Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-03-22
Kuropatkin in Command Again
From the Kansas City Star.
NEWTON D. BAKER.

od8 NIIy 0Iaes
pected him to take a commission in some
crack Russian regiment, a position which
would permit him to cut a great figure at
the court Of the czar. What the boy Kur-
opatkin chose was a very different thing.
He chose to go off into Central Asia to
learn the hard facts Of active military
service with he Turkestan Rifles. a
frontier regiment much despised by the
gilded youth Of the Russian capital.
In a War Of Heroes.
kuropatkin was only IS at the time. He
did not nave to wait long for military
service worthy of far greater years than
his. The war against the Bokharans was
a wal of heroes, and older names over
Swallowed that of the brave subaltern. 1t
was not until years later, when Kuro-
patkin figured as Skobeleff's fayorite cam
tain and chief of staff at Plevna, that he
gained distinction in the Russian army.
In the long siege against Osman Pasha's
fghtlng Turks, Kuropatkin was ALWAYS at
the side of Skobeleff in the fiercest part of
the conflict. In camp the two warriors sat
far into the night, comforting over plans
Tor future assaults. But in the ferceness
., .he battle or the absorption of battle
plans, neither Kuropatkin nor his chief
forgot the welfare Of the men under them.
The commissariat was their constant care.
Time and again the sturdy Kuronatkin
was wounded. but he would never submit
to the hospital. One night he was nut to
ped by main force Of his brother officers.
Out the next morning he was riding along
the lines, doing his various duties the
same as ever.
Shared Honors With SkobeIeff.
The result of the terrific siege on Plevna
was that after two months the Russians
a arlumphed over osman Pasha and his 49,
No gallant Turks, n Kuropatkin shared
with Skobeleff the honors of the great VIC
tory.
Again. in Central Asia, against the r,,r.
comans. this notable pair of warriors
achieved q famous victory on the ground
which a short time before had seen disas.
trous Russian defeat. This was the siege
OF Geek Tepe. After the victory there
k~uropatktn pushed on across the desert
almost to the Merv Oasis, in pursuit of the
neeing iurcomans. and created consid-
cradle alarm in England because II was
thought his troops were threatening Hart
the Key to Afghanistan, n conseouentlv
the key to India.
So 1t was that soon the Russian armv
contained no man who had seen mora
fighting than K%uropatkin. Nor did II CON.
ain a better story teller. The bluff old
solder. who had fought his way up from
the military bottom. intermineled hn.
morous incidents of his campaigns with
tales of the sacrifices of the men whom he
led over the parched wastes of Cock Tene
or over the icy slopes If Plevna, There
eve a dull moment when he was
n of a company.
Not Room For All His Medals.
OF military medals K%uropatkin had a
full share. Though he was stockily built.
broad chested and broad shouldered. more
k q John Bull farmer than a famous
soldier, 1t Is doubtful IL he could have
found sufficient space in the conventions
position to pin all his badges of honor
And st. Petersburg soon found that he
little. II any. less able as a politician
than as a soldier. When the Russo jan
anese war'began 1t found Kuropatkin mir.
lister Of wal n a man Of great influence
with the c.ar. That influence. evidently.
has not entirely waned in spite of the dis.
grace which came to the old military idol
when he was relieved Of his high com.
mand without a word Of praise. His pres.
emit great power. entrusted to him at a
time OF Russian crisis. appears 40 q heal
ing balm after what was perhaps the mos,
bitter imperial rebuke In Russian mtutary
annals.