1905 BATTLE OF TIE PASS Hsin-min-lun, 33 miles west of Mukden, on March 1. Then he turned sharply and marched to the east on a front of 15 miles, his southern or right wing touching the left wing of Oku's army. Kuropatkin, repulsed by Oku on the 6th, now realized how he had been tricked, and, after a last despairing but futile effort to stop the advance of Nogi, on March 7 gave the order to retreat. On the 8th Nogi cut the railroad north of Mukden, and on the same day Nodzu crossed the Sha River, and swept on to the Hun, which he crossed on the 10th, getting in touch with Oku's right. Kuroki also moved up with Nodzu, preserving connection all the while with Kawamura on the east. Mukden was surrounded on three sides and a part of the fourth. Under the concentrated fire of the contracting Japanese line, the Russian retreat became a rout through the only remaining outlet, that on the northeast toward Tieling. The Japanese occupied Mukden on March 10, finding there enormous stores of arms and provisions. In this, the greatest battle recorded in history, as well as the longest in duration, the Russians lost 30,000 killed, 100,000 wounded, and 50,000 prisoners, the total being 45 per cent of their forces. The total Japanese casualties were 52,500, 101⁄2 per cent of their strength. Kuropatkin resigned his position of Commander-in-Chief on March 13, but before the resignation was accepted another defeat was scored against him at Tie Pass, 40 miles north of Mukden. This important position fell into Japanese hands on the 16th, the Russians falling back the safe distance of 100 miles before making another, and, as it proved, a last stand. On the same day General Linevitch superseded General Kuropatkin in the supreme Russian command, the latter at his own request taking over the command of Linevitch's army. But little sympathy was expended on Russia in her troubles by her ally. France was busy setting her own house in order. Though pilots might change at its ministerial wheel, 1905 THE CLASH OVER MOROCCO the French Government proceeded on its course as charted in the Great Revolution. It was now ready to abolish the connection between Church and State, which had been reintroduced by Napoleon in the Concordat with Pius VII. The Combes Cabinet fell on January 18, on account of revelations of its system of espionage, but the new Ministry under M. Rouvier continued its general policy. On February 9 a bill to abolish the Concordat was introduced in the Chamber of Deputies. Its course through the Chamber and Senate occupied the year and divided the country into factions even more violently partizan than those caused by the Dreyfus case. It went into effect on December 6. Ever since the accession of Edward VII, Great Britain and France had been developing a friendly relation which now almost amounted to an alliance. Great Britain encouraged France's desire to strengthen her hold in North Africa, giving special and formal consent, as the owner of Gibraltar, to French control over the weak Moroccan Government across the Strait. In this acquiescence Spain also joined. At first there seemed to be no objection to this program by any European country. During the spring, however, the German Emperor landed from his yacht at Tangier, Morocco, and made a speech in which he declared against the predominance of any European country in Moroccan affairs. While German trade with Morocco was inconsiderable, the Emperor was contending for a principle in the program which Germany had set before herself of capturing the markets of the world. This speech was followed up by persistent diplomatic pressure on France from Berlin, which finally, on June 6, caused the resignation of Delcassé, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Premier Rouvier's disavowal of the Moroccan policy. Germany and France then agreed to call a conference of the Powers to determine their common and individual interests in the semi-civilized Berber country. THE INSURANCE SCANDALS 1905 The United States was also assuming a protecting attitude to a country not fully emerged from barbarism. On January 21 Santo Domingo, pressed by European creditor nations, agreed that the United States should preserve order and administer finances, while guaranteeing territorial integrity. This arrangement was consummated on March 25 by the appointment of a United States Commissioner to collect the Dominican revenues until the claims of the European nations were settled. The United States was also doing a good deal of house-cleaning at home. On January 30 the United States Supreme Court declared the Beef Trust illegal, and on February 7, August W. Machen, a prominent official in the Postoffice Department, and two other lesser men, were convicted of postal frauds. Idols were falling on every hand in the business world. 'A contest for control of the great Equitable Life Assurance Society started in February between James W. Alexander, its president, and James Hazen Hyde, one of its vice-presidents and the owner of the majority of its capital stock. It revealed gross irregularities of management in which both the contestants and others were implicated. Another contest arose between two financiers, Thomas F. Ryan and E. H. Harriman, to gain possession of Mr. Hyde's stock. In this Mr. Ryan was victor. He made Paul Morton, ex-Secretary of the Navy, President of the Society, and gave his own stock over in charge to a board of trustees, of which ex-President Cleveland was made chairman. In the meantime the State Legislature of New York had appointed a committee to make a general investigation of all the life insurance companies. Under the able inquisition of its attorney, Charles E. Hughes, the committee laid bare, during the fall, the most astounding mismanagement and misappropriation of the funds of policyholders. Great sums of money had been given, without proper accounting, to lobbyists in order that these might buy 1905 BATTLE OF THE SEA OF JAPAN off at the State capitals bills inimical to the companies, and influence legislation in their favor. The charge made by Judge Parker in the Presidential campaign of 1904 that the Republican party had profited by large contributions from the great corporations was fully substantiated. The funds of the companies were used to float great speculative enterprises. Indeed, the presidents and other officers had used the money of policy-holders as if it were their own private property, and all the while they were drawing exorbitant salaries, from two to three and more times that of the President of the United States. As a result of the investigation these officials made restitution of their ill-gotten gains, and the companies were reorganized. After the battle of Mukden interest in the Russo-Japanese war centred on Rojestvensky's fleet. The unfortunate North Sea incident was now closed. On February 26 the International Commission of Inquiry had reported that, while there were no hostile ships in the English fishing fleet which was fired upon, the nervous apprehension of attack felt by the Russians excused their action. On March 9 the Russian Government paid over £65,000 ($325,000) as indemnity due to the injured fishermen. Rojestvensky evidently felt that he would be made to pay far more dearly in his next combat. He moved deliberately from one French port to another, wearing his welcome out in each, for the Japanese were complaining bitterly of Russia's abuse of her alliance with France in using the latter's ports as if they were her own. In May, however, Rojestvensky was joined by a squadron under Admiral Nebogatoff, sent out from Russia to reenforce him, and he summoned up his courage and steamed into Japanese waters, taking the straight course between Japan and Korea for Vladivostok. With that marvelous prescience that is the chief distinction of Japanese strategy, Admiral Togo had counted |