The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-11-14
WHAT'S MATTER
WITH RUSSIA?
staff officer says the Country Has no
Trained Leaders, Only One
Man Being Eff
Gent
JAPs WILL MILK HER
When China 10 Dry, the Japanese Will
Turn Their Attention
TO Russia, II
ID Said.
[By Carl w. Alderman, United Press
STAFF Correspondent

StdH Correspondent.
WILMA, Oct. q. (By courier Berlin,
mail to New York. i've will have
peace with Japan before we make
peace with Russia" declared one Of
the star officers met here today. BY
this he said he meant, that Russia was
by no means q destroyed enemy
Captain believed Russia only
temporary beaten. IF we stop going
ahead Russia can come at us within
three months" he said
This oficer Is one Of the most in
teresting at the front. It is his task
to interview every captured Russian
who may have information. He has
lived and travelled throughout Russia,
knows her history, her people. her
ambitions.
What is the matter with Russia" l
asked him.
Russia has no officers-no trained
leaders. Russian soldiers are sent to
the front with less than six weeks
training. They are given rifles they
have never seen. Back Of every line
there are hundreds of soldiers without
weapons, waiting for their comrades
to fall 80 they can be armed.
Russia has lost the only great gen.
eral she had-Grand Duke Nicholas.
II he couldn't bring victory to Russia,
no one can. What Russia needs Is
preparation and organization. She
has materfals but she Is terribly mis-.
managed"
The captain talked recently at the
German front near Smorgon with a
captive Russian colonel and asked
him who succeeded the grand duke as
commander. The colonel is said to
have replied: The people think the
car Is the head Of the army but he's
not general and none of the officers
believe 1t. The army is probably be-
ing directed by committee Of gen.
erals with the c2ar deciding disputes"
We were dining at tie Hotel Bristol.
At our table was captain from the
general staff. major, flying lieu.
tenant, the captain Of a captive bal
loon and an Uhlan lieutenant. Most
OF these officers had seen Kowno, had
inspected the forts and the talk drift
ed to that subject.
The captain was very quiet, re-
served speaker. It was In this man
ner that he stated that the Russian
general who commanded Kowno,
hanged himself when he was forced to
give up the fortress.
did you see Fort Tx?" he asked.
It was one had not seen. "You
should have seen that" he replied.
That was one of the newest forts in
Russia. 1t cost two million francs Of
French money to build. exclusive of
The construction was be-
gun in 1910 and completed two years
later" The next conversation was
about Japan.
There are between three and four
high Japanese officers back
OF the Russian lines all the time" said
the captain. "but they always stay out
OF reach of our forty-twos. The jap
anese are shrewd. They're good
friends OF the United States. too" add
ed the captain, and roar OF laughter
went around the table. The captain
do you know what those
yellow officers are doing They're
studying Russia to be able to milk
her when China is dry. OF course,
Japan is getting a big thing out Of it
now by helping Russia. She has been
given, already important concessions
in Manchur1a.
"For three months at least Russia
will be incapable Of an offensive. Do
You know what the loss Of Poland and
Kurland means to Russia? It means
the loss Of the only strategic railroads
Russia had: it means that russia
must supply her whole army over
seven hundred mile front with but two
lines.
"What are the possibilities OF
The people in different
parts Of the country can't commun1-
cate. The government controls the
mails, the telephones and the rail
roads. But after the war: alb, there's
no question about a revolution then.