Semi-weekly herald. [volume] (Durango, Colo.) 1907-1917, 1910-08-18

with the battle is represented by an
oil painting or photograph except
the famous General Ekobeleff, for
years the idol of the Russian army.
who was in command OF the attack.
ling party and was responsible for the
massacre.
Modern history has recorded few
such horrible atrocities. but perhaps,
after all. General Skobeleff was right
when he said: MY system is to strike
hard and keep on striking until re-
sistancc is completely subdued: then
name to the PROSTATE cnemy."
The terrifying effect OF such mas.
sacre upon a semi-savage people is
perpetuated for generations, and the
ruined walls of the fortress. several
monuments to the heroism of the va.
rlous regiments and brigades, and this
memorial museum are maintained by
the government as perpetual re-
hinder TO the sons and the grand
sons of those who were slain by the
strength and merciless energy of Rus
STA. A new generation occupies the
land, although many Turcomsas who
had a prominent part in the battle are
still living and holding honorable pc
! sitions In the Russian service. As
soon as the natives submitted honors,
offices and pensions were bestowed
upon them, and, as one might say. the
governor general of Russia has ever
since been leading by the hand the
orphans of those who fell in the fight
Il hold 1t as principle that in
Asia the duration of peace is in d.
rect proportion to the slaughter you
inflict upon the natives" said Sko-
belief in defense of HIS tactics. "The
harder you hit them the longer they
Will be quiet afterward."
| And Skobeleff makes n rather strik.
ing comparison with the British pol.
icy of moral suasion with India, which
has not been so effective as the brutal
blows that the Russians have inflict.
ed upon the people they have con.
quered. There can be no doubt that
the Russian tactics are exceedingly eff.
fective from n practical point OF view,
because the oriental mind recognizes
in every terrible disaster the all-pow.
erful will of Allah. and the oriental
being II fatalist, that means submits
sion.
You must not understand that Rus.
sin was allowed to occupy and an
mex the various khanates of Central
Asia without opposition on the part
of the natives. The invasion was re.
sisted by all of the tribes except the
Bokharoits. The amir of Bokhara,
when he saw what was happening
around him, shrewdly placed himself
under the protection of the car and
has been allowed to maintain n some
what ostentatious independence ever
since. The remaining rulers made the
hardest fight they could They resist.
ed the invaders to the limit of their
strength and the conquest cost Russia
an enormous number of lives as well
as rubles.
Every now and then you can see
from the car window ruined town or
crumbling fortress, all built OF mud
and incapable of sustaining an attack
from modern artillery. Those ruins
mark the spots where the natives en-
deavored to repel the invasion, and 1t
Is said that for two or three years II
was impossible for horseman to ride
over the stoppes without the hoofs OF
his animal striking human skull.
In the fall OF 1880 the Tekkes, one
one of the strongest of the Russian
tribes, driven from one point to an
other, decided to make a final stand
at Geok-Tepe. where they expected to
annihilate the Russian invaders OF
their country. II they had scattered
to the mountains, which were only
thirty or forty miles away they might
have carried on guerilla warfare and
harassed the Russians indefinitely, but
their confidence In their own prowess
and In the strength OF an enormous
mud fortress which they had erected
was so great that they thought 1t best
to concentrates their forces.
Therefore more than $4,000 persons,
including 10000 mounted warriors.
| with as many horses and 5000 cam
els. assembled within the walls of one
Of the largest fortresses that was ever
built. Its walls OF mud surrounded a
Quadrlateral Enclosure measuring $50
yards on the north, $50 yards on the
east. 1,575 yards on the west and $50
yards on the south. making a total
circuit OF 2.6 miles.
These wslis were fifteen feet high,
thirty-fve feet thick at the base and
twenty-one feet thick at the top, made
of mud thrown up and trodden hard
by men and horses. There were TWEEN
ty-one gates. masked by large semi
circular traverses outside and protect
ed by iifle towers. Outside the wall
was ditch the entire distance. vary
ing from six to nine feet deep and from
twelve to sixteen feet wide.