The Alaska daily empire., 1916-05-03
RUSSIA AROUSED
 BYWARSCANDAL;;
 INQUIRY lSURGED
lsneclnl correspondeneeA

! homllnoff? What Is the secret doc ument on which he relies to clear him Of the charges Of graft, treeson' and gross neglect of duty?
 Again these questions form the chief topic of discussions since the duma has been prorogued, stopping short mass of accusations voiced against the former Russian war min ister. Answers replete with political scandal are whispered among the few on the inside" and some of the sensational allusions made in the re- cent duma sessions could not be pre- vented from lining their way to the public ears.
 Sukhomlinoff was removed last month from the council of the em- pire by imperial ukase. The formal charges placed against him is that he is responsible for the lack of ammu- milton which is>blamed for the great defeat of Grand Duke Nicholas last autumn.
 Indicted After investigation
 sukhomlinoff has been arraigned before judicial tribunal of the council of the empire. but the hear ings have been In camera. A high commission which investigated the shortage of ammunition charged Suk holminoff with Illegal acts and sub mitted recommendation for his in- dictment to the Czar, who approved it.
 The thing that mystified the Rus sian capital, however. is the fact that. despite the apparent overwhelm- ing evidence against him, the former war minister seems to be unconcern- ed about the charges against him. He is seen daily in all public places, always smiling and carryinghis head head erect, displaying a manner Of complete confidence and certainty.
 It utterances made in the duma are to be believed. there seems to be indeed, a higher power" behind the accused general
 Given Honor Despite Charges
 After the grave charges had been published against him, war council decree approved by the czar was is- sued naming a Russian town in Suk- homlinoffs honor. This Is one of the highest honors bestowed by the em- peror and 1t was done in the face of the accusations of treason against the recipient
 This extraordinary event was fol- lowed by the declaration in the duma by a Socialist that it confirmed the rumors that Sukhomlinoff had in his possession a carefully guarded letter. the contents of which mean his com plete vindication. The assertion caus- ed Q sensation in the duma. but was not contradicted. Nationwide indig- nation has been provoked by 1t, and there is a powerful movement on foot for thorough investigation.
 Assailed by ouma Members
 "The people will stand no white washing of this man. but demand to know the whole truth. no matter who is involved" shouted one of the deputies when the case was dis cussed
 Deputy Polovcoff is quoted in the official duma report as saying with reference to SulShomlinoff:
 This criminal. who lured us all into their terrible war through his mendacious assurances that we were prepared this man who tore the laurel from the Russian army's fore. head and trampled 1t in the mire of corruption and treason-where will the government throw this scoun- drel?."
 Another member of the Duma de- clared that formerly the country had only figured with the incapacity of the ex-war minister, "but now we an know that he knowingly lied when he spoke of supplies of ammunition and war material"
 Says Minister Destroyed Arms
 This member charged Sukhomlinoff with having ordered the destruction of great quantities of guns of an older type shortly before the out break of the war. and even afterward destroyed a mass of material" al- though he knew that Russia was not provided sufficiently with infantry rifles" At a time when the Rus sian army suffered a great lack Of guns and ammunition in Poland and Gallcia the deputy asserted. Sukhom- linoff prevented the sending of SUD- plies by the allies. thus sacrificing millions of human lives and the great or rorf cf ,.octo-,,. p,,e,fo