RUSSKY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12066, 23 July 1917, Page 8

RUSSKY.

THE FIRST MAN TO BEAT HINDENBURG.

Speaking generally. Hip prophets have prophesied wide of the mark as regards the war- The things they have foretold have peldora come to pass. In one respect, however, they have been fairly accurate. Read any of the standard histories dealing with the first! twelve, months of the war, and you will find that our military experts, with hardly an exception, pinned their faith to General Russky, the man who has been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies. He. it. was who, early in September, 1914, ■ was mainly responsible for the series of victories which resulted iu the capture of Lemberg. By means of a number of rapid turning movements, followed bv terrific sledge-hammer on the enemy's flanks, he forced tho Austrians back in disorder with the loss of many thousands of prisoners and some hundreds of guns. By the end of the. month his cavalry were crossing the Carpathians, while, his infantry, Hushed with victory, were marching on Cracow. The next we heard of Russky was that he had been recalled to Petrograd. Whose sinister influence was at the back of this order all the world now knows, although at the time it was explicableRELIEVED OF HIS COMMAND. The Czar kept, bis most able general fretting a.nd fuming at the capital for some weeks, and bestowed upon him with a, great show of ceremony the Third Class of the Order of St George. Meanwhile the Austrians, aided by their German allies, had counter-at-tacked in force, and Russky's victorious army, deprived of its leader, had been forced to retreat.

La-tor he again took command, and obliged the redoubtable Hindcub-jrg to retreat in his turn. But one e more the "unseen hand" intervened, Russky. was ordered to the Caucasus, the ostensible reason given being that his health hod broken down. Finally, towards the. end of 19!-"», he was formally relieved of his command, although ho was " graciously permitted " to retain his position as a member nf the Coun'il of the Empire and of the Supreme. Council of War. Not even tho traitorr/.is camarilla, .surrounding the Czar dared apparently to do, prive him of these honours. Rusr-kv is 'one of the most, sole n't ifi(C of Russian (soldiers. lie was for long Professor of Tactics and Strategy iu the Russian "War Academy—tho pqniva.le.nt of our Staff College. Tn the war with- Japan he was Chief of Stat?, to General Kaulbars, and after pcac'o was made ho helped General. Suldiomlinov to reorganise the Russian forces. SAVED THE CAPITAL. The leading part, he took in the. recent; revolution has endeared him to all Russia. Before, that event, however, Russkv was the idol of the people of Petrograd, owing to the fact that when he was Commander-in-Chief on tho northern front, ho defeated thp, German designs on Riga, and so saved tho capital from the very real danger of a hostile occupation. It sounds hardlj credible, hut it is novertholess a fact, that, following this achievement, Rims, ky was once. more, ordere-d to rest and " recuperate his health." But if the Russian Court was hostile to Russia.'"a foremost general, the Germans at all events were under no illu. sion ;is to his capabilities. Major Moraht, their leading military critic, said of him : "Wo must not disgMise from ourselves tho fact that in Ru&sky we. haveopposed to us a man of exceptional gifts, with whom \vp. shall have to

recko.n (in. the future at least, as ranch as wc have had to do in the past.

" General Russky is not only the. conqueror of I.emberg. be is the only man who so far has succeeded in getting the better of Hindcnburg- This alon" marks him as a. strategist of the. highest order ... he embodies the perfect typo of tho modern .scientific soldier."'