Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-07


what would be done at yladivostok in case of
war. The lights ON Skrypleff Island in the east
entrance and near Pospaloff Point to guide
ships through the west entrance were extin-
guished; the west entrance completely
blocked from Larionef Point to Cape Toka-
reffski with contact mines; the narrow passage
from Cape NOvasilsky to Cape Nazimof
blocked with contact and electric mines. ex-
cept a channel 80 feet wide under the former.
and a gunboat lay near by to stop merchant
vessels and send an officer on board to pilot
them through, while preparations were made
to remove all the civilian inhabitants to a
sheltered valley some distance inland Sup
posing now that these precautions were all car
ried out to-day. could fairly powerful fleet,
such as the English fleet, or the Pei-yang
(northern) squadron of the Chinese fleet if
properly Differed. the japanese fleet force
an entrance? We will say for the sake of argu-
ment. TO begin with, that the Russian feet is
out of the way.
WHAT ARE THE DEFESsEs OF vLADIvosToK?
Both channels are commanded and their mine
fields protected by Fort Goldoben. and this is
armed with a number of nine-inch muzzle-
loading guns of an old pattern and Russian
manufacture. Its upper part is only. believe,
battery of mortars. In the center of the long
narrow strip of land forming the western side
of the harbor Is apOwerful battery. containing,
l believe, two % centimeter breech-loading
krupp guns, probably about q ton guns
throwing a shell of SIC pounds. and these are
the heaviest guns with which Vladivostok is
armed to-day. Further to the north, a little
higher up than is marked on nv sketch-map. is
another battery. formed. l believe, of two g.
inch breech-loading cannon. two more of the
same Is centlmeter Krupps, and four mortars
These two batteries are designed to protect the
weak point of EladivostOk-the Smelling of the
town and arsenal over the land from points
marked on my map with double arrows. That
is all The answer is therefore easy. yladi-
vostok. in the absence of men-of-war to pro-
tect 1t, could undoubtedly be taken by such
heets as i have mentioned. and il the last
scare" had become a struggle there can be
little doubt that the English feet would have
first sheled the town and then forced an en-
trance to the harbor.
IN ANOTHER YEAR.
But what if the attack be deferred till to-
morrow? The truth of the foregoing assertion
can be almost proved, as you prove a sum
in division by another in multiplication by
the fact, not yet known and appreciated
that the Russian government is adding to
the defenses of Vladivostok in every respect
and on the most lavish scale. An estimate has
just been passed by the governor-general of
eastern Siberia, and submitted to st. Peters
burg for approval, for strengthening yladivos-
tok by engineering work alone at an expense
of no less than 5000, 900 roubles, and good
deal of this is being rapidly spent in antici-
patton; The arsenal is being greatly enlarged
by both new buildings and new machinery:
an addition to the great floating STAN
field dock is just finishing; fine new
barracks are under constructions; and
several new forts are half finished. of a
slze and arrangement far in advance of any,
thing existing here at present. One of these
forts, just to the north of Cape Tokareffski
will command both entrances to the harbor
and ships in position to shell the town; another
of great size will command the mine-feld with
which Novik bay, from which Fort Goldobin
and part OF the town could be bombarded, is to
be protected, and two others will command the
haroor and Its approaches from the east. It
Is only reasonable to suppose that these when
completed will be armed with guns of the
latest pattern and great power. Indeed un-
derstand that 12-inch 35 cal. guns have already
been selected for one of the eastern forts In
year time these will be completed, and if
the government sanctions the engineers esti-
mate recently submitted. batteries will also be
placed on some of the large islands south of
tue harbor, an extremely important situation.
Even then perhaps it is too much to say that
'lAdNostok VIII be impregnable, but it will be
AN EXTREMELY STRONG PLACE,
and much more powerful fleet than any now
In the east would have to fight long and hard
for 1T. The Russians admit that the Chinese
town can always be destroyed from the sea,
but believe they estimate that they can burn
this and rebuild it for $4,000 roubles They
deny, however, that the town proper and the
arsenal are open to shell fire from beyond the
west batteries, but cannot agree to this, as
heAu SAdss nave OlStllCtIy seen the
church over the southernmost of the two west
land batteries at a distance of not more than
9,VO yards, and II would be visible from a
considerably shorter distance. Indeed, took
photograph IN which the town may be seen be-
yond the batteries from this point This how
ever, Is OF comparatively small moment for all
war stores would of course be removed to a
pace OF perfect security, and Vladiyostok
would De no weaker as a naval stronghold after
the town had been destroyed than before In
case OF war an enemy would most probabIv try
TO ind the Russian feet and blockade IL some
where, Tor II the ships were once DESTROYED or
captured, Nladlyostok would cease to be worth
attacking. Ii should be clear however from
the foregoing. that the Russian authorities are
determined on no half measures. They have got
Nladlvostok and they mean to keep it. and Ger
talniy there Is at present nothing in the whole
east strong enough even to try to take away
from them the Vladivostok which promises to
exist next year.
THE NEW RESTRICTIVE REGULATIONS
% much discussed and severely criticised in
naval circles, by which only two ships Of any
foreign fleet are allowed to anchor in yladi-
yostok harbor at one time. are officially stated
TO have been made in accordance with similar
regulations by other powers. But they are
really the result of one particular incident.
Some time ago the British heet on its summer
cruise north, reached vladivostok at night
while all the Russian vessels happened to be
away Zone version says it was thick fog, but
observed and dropped anchor Next morning.
when the inhabitants of vladivostok looked
out Of their windows, they were astounded to
See thirteen English men-of-war anchored in a
bee-line of the town, and occupying the
whole anchorage. Naturally enough they
said to themselves that an enemy might
do this very thing a short time before war
was suddenly declared. when Russia in the
Pacific would be at his mercy. Therefore,
rather than risk multiplying unpleasantness
by prohibiting the entry of foreign vessels
from time to time circumstances might
seem to require, they decided TO cut of the
risk once for all. II was natural and explica-
BILE enough on the part OF the Russians, but it
Is an innovation far from welcome to the
greater part of any foreign feet. which must
remain knocking about outside at gun practice
or steam tactics, while the flagship and one
other vessel are comfortably anchored and po-
ltely entertained within
LAND FORCES.
The impression made by the rank and file of
the land forces at vladivostok is that of soldiers
Who have been on active service for six months.
long enough to have grown careless about the
polishing OF leather and steel and the details