Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1905 — ARMY HEAD DISGRACED. [ARTICLE]

ARMY HEAD DISGRACED.

Gen. Kuropatkin Dismissed by Czar Without a Word of Praise. With the Japanese hanging on the heels and flanks of the remnants of the broken, defeated Russian army, Gen. Kuropatkin, the old idol of the private soldier, has been dismissed and disgraced and Gen. Lineviteh, commander of the first army, is appointed to succeed him in command of all the Russian land and sea forces operating against Japan. The word disgrace is written in large letters in the laconic imperial order gazetted. which contains not a single word of praise, and also disposes of the rumor that Kuropatkin had asked to be relieved. The Russian military annals contain no more bitter imperial rebuke. While it was known that the war council had already decided to supplant Kuropatkin after the Mukden disaster, the decision to confer the task of saving the remainder of the army on Lineviteh in the very midst of its fight came as a surprise. s . It transpires that Emperor Nicholas upon the advice of Gen. Dragomiroffi and War Minister Sakharoff determined that the step was necessary when it became apparent that Kuropatkin, while concentrating for a stand at Tie Pass, seemed unaware that the Japanese had worked around westward again and practically allowed himself to be surprised. Old reports brought by Gen. Grippenberg regarding Kuropatkin's failing mentality also had influence. Under the circumstances therefore it was considered imperative in view of the exceedingly perilous position of the army to turn over its command to Lineviteh, who alone had been able to bring off his army in order after the battle of Mukdett. The task confided to Lineviteh of withdrawing what is left of the great army of 350,000 men to Harbin is a desperate one. He is hemmed in on all sides. Gen. Kawamura presumably is pressing northward through the mountains eastward, ready to swoop down. Gens. Nogi and Oku are on the West of the Russian forces; the whole line of the railroad is threatened, if not already cut, and Chinese bandits are even reported to be in the rear of Harbin., (Napoleon's plight in the retreat from Moscow with Kutusoff's Cossacks harassing the starving, freezing Frenchmen, was Iwrdly as bad or dangerous.