PORT ARTHUR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 68, 13 December 1907, Page 5

PORT ARTHUR.

4 . ■ THE CHARGES AGAINST THE OENESAIS. BATTLES THAT NEVER WERE. DISHONOURABLE CAPITULATION. AT TELEOUAFH —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. St. Petersburg, December 11. i General Dukmasolf ' presides over tho court-martial in St. Petersburg, trying Generals Stoessel, Reuss, Uock, and- Smirnoff ( on a oharge of illegally and dishonourably , surrendering Port Arthur. One hundred and fifty witnesses will bo ( examined, including Admiral Wircns and Goneral Gregorovitch. STARTLING ACCUSATIONS. s FALSE REPORTS. Tho indictment of Generals Stoessel, Reuss, I'ock, and Smirnoff accuses Generals Stoessel and. Fock of sending deliberate false reports about battles that never took place, of rccommending for decorations their own friends and generals who lost battles, and of surrendering fortresses in spite of ample means of resistance. .The indictment of Goneral Stoessel contains, nmdng others, tho following points:— A LEADER WHO WAS NOT THERE. "Goneral - Stoessel disregarded the orders of the Commandor-iri-Chief of tho Jlauehurian army to hand over - the command of Port Arthur. to General Smirnoff aud to leave tho army, but remained instead in tho fortress. He violated tho order of tho Imperial Viceroy, interfered with General Smirnoff's functions, and issued counter orders regarding tho defensive works, in tho second and third lines of tho fortress; Ho made, furthormoro, no provision for food supplies. In his report of the action at Kincliau ho stated that ho himself had led tho troops most energetically, whereas ho remained in Port Arthur and took no part in the fight. 110 reportod General Fock's retreat as a withdrawal earricd out in accordance with orders. On June M, lflfit, he stater' in his despatches that he had taken part in all the engagements; whereas, from February 8 to \Tuno 11 tho only engagement which took place was that at Kinchau, at which lie- was not present.. AMMUNITION PLENTIFUL. "With a view to justifying his contemplated surrender of Port Arthur, General Sloeasel notified the ; Tsar on December 29, 1901, that tho Japanese wero masters of the situation, and that Port Arthur cfluld only hold out for a few days longer, as ammunition was running out. In point of fact, the great majority of the Council of War had declared for defending Port Arthur to tho Inst extremity, and had stated that there was abundance of ammunition. In addition, General Stoessel consciously and unjustifiably bestowed flio Order of St. George upon General Fock for tho battle of Kincbhu,' which General Fock lost, and in which ho . displayed the grossest incompetence. The same decoration wai! conferred "upon Goneral Rouss. who himself admitted that ho had doilo nothing lo earn such an honour. General Stoessel evacuated several forts without exhausting every means of dofenco, nhd authorised General Reuss to sign conditions of capitulation ignominious lo Russia. General Stoessel did not himself shard tho fate of the garrison nor accompany them into captivity." SMIRNOFF WAS SUPINE. With regard to General Fock, ho is charged with btfing equally guilty on all counts with General Stoessel. It declares that-, ho displayed incompetence, and opposed General Stoessel's commands, and that he delivered a false report regarding (he battle of Kin- • cliau, and, under the excuse of' lack of ammunition, retreated in t full davlight, causing, in consequence, great losses to tho trdops. Goneral Reuss is clinked with .Ijeiwg an accessory of General Stopssol. and General Smirnoff is accused of supilieness in not putting n stop to the'conduct of .Generals Foclr, and Reuss. All the criihes with which Generals stoessel, I'ock, and Reuss are charged are Capital biTeiiees under the Military Code.