364
JAPANESE WAR NEWS.
[May 16, 1904.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
cricties hold that the Russian force must off the negotiations suddenly, and then to have been small and was not intended send her Vladivostock fleet to the Tsugaru to do more than impede be Japanese Straits, so that the Japanese would be com- progress. But a loss of from 3,000 to pelled to divide their naval strength. Then
men and of 80 4,000
maoy officers the Russians wished to land a large fores seem to indi te A does not
partint Chemulpo under the protection of the cularly small force; nor does the stub- Port Arthur squadron, while at the same born resistance offered by the Russians to time the troops on the Yalu were to cross the pursuing Japanese. It may be taken and join the Corean and Russian troops at ns certain that the Japanese were consider-Seoul, so that they could drive the Japanese ably superior in number. But their enemies from Fusan, where they had landed. This were entrenched and ou the higher ground, was the plan, which according to the as well as able to attack the Japanese all Tageblatt the Japanese claim fell into the the time they were crossing the Yalu. hands of their Government, and which made What appears to have told so heavily in the Cabinet and the Elder Statesmen, until favour of the victors was what General then undecided, be of one mind with regard KUROPATKIN calls "the extraordinary to anticipating the Russian Government by vigour of their artillery attack." It is striking the first blow. What there is in evident that the time taken by the Japanese the story we do not know. We have not in their advance from Seou! to the Yalu has seen the claim of the discovery of Russian not been wasted, for they have been able to plans advanced seriously by the Japanese, transport with them artillery heavy enough certainly not officially. It is possible, and to outrange and defeat the Russians. Those that is about all that can be said. But Russia must have anticipated a very easy who blamed the Japanese military com- manders for their “lack of initiative" must victory, seeing how the actual course of now retract. Those generals were not in- events since the outbreak of war has active; they were making sure of victory. betrayed her entire unreadiness for serious
fighting
(Daily Press, 7th May.) Repeatedly during the present war though it has barely lasted three months yet, the fact has been brought out of the extreme moderation of the Japanese official reports on the progress of the fighting. There has, of course, been a suspicion that the Japanese squadron operating against Port Arthur has suffered more than its Admiral has admitted in despatches, but, after all, there is nothing to prove this, and the whole fleet seems unimpaired in num- bers, with the possible exception of one or two torpedo-boats. We have had many wild stories from Europe, all emanating apparently from S. Petersburg, about great Japanese disasters, but not a single one of them has proved to be true, and the Russians themselves have abandoned them, official or semi-official though some of them were in origin. On the other hand, no Japanese version of any incident coming from a reputable source has turned out to be false, and the official despatches have frequently been shown by subs-quent information to be distinct under-estimates It would not be surprising now if we of the amount of success gained. A very, were to hear that the negotiations mentioned striking instance is that furnished by the by REUTER as approaching a conclusion battle of the Yala. The first news to reach between Japan and several financial houses Hongkong was REUTER's telegram of the 1st in London for the issue of a loan of five May, stating that the State Department at millions sterling on the security of the first Washington had received news of a complete charge on the Japanese Customs, have Japanese victory on the Yalu. Soon after proved successful Not that we think any noon on the 2nd instant our Kobe corres- sound financial houses in London are likely pondent wired the news of the capture of to sun away with the idea of a speedy Chiuliengcheng and gave (from Japanese Japanese win in the war. But the Japanes official accounts) the Japanese and Russian have done so much in three months-though losses as 700 and 800 respectively, while the the work done is the fruit, of course, of years Japanese claimed to have taken also twenty-that even a cautious financier must be guns and a number of prisoners. The tempted to take the risk on good security. Japanese Consul here received the same day At any rate, we look rather for the success & Government despatch from Tokyo, putting of Japan in her attempt to raise a loan in the losses at the same figures, but stating England (and probably also, partly, in the the captures to be twenty-eight guns, twenty United States) than of Russia in any Russian officers, and many men. A further attempt for a loan on the Continent. telegram to Mr. NoMA on the 3rd instant described the stubborn resistance offered by the Russians in their retreat on Fenghwang- cheng, which added another 300 to the Japanese losses. No statement was made; about the Russian losses, except that the pri- soners were said to be thirty officers and 300 We now have the Russian official ad- mis..on as to the extent of their losses, which turn out to be far heavier than claimed by their enemies. One regiment alone, the Eleventh, lost forty officers and 2,000 men, aud the total loss is allowed to be between 3,000 and 4,000-including the prisoners in Japanese hands, we may conclude. It will be seen that the Japanese studiously re- frained from claiming any more success than they were absolutely certain about, and that the details, now that they have come out, show them to have gained a much bigger victory than they stated themselves. There is little wonder that, after this notable success of the Japanese arms in the first land engagement on a large scale, a great sensation is reported to have been caused both in England and on the Con- tinent of Europea, where the moral effect of the victory is regarded as incalculable. The critics who looked for a turning of the tables when the Japanese faced the Russians on laud in force have received a rude blow. It would be foolish to build too much on Japan's opening win, but we can at least with some confidence reject now the hasty anticipations of those who, admitting Japan's naval superiority, claimed that on land at least the Russians must be the better men. We do not know the numbers engaged on either side in the battle of the Yalu. According to REUTER, French and German
men.
RUSSIAN PLANS.
(Daily Press 13th May.)
2.
The Admiral
ust.
Another article connected with the war, but treating of Russin's future intentions, appears in the Petit Parisien, whose repre- sentative at S. Petersburg secured an inter- view with Admiral ROZHDESTVENSKY, Chief of the Russian Naval Staff and commander of the Baltic Squadron appears to have been very frank, for he admitted that it was not certain that he would ever take that squadron out The squadron would be ready by the 15th July, but it had been too hastily concluded that its departure for the Far East was a settled thing. Who could say that in July the squadron might not be required in of the Baltic ?" Admiral the waters RoZHDESTVENSKY asked this question, but He then went ou to supplied no answer. say that, in his personal opinion, in Septem- ber the Navy would have nothing more to do in the Far East. The Japanese would by then have transported to Cores more cannon, ammunition, and projectiles, and Some interesting remarks on the plans of provisions in sufficient quantity for a cam1- campaign of the belligerents up north may|paign of many months. They had docks to be gathered from a perusal of the news-repair the damage done to their ships, and papers brought out by the last mail. The it would be puerile to attempt any longer European journals have, of course, op. to deny that they were admirably prepared portunities, through their representatives, from that point of view. In a word, they of getting the views of prominent personages were formidable adversaries, against whom opportunities which are denied to the the Russians would have to exert themselves Far Eastern Press from our very proximity strenuously if they wished to succeed. to the seat of war. However, the first The last remark strikes one rather as an article which fixed our attention in the most anti-climax, but the Admiral intensified it recent batch of kome papers owed its origin with the ejaculation, "We shall have a to Tokyo, though appearing first in the hard task to get the better of them!" Then, Tageblatt of Berlin. The Tokyo correspon- in reply to the question what should now dent of that paper says that the Japanese be done, Admiral ROZHDESTVENSKY ex- claimed with much auimation:-" We are claim to be in possession of Russian secret
now doing what remains to be doue, we documents revealing a plan for a sudden attack on Japan which was only frustrated are defending the honour of the flag. It is at a previous stage that another course by Japan's even more sudden attack on
Attack ought to have been adopted. Port Arthur, The Tageblatt's correspon.
"should have been met by attack, they dent claims to have learnt
official " (how well we "should have advanced against the enemy, well-informed
fought to the death-you understand are beginning to know that phrase now!)
me with guns, mitrailleuses, with fists, that Japau's energetic action was due t
I should "and even with their teeth. Russia's plans with regard to Japan, for by
"have been victory or death, but in any prolonging the diplomatic negotiations
"case it was indispensable to inflict upon indefinitely, the Russians hoped to be able to concentrate an immense body of troops "the enemy such loss us to have rendered along the Yalu, and at the same time to conclude a secret treaty with Corea to allow Russian troops serving as Corean mer- cenaries, to be landed at Chemulpo. To protect these mercenaries the Russian warships Varyag and Koreetz were for Од the some time in that harbour. 21st February Russia intended to break
"from a
"
45
+
<<
the landing of troops impossible. Sacri- "fice the fleet if need be, but, at the same Itime, de.iver a fatal blow to the Japanese "naval power.
Disembarcation would thus have become impossible. You now "understand why it was essential to take the "offensive at any cost. Why was it not done? "Why have they not made it impossible for
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