Page
EX-TSARY NICHOĻAS `II, THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.
[Y D. J. DILLON.] [
THE HONGKONGHE
EI PRESS,, TUESDAT, QOTOBEH UST. 19182
Yalu concession and come to an entente, with Japan in terms the earnestness and frankness of which, infuriated in lieu of vincing the Tsar. Geceral Europas le the course of a vivid account of kin, the War Minister, whom Witte had Liber carour of the Into Taar, Dr. E. J. in the meanwhile won over to his way Dillan deals with developments of of thinking, warned the Emperor in Russian policy in the Far East which words as stirring as a courtier could with followed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, and impunity employ, and suggested,' that tells how the Kaiser, in an interview, Kwantang, Port Arthur, and Dalny,
curred the Tear's nasent to Germany which he himself had been instrumental of the best. He certainly did not desire leaning Kiss Chow, in China. The con in annexing, should be returned to China, ression was made without the know-and that the Yalu concession should be ledge of Count Witto, and the Thar reliquished for the sake of a completo refused to withdraw his consent to the understanding with Japan and the pence German scheme, although urged to do which that would.secure. so by the Grand Duke Alexis Alexandro witch. Dr Dillon proceeds: --
If intentions went for anything, Nicholas II could plead that his, were
When
In
What cannot be gainsaid is the imposing asked the views of his generals, and wibility for any Government to hold to received their assurances that a decisive any line of coherent policy while an auto military victory would be scored in a few crat so unstable of purpose, da Nicholas months, and that peace would be tanta. I II. was free to substitate the wildes mount to national degradation and politi vagaries for their deliberate acte, and so al dishster he mequiesced in their view, keep them temporarily in ignorance of and then assented to President Roosevelt's what he had done.
suggestion that peace negotiations should ie cominenced. He never ceased to believe that Russia was on the threshold of vic tory, and he never forgave Witte for the war nor anticipate it. He even made a part he thought this statesman had in praiseworthy attempt at a considerable bindering her from attaining it. sacrifid to prevent it. He had a most appointed pence plenipotentiary by the important telegram sent to the Viceroy Tsar, Witto asked me to accompany him. Alexsief nuthorising the Japanese to enter and said: "Between you and me the It was at this conjuncture, while the into full possession of Cores as far as Tsar does not want pence yet. If I sue- patriotic enemies of the secret junta were the river Taman-Ula on the, north anded in concluding it. I shall be brand- If I fail I shall Witte hastened to the German Embassy, growing in numbers, that the trio enlisted of Yalu on the west; and he ordered that marked as a traitor. and naked Von Tschirschsky to telegraph the services of Plehve, one of the most this concession be communicated to the be held up to scorn as a betcher. to the Kaiser and say that Witte, avail-far-seeing and resourceful of the cham-Russian Ministers in Tokio, Seoul, and either case this appointment is meant toj ing himself of the authorisation he had pics of autceracy. This Minister, who Pekin This would have been quite at the end of my career-the happy When due allowance has been received from Wilhelm II. to appeal to presided over, the home Government, "had stride in the right direction if be had release." him direct whenever he liked, now little difficulty in keeping the balance on taken it with due precautions besought him not to insist on leasing King the side of the Grand Ducal group. He telegram was scoret! Chow, because Russia would be obliged discerned, as clearly Witte did, that war to follow the oxample and lease some was one of the contingencies which the other Chinese, port, and thus to upset the doings of the triumvirate would anfallibly equilibrium of the Far East Von bring in their train, but he likewise per. Teshirschsky despatched some such mes ceived that the Tsarist State could not saga to Berlin, and a few days later call-long he kept together in the circumstances ed upon Witte, and said: “His Majesty which then prevailed. He hoped, how the Kaiser thanks you warmly for your ever, to "give it a new lease of life by Frank expost. But from the wording of diverting the subversive energies of the your message be infers that certain im-revolutionary classes into a national. In the conduct of the campaign, as inplated the wholesale slaughter caused by portant details governing this whole channel, while according to these classes the negotiations which had culminated question of Kino Chow were unknown to far-reaching social reforms, hedged round in the conflict, one of the least soldiorly elaborately with certain guarantees. For monarchs in Europe fitfully intervened, A. council was convoked, under the the realisation of the first part of his with sinister effect. He began by appoint-of his life, the destruction of his house, chairmanship of Muravieff, who moved programme he relied upon the triumvirate ing Admiral Alexeief generalissimo of all that Port Arthur should be taken as a of irresponsible concession-grabbers, and the land and sea forces, and when it had sat-of. Witte demurred, on the ground for the latter upon a priest named Gapen, become obvious that this trifler was utterly that the result would be to commit Rus-who hypnotised the working men, organ-unequal to the task, Nicholas II. confer sis to the dangerous policy of annexa ised strikes, agitated against employers red the post upon General, Kuropatkin, tion, which must culminate in war, and and capitalists, and was subsidised by but hampered him with preposterous be he advised the Tsar either to abide by the Government. In order to carry out best which he transmitted through the what had been done or else to insist on this bewildering policy it was desirable, admiral Witte, who discerned the avoid. Germany's, withdrawal from Kiso Chow, nay, indispensable, to paralyse Witte andable obstacles in the way of a Russian to take a leading part in floating and uphold the integrity of China. This, frustrate his plans. And these alus were he argued, would put Russia's political duly incorporated in Plehve's policy. and economic interests in a line with those of good faith and morality, and might even constrain Germany to gire The council passed a resolution
Jou."
way. that Port Arthur should not be taken. Witte himself drew up the minutes of that
epnsequences clear.
RESPONSIBILITY@YOR JAPANESE WAR.
But the made for Witte's morbid misgivings, ; He concealed it engagh remains to show that the Tsar, even from his own Secretary of State for far from assisting, his plenipotentiary to Foreign Affairs! One consequence of this accomplish his ardous task, did much juggling was that none of the Russian towards thwarting his endeavours. Is is Ministers at Tokio, Seoul, or Pekin re-true to affirm that if Witte had not crived any notification of it, so that he ignored certain, of the Tsar's behests be concession it embodied was neter laid would have returned from Portsmouth before the Mikado's Government by the without a treaty, and the war would have! gone on Years afterwards this callousness shifty Viceroy of the Far East
with which Nicholas II had contem
KUROPATKIN'S CAMPAIGN.
victory, suggested to Kuropatkin that be should arrest Alexeleff. as a dangerous marplot, and send him back to the capital
a foolish vagary" of his own was one of the counts of the indictment drawn up him in the name of Heaven with the loss against him by Rasputin, who threatened
and the ruin of his country if he eyer | became responsible for another war.
DEALINGS WITH GERMANY.
One of the tasks imposed upon Witte when leaving Russia for Portsmouth, USA to conduct peace negotiations was that of persuading the French Govern-
the biggest loan ever recorded in history her shattered finances. There in order to enable Russia to re-establish forrnidable difficulties in the way, and it
were
Emperor," but an English squadron Kussia had drafted the terms of an agree no scheme which clashed with any of his if she had been provoked by the Kaiser!
alternative to the order I gave was to about to occupy the port, and the only abandon it to the English. Is that what you would have had me do?"
'TSAL'S SECRET GOVERNMENT.
Were
as e Japanese desired,
sent except Abază
But the French never learned it: the secret was well kept, and the treaty was quietly abrogated, not, indeed, without tremendous eitort by. Witte and Lams-
In the course of the conversations, that But the general was too much of a courtier was no easy matter to dislodge them went on during the crisis between St. to hearken to such bold counsels. He re- Petersburg and Tokio, the Emperor, who signed himself to the rufe allotted to him was remarkable, touched the right eLords Bus Witte, whose skill as, a negotister fancied that it was he who was virtually by the Emperor, and endeavoured to and received the requisite promise. And achieve the impossible. His original plan while Frane was bracing herself to this atting, which were laid before the Thar overning all the Ensterr peoples from was to await the enemy at Kharbin," allow sacrifice for the behoof of her Russian' the west of Russia to the east of China, him to advance so far from his base that ally, the Taar was discussing with the Nicholas II. rand, approved, and ratified laid down & number of maxims to be supplies, and then hurt a vast army against England, but involving the one he could not count on receiving regular Kaiser the terms of a secret treaty aimed them, tranquillised his Ministers, and then followed by his Viceroy Alexeiuff, one of against him. issued steres orders to Admiral Dubassoffwhich is characteristic of the man, whose Arthur, left to its own resources, would miliance. He finally signed it. Accordi In the meanwhile Pore sided dissolution of the Franco-Russian to take Port Arthur. Witte, incensed at means were generally at variance with his the main lines of the plan of campaign European State attacks one of the two fall, as all fortresses myst Those were ing to the first paragraph, "If any what he termed the Emperor's double aims. Russia," he wrote, "stands to which, to Kuropatkid who, having occu-empizes the allied party will employ all dealing, spoke to the monarch with un-gain enormously by every year of peace pied the poet af War Minister, was courtly franknese, and made its sinister Therefore, every exertion must be made serious flaws in Russia's military organ- Russo-French alliance, and until it was
thoroughly conversant with the many its ally
its naval and military forces to assist. That clause annulled the Naturally, too, be to avert war, not, however, by concesisations-appared likely to lead to victory nctaully repudiated by Witte and Lams- expressed his amazement. that the Tsar sions, which would surely precipitate cible superiority over Russia lay in its Gerumay not only against Great Britain, over a little nation whose only percep dorff obliged Hussin to take sides with should have professed one policy and hostilities." How hostilities were finally unity, patriotism, and organisation. But if these two countries had gone to war executed the other. "Yes," replied the precipitated is recounted in my book, the Tear would tolerate the execution of with each other, but even against France ment with Japan, one clause of which, intermittent velleities, and one of theso objected to by the Mikado's Government reasons which have never been divulged. many rocked actions. The only consid establishing a neutral zone, was strongly was the rescue of Port Arthur.
But the Tear's mental short-sightedness For and moral deficiency are answerable for and the Tsar convoked a Special Council Nicholas II. took it into his head that erations to which he was responsive were to consider the matter with a view to this fortress, which Kuropatkin had doce the opinions entertained. of his doings be avoiding a conflict. As peace and war declared impregnable must not fall into hung upon the issue, the Council wisely the enemy's hands; and the gratification the overning classes of the countries The story has been told of how the resolved to expunge the obnoxious para of this whim had to be Kuropatkin which trasted him. For he realised the negotiations, inaugurated by the genial graph und draft a modified convention, przcipal care. At first is why Alanoff fecus about that..
market value of moral credit and was Japanese statesman Ito, failed, in con.
was arrived at by all the members prsing counted the cost and weighed the signature to the secret 'document, what This decision who urged it, but when Kuropatkin, har himself-as soon as he had affixed his Hence he asked sequence of the fatuity of Nicholas II., who, looking down upon Nippon as i
Before the minutes consequences, drew back aghast and deal the French think of me when they imagined that she would never dare to decision, Abaza obtained an audience, and admiral invoked, the will of the Tsar and answer to that query was the only thing! miniature State of no military strength, were put in writing for the Emperor's clined to fall in with the suggestion, the learn what in an of
The probable produced telegrams which wrought therefore members of the Council, including, the desired effect. The generalissimo altered and that hostilities eliminated, because he himself was
Grand Duke Alexis, who had presided, his plan fundamentally, made costly exer: solved not to draw the sword. One prac were all of his opinion, that a ceutral tions to relieve Port Arthur, lost large sumption was that he made no adequate craved the Tsar's permission to telegraph material, and lowered the spirits of the dorf, whereupon Nicholas LL, Telieved of tical consequence of this arbitrary as-zone should be established, and then he numbers of men and much valuable war preparations for a conflict, while assert this proposal to the Viceroy of the Far army. This demoralisation; of which the that harried, him, took no fur- ing claims and adopting methods that East for his guidance. In his telegram enemy took full advantage, reacted upon ther heed of the matter. Neither this for were sure to bring it on. As Fate in its to this official, however, he went a stop the entire population, and gave a fillip similar experiences brought him any tronical mood would have it, Japan was further on the crooked path of deception, to the subversive political movements to strike up friendly understanding the Emperor. The effect intended was well-organiset propaganda for the separa animated throughout by a sincere desire and described his own scheme as that of afoot for the overthrow of Tsacism. With the Tsardom, to pool their interests, that Alexeieff, who was carrying on the tion of Finland from Russia was started, wad share the riske and burdens. Her negotiations with the Japanese, should the Socialist and other revolutionary demands were fair and moderate. But reject their suggestion about the neutral parties in the Tsardom spent-large sums the Tsar "who was the real director of zone. But, lest this notification should of money, and scheme was drafted in should be aimed at. His entire reign is Rumia's foreign" policy, insisted on, re not be taken to heart or acted upon in the Mikado's capital for engineering a serving the markets of the Far East for tame. Abaza himself called on the Japan rebellion in Poland. This last
a record of such fitful plunges into affairs Bussion industries which did not yet ese Minister, Baron Kurino, behind the beige combated by one of Poland's most unqualified to deal with and in some cases affecting the public weal which he was exist and on annexing Coren, which back of the Foreign Secretary and had energetic representatives, was dropped. Japan had long earmarked for herself. the effrontery to tell him that the Council
wholly incapable of understanding. The Witte, who was shocked by this incon had decided in favour of the clause, re-
public servants towards whom he felt WIT Etuous and provocative procedure, and lected by the Japanese, As Baren Kurino
The Boris Russ Machurian, campaign worker, das Premier, Protopopoff, and drawn were almost always unscrupulous terrified at the thought of the catastrophe was aware that the Foreign Secretary, was protracted enough to subject the
like the Foreign Becretary, which it threatened to bring down apon Lamsdorff, was bereft of power, and that staying powers of both belligerents to a the War his country, moved every lever to ward the anonymous and irresponsible gang tremendous strain. Both were dangerous Towards men of mark and character. like
Minister, off the danger. But he had already lost headed by Abaza were directing the Farly near the snapping point. And nobody Witte, Krivoshein, and Bemarin be con- Sukhanlinoff any influence he may have previously Eastern policy of the Empire, ho apprised who fully grasped the condition of the ceived a positive aversion wielded over his Imperial master. New his Government of what had been done Taardom in the summer of 1905, and who utter discredit into which Russian favourites tad who refured
Hence, the to pay and what it connoted. The Inevitable knew how little was done in the following diplomacy had fallen in the days before toll
to the Minister who for several years consequence followed at once; before the nine years to regenerate the land and Izvolsky was entrusted with the portfolio had been the most powerful administra minutes of the Special Council were ready sea forces of the Tsar could have expected of foreign affairs. tor of the Empire Plehve, who now for the Tsar's perusa! Japan bad recalled Bussia to hold out in the world-struggle ruled the country treated Witte as her envoy, broken off diplomatic relations of 1914-1918 much longer than she did. If In the space of two years, the Tarr's personal snemy, and classed him as a with the Taardom, and erippled Russia's Japarat removed from moral collapsed the British Foreign Office by holding traitor to the Crown Three avaricious Ear Eastern squadron.
was exhausted financially, Russia
Government twice deliberately hoodwink Parasite--Bezobrazofi, Abaza, and, later
her troops were demoralised and disaffect out the lure of an all-round settlement on, Admiral Alarsici, together with the
ed, and the country waa honeycombed with of differences; the Tsar's Minister «Takr, formed a secret Government of their That was a Russian version of the Ems sedition. To people like Witte and Lobanoff, while professing amity towards
own, annulled Ministerial decisions, con. forgery and the Franco-Prussian cealed from the responsible authorities The degree to which Nicholas II. was reports from governors of proviners.tion of the Great Powers against her
war. myself, who had cognisance of the secret Great Britain, sought to organise a Cobli- decrees issued by the Emperor, and sur responsible for the slaughter that ensued and other Government officials, it seemed War Minister, Kuropatkin, matared one will at the Government forged orders and wont to tell him to his Ince that he was longe to able to storing Afghans, and severing their lines with raptitiously executed by themselves se the does not concern us here, Rasputin was most probable five six months Plan for seizing Herat, fighting the falsifed resolutions passed by special the unlucky author who had caused the about a bloody uprising throughout the Great Britain, and another for kidnap In these circuma deaths of hundreds, of thousands of bis country. In order to avert this catastro ping the persone of the Emperor and stances the responsible Government was loyal subjects, that he had deserved to phe Witte went out of his way, eric acting Minister for Foreign Affairs powerleza. Japan was bewildered, and forfeit his crown and his life in conseped the bounds prescribed by
and Dowager Empress of China the new not whither to turn. Witte, ren quence, and that if he drifted into an use and wont and approached the Em Shishkin, with the Taar's approval, pre
bureaucratic dered reckless by the magnitude of the other war God would candignly punish peror on several occasions with pressing Pared to seize Constantinople, and the danger, had recourse to plain speaking, not only the monarch but the father and requests to conclude peace, and venter stores of the Upper Bosphorus, and in and adjured the monarch to abandon the the husband. I know for a fact that it tained suggestions from neutra sources January, 1904, war with Great Britain
as a domestic sermen on this text that for the opening of negotiations. moved the Tsar to yield to Austria at s
was in sight, and a few months later moment when obstinary would have chased the dense war cloud to burst over Europe
arison
Crown committees.
19h5% was an absolute fabrication. The Eclipse of Rusia, pp. 296 fol.
KASPOTIN'S WARNING.
Was Hot
19813N OF OCENT.
War
unable to abstain from brusquely intere practical lesson: He continued to reval As before, in underhand dealings, and was meddling with the most delicate matters of the administration without the alighters regard for what had been done,
expedient,
the
Nicholas, 11, had recourse to expedients Turkestan for a military campaign At this, as at all critical conjunctures, elaborate measures were adopted in which were ually incompatible, Hay- Egainst India-Daily Telegr
THE BOWLS MATCH.
GERET.-Sheer robbery, that's what I ca' it. I was lyin' three.
afore that yin eam up.
RUBST-Age, an what's wair. that makes twenty-dan and you
נו
pay for the War Bond Ticket:
GERAYAweel; we'll just has a measure for't.
Hussy. But there's nae measure in't
GIRBY.-The measure I meant is we'll go halves on the ticket. Russe-An' half o' that gang's tae the sodgers at your expense,
Gerry:
GERRY. Ada' care if it a went to them, for the phir, lads
*. deserve it.
-HONGKONG ST, ANDREW'S
SOCIETY
WAR BOND DRAWING
31st December, 1918.'
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