New Britain herald., 1916-08-18
RUSSIAN GENERAL
 HELD FOR TREASON
Former Minister Of War Victim
 Of BlaCknailerS

New York, Aug. 18.-New light is finally being shed on the mysterious case of the Russian general, one of the heroes of the battle of Plevna in the Russo Turkish war of nearly forty years ago and minister of war in the early part of last year, who has been imprisoned in a fortress at Petrograd for the last three months.
 General w. A. Soukhomlinoff is be- Ing held, it was officially announced, aS the result of "a preliminary in quiry by Senator BogOrodsky into charges of criminal negligence and high treason in connection with his administration of the Russian army" It is the allusion to Thigh treason" in this official announcement which has aroused interest and discussion, not only in Russia, but through the capitals of Europe
 In the countries of the allies much curiosity was evinced on the subject. Gradually it is being realized, with a notable sense of relief, that the aged Russian cavalry leader was not guilty of high treason in the technical sense Of the term, but rather of negligence and incompetence. The whole case, however, provides incidents of the most dramatic kind, and the generals trial, if the proceedings are made pub lie, will undoubtedly be an interna- tiOnal cause celebre.
 General SOukhOmlinoff's friends af- firm that he is held in imprisonment chiefly in conformity with an Oriental tradition of the Russian military serv- ice to treat with severity military chiefs who are responsible for failure of any kind. The Chinese and the Tartars in the past made it a practice to put to death a general who lost a battle.
 The Russians have not gone so far, but they have always shown severity with regard to negligence and incom- petence, and, indeed, in doing this they have always affirmed that they are merely carrying out the princi- pies enunciated by the great military leaders of all lands. It was not su- perstition that made Napoleon show severity for commanders who were unlucky, and the practice of the Brit lsh naval service in dealing rather harshly with a commander who loses his ship is motived by the same prin- ciple.
 That the great Teuton push against the Russian armies in the spring of last year began and gathered accelera- tion while General Soukhomlinoff was minister of war is alleged by his friends to be the chief motive for his now being penaIlzed. They declare that the circumstantial evidence, which is being adduced against him, in the form of documents taken from his home and from his office and in the form of testim mony with regard to his relations to certain individuals of more or less dubious character, is simply the kind of testimony that might be accumulated against the most harmless and ingenious person living. It is remarked that while General Soukhomlinoff has many apologists, there are really few who express themselves as being hostile to him for reasons other than those connected with failure adequately to provide the Russian army with the military resources which the situation of the army six months after the war began demanded.
 What probably induces the public to a more lenient view of General Soul1homlinoff's case Is the fact that it has it's elements of humor. In deed, some phrases which have had their origin in connection with it are liable long to be remembered and even to become proverbal.
 When General SelivanOff, the Rus sian leader who captured Przyemysl, and General Roop sent urgent calls to the war department for more guns, more shells, more cartridges, the minister of war General SOuk- homlinoff, sent out this stereotype~ reply:
 Use munitions sparingly. The gov ernment factories are doing all they can"
 The details of the first inspection carried out by Senator Bogorodsky, who was charged with the investiga- ton, have now been made known, and the Russian public is already drawing favorable conclusions from them with regard to the innocence of General Soukhomlinoff at least of greivous treachery to the state.
 The Allegations.
 On the night on which he was arrested he was working on a dOCu- ment which he had under prepara- ton for several months, and in which he proposed to show his innocence with respect to the charges made against him in the press and in the Duma. He left his house and on re- turning found Senator Bogorodsky there with other persons.
 The senator ordered the general to accompany him in an examination of his house and office, where all the furniture was carefully inspected with a view to discovering documents which might have been hidden. The general, although deeply affected,