NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15989, 25 August 1917, Page 10

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

A RUSSIAN GENERAL. The appointment of General Letchitsky, notified in to-day's cables, to the position of Commander-in-Chief on the Russian northern front, suggests that some, additional vigour may bo imparted to tho operations j on that part of llussia's tremendously long line. I'or Lctchitsky was one of the men who about this timo last year were driving tho i»us- | tro-German armies befoft* them. It j was ho who ».i a trifle more than a fortnight won from the enemy tne whole of the Bukowina province. Letr cliitskv is a self-made man who «as originally intended for the priesthood, but prererred the army, in wiucn lie has mado his way solely by his ability, tic rcccived liis tirst commission forty years ago, and twenty-seven vears passed before ho attained Colonel's rank. Ho was even then, however, noted for his initiative, and for the fact that his men were well clothed and well fed. Ho especially excelled, says one. of his biographers, in training the officers, cach ono. of whonii oven to the sub-lieutenants, were, from time to time given special tasks to perform on their own responsibility, which quickened their intelligence and gave fair play to their initiative. He distinguished himself during manoeuvres near Petrograd, having held, by his clever tactics, with a single regiment, a whole division of his adversary at bay for half « day. For this he was mado adjutant in the suite of the Czar, who greatly admired the feat. Ho did admirable work in the Russo-J apancso war, and was one of the very few Russian Generals who emerged from that camj paign with an enhanced reputation, i most of his colleagues losing effectually [ any reputation they might have earned in'yeacc time.

A NOVEL REVIEW. Ono of the stories told about him illustrates finely his democratic character, which lias always enabled him to become intimately acquainted with his officers and to secure their close friendship) a condition of affairs previously unknown in tho Russian army. At his first review, after he bocamo head oi the IStli Army Corps, he arrived much earlier than was cxpcctcd, and surprised the chief of a regiment scolding a man in the ranks. Tho man became quite frightened, and absolutely lost his head. General Letchitsky asked what was tho matter-. Tho colonel commanding the regiment explained to him, rather hotly, that the man'was a fool, a disgrace to tho regiment, and would surely spoil everything. General Letchitsky "ordered tho soldier out of the ranks. He approached-the general, deadly pale,- thinking that-tho worst would happen. .-But the general patted him on the shoulder, and in friendly tones began to ask about Ids village and his family.' ' It>' happened that they wero both from the same province. "Look here." said General Lctchits'loj ."we are Zcmliaki"—fellow, countrymen. —"you cannot be so stupid as all that." Then having put the soluicr at his ease, : ho began to ask him questions. He; answered' them quite freely. Then General Letchitsky congratulated, him, and went to speak with the chief of tlio regiment. "If a private docs not understand something it is the sergeant's fault," said ho. "Then you must scold the sergeant. But under no circumstances must you frighten tho poor devils. They only loso their heads." Ho then assembled the officers, put them through a severo examination on the parade ground instead of a march past, and ordered different military evolutions, mado some soldiers undress, inspected their feet and tmderwear, and then dismissed them. Such a. review was never seen before. After the review many chiefs of regiments, who wore only prepared for superficialities, wero very little at ease. Yet nobody was punfslied, though a number wore reprimanded.

CUBA. The time seems to have passed whenthe mere mention of the name of Cuba sent cold chills down tho back of tho American Secretary of State, as one occupant of that office a few years ago declared ivas tho case/ In tuose days there was always present the possibility of Cuba developing insurrectionary tendencies, and when a.> people like the Cubans begin a civil war on a small scale there is no saying where tne: trouble may end. To-day, however. Cuba, first of the Latin-American republics to break off relations with Germany after the United States had led the way, is-according- her binr neighbour full support, morally and, as far as her resources permit, materially, against our common enemy. _ A Cuban cruiser and gunboat, after being docked in an American port and equipped with modern ordnance, are co-operating actively in the campaign against Üboats and commerce-raiders. The Cuban navy, as may be imagined, is not a very large one —its effective vessels can be counted on the fingers of one hand—but such as it is, ,t is being employed against Germany. This week's cables have given further proof of Cuba's ' desire to help. American troops arc to bo sent there for tho double purpose of being trained and of checking any pro-German efforts to make the island a submarine or wireless base. The German part of the population is limited in number, but experience has proved that there is no ; limit to the malevolent activities of German residents in any part of the world, and there was ample proof that German influence was at the bottom of the revolt in Cuba in the early part of tho year. A message in this issue reports the handing over to America by the President of Cuba of four large German steamers, which were seized by Cuba when she declared war on Germany—a very useful token of amity and unity.

THE SALONICA FIRE. It is to be hoped that the stores for the Allied army round Salonica will have escaped the destructive lire which has swept half the city away. Tlic-re is at present on the Balkan front an armv of about 650.000 Allied, troops— French, British. Serbian, Italian. Russian, Portuguese, Greek, and probably some Montenegrins—and antfeipating that the German submarines would cut off their troops from outside food supplies the Allies have been accumulating enormous stores at Salonica. The U-boats would be a serious bar to ro-

placing these stores if they were destr<Lioufc. Sir Rupert Clarke, the millionaire Victorian land-owner, who latelv returned to Australia aftei vears of war, of which nine monuis v,-ere spent with tho balomca iorccs, «-as asked by .a Sydney intervieuei what, he thought of tho placo. i h> - baronet replied that he sympathised with St, Paul, "who was tnero a bit before rev time.'' He spoke of the city with a shudder. : 'lt was one of tne hottest and one of the coldest places I have ever been in. When tho wind swept down from the north it almost cut ono to pieces. In summer men ancl officers stripped off their tunics and did their work in their shirt sleeves. But in tho winter we could not get •sufficient covering to bring warmth to our bodies. Generally speaking, he continued, "it is not a had placo from an architectural point of view. Theio is a beautiful ruined gate there. it was bujlt by Constantine —the other one. I think a sight of that ruined gate compensates a Jot for the general character of the town. Salomca is like aU other Eastern towns —only more so it is more than decidedly dirty and insauitarv—it is tho real thing in dirt and bad sanitation. The population. is most cosmopolitan; but the most picturesque people on tho landscape arc the Jews. In the days when the Jews in Spain wero persecuted, the? rouged to get away in numbers, and found a refuge m Salomca. 11l Spanish language is stiU spoken, theio, and the Jews go about m their old costumes, which the law ( compelled them to wear. Of course, he said, "we were, outside the town, and only went there when business took us; that TV-1V The country outside is pretty. It 'is one of tho most fruitful I havo I ever seen." r