THE TEMPER OF RUSSIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 29

THE TEMPER OF RUSSIA.

One conviction Mr Henry Norman, a journalist M.P., brought away after his ■visit to the Czar is that persons who believe that Japan's swift successes on land and sea presage f-arly termination of the war live ia a. fools' paradise. It was not a

subject on which tho Crar talked much. But the few words chopped indicated intention on the part of Ru.ssia to w in tho fight at whatever cost of blood and ironey, at whatsoever prolongation of the combat. Ihere was i.ever a moment during the darkest reverse oi the war in South Africa when the British people even approached the thought of giving in. Someone had blundered, nay, blundering was paramount at every point touched by the Administration. All tho same wo pressed forward, sending out more troops, some guns, and frtsh generals, whore the first batch had failed. That is the temper to-day which the tiaveller in Russia finds burning in every stratum of the population, from the Czar in his palace to tho driver on his seat on the drishky. At the time of Mr JNorman's visit Japan's successes had been confined to the sea. Proving thus f ar^ equally invincible on land does not in the slightest degree alter this shrewd observer's view of the situation. Russia will fight on as she did 100 years against the first Napoleon, if necessary will burn another Moscow, or make equivalent sacrifice.