Russian Over-Confidence.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7841, 19 May 1904, Page 7

Russian Over-Confidence.

This over-confidence and under-es-timation of the Japanese is. deprecated by important Russian officials. One of them, Colonel Veres tchag-ine. who was on the staff of General Kuropatkin, speaking of tlie calculations made that the Japanese could only land 250,000 men, -. he said :—

''According to my opinion such illusions arc far too dangerous. They can but harm us. for one must accept danger as it is without exaggerating or diminishing it. Remember how it was in the Turkish war. We said the Turks could only bring 200,000 men into the field against us. And so we began the war with four army corps. It was a disillusion from one end to the other. We had to strengthen and send 600,000 men. The war lasted two years, and cost us two milliards of roubles. And Turkey is not Japan. She had .no 50,000,000 of inhabitants, and was near us. Wc needed not to send our troops 10,000 versts. Wc fought, so to speak, at home. Now, all is against us, the distance and the neighbourhood of the enemy. No, we have a courageous and strong enemy, which has decided to stake its entire existence upon the cast of the die. Retreat from him is impossible with' tho sea behind. He must w*in or go under. Can we imagine or hope that so cunning and clever an enemy has gone to war with us without knowing his strength ? The Japanese are less cilmring than the Boers. They compelled the English to bring up an army of 250,000 men. Why should we not admit that the Japanese can bring from 600,000 to 700,000 me* against us ?