame when
their eager sons were rejected as
unfit for military service.
But Russia was not merely indif-
ferent. Leaders of the revolution
airy party strove, with eXtraordi-
nary energy, to multiply our
chances of failure, hoping thus to
facilitate the attainment of their
own dark objects. Besides this, cor
respondents and even army officers
wrote unjust criticisms of the war
and reveled in dark forebOdings.
Russian reserves carried in their
knapsacks proclamations intended
to prejudice them against their Of
ficers, and similar prOclamations
were sent to the army in Manchu-
ria. Troops in the field received
letters apprising them of popular
disorders in Russia, and men sick
in hospitals read in the newspapers
al llCltS tlletl tliuOi lllllCu StCli lolth
in their commanders. The work of
breaking down the discipline of the
army was carried on energetically
and, of course, it was not alto
gether fruitless.
On the fighting line heroic Rus
SLAMS without number faced and
fought the enemy courageously for
months. without ever losing their
faith in ultimate victory; but from
that part of the field little trust
worthy news came. Brave soldiers
had no time to write of their own
labors and exploits. and few of the
correspondents were willing to
share their perils for the sake of
being able to observe and describe
their heroic deeds.
One writer, Bilderling, has said
that the principal reason for our
defeat lies deeper. and is to be
found in lack of patriotism. In a
conflict between two peoples, the
things of most Importance are not
material resources, but moral
strength, exaltation of spirit and
patriotism. Japan had long been
preparing for war with us; and a
feeling of lofty patriotism pervaded
the whole country. In her army
and her fleet, therefore, every man.
from the commander in chief to the
last soldier, knew what he was
fighting for and what he might
have to die for. Every soldier knew
also that the whole nation stood be-
hind him. With us, on the other
hand, the war was unpopular. We
neither anticipated nor prepared for
1t. Soldiers We're put into railway
trains, and when, after journey
that lasted a month, they alighted
in Manchuria, they did not know
in what country they were, nor
whom they were to fight, nor what
the war was about.
"Japan's army advanced fully
confident that it would win; ours
was filled with the doubt that de-
moraliZes.'
The friend who criticizes us en-