The Standard on Wednesday published from its St. Peters- burg
correspondent a remarkable secret report on the siege' of Port Arthur sent to the Czar by General Smirlioff. Generals Stossel and Fock and Colonel Reiss will have to' meet the bitter charges made in this document when they are tried. General Stossel is accused of cowardice, favouritism, and incapacity. General Smirnoff, who was commandant of the fortress, complains again and again that his orders were reversed or disregarded by General Stossel, who knew nothing of artillery work or engineering. Yet Stossel, he says, was protected by Kuropatkin, " who had eaten with the same spoon with him." &easel is said never to have visited the defence works except when he wished to impress some foreign correspondents. He changed his houses to escape shells, and when he could no longer keep, out of range surrendered the garrison. Lastly, General Smirnoff gives a list of the stores and ammunition remaining in Port Arthur, which shows that the defence could have been continued at least six weeks longer. " Such," ends the document, " was the price Russia paid to preserve StOssers life and property."
