The San Francisco call., 1898-01-01
RUSSIA AND JAPAN.
Something Of q Comparison Of the Soldiers
 Of the Two Powers.

the Un1teQ states. It seems now to De accepted as a fact that Russia has oc- cupied Manchuria with the consent of the Chinese empire. This province or state contains population exceeding 12,000, 900 inhabitants. The country is rich, and the people, measured by the standard of Chinese intelligence and progress, are advancing in the march of civilization. It is in the line of prob ability that the railroad extending from the main line of the trans -Siber- ian railway will be constructed to deep water near Port Arthur. According to the original plans of the Russian en- gineers, Vladivostok was selected as the Pacific terminal point of the great line 1000 miles in length from St. Petersburg eastward, but changed con- ditions in China following the late war with Japan gave Russia concessions in Manchuria which will permit the con- struction of the line to an open port much further south than Vladivostok.
 Every Russian enterprise is guarded with so much secrecy that it is exceed ingly difficult to obtain actual informa- ton as to the number of miles of road to be constructed in order to complete this great work. The road is in opera ton for long distance east of Irkutsk and for 400 miles west of Vladivostok water transportation is available through much of the country between the eastern and western terminal points. The work may be so far ad- vanced from Irkutsk eastward and Vladivostok westward that troops and supplies from Russia in Europe can be readily dispatched to the expected scene of conflict in Asia. Contracts were awarded to American builders for the construction of large steamers to navigate the immense lake in the mountains of Siberia. These boats were built to carry trains in about the fash lon or the transfer steamer at Port Costa. It is quite within the line of probability that Russia Is in position to march troops from the eastern l-to the western terminal station It is known that an immense quantity of army supplies has been stored at Yladivostek, and that point is destined to be the base of Russian operations in war with Japan.
 There is a powerful Russian army at Vladivostok, but it's strength in num- bers is known only to the Russian authorities. Judging from the number of troops on transport steamers calling at Nagasah for coal during the past
 
 that the force approximates S0.00O Japan is in position to throw a much larger army than this to the front in Korea with very little delay. On the water as the fleets float to-day Japan is the stronger of the two, but Russia cannot be dislodged from her positions in Manchuria and Korea by warships.
 Korea, containing population of fif- teen million people, is practically un- der the immediate control of the Rus sians. Seoul, the capital a city of SO0,O00 inhabitants, is only twenty-five miles from Chemulpo, the principal sea port of Korea. The military stu dent would say that England and Ja- pan combined should be able to land force at Chemulpo which would be ample to capture Seoul in short time. The British had experience with the Russians in the Crimea and there learned that the soldiers of the Czar are not to be despised, hence a small British army would not be sent on that mission.
 The popular impression that the Ja- panese army of to-day knows some thing of war is erroneous, although many writers on current affairs speak Of the Japanese soldiers as veterans. The Japanese conquered in the late war because the Chinese refused to light and ran away. The entire loss in battle of the whole Japanese army throughout the entire war with China was less than the losses sustained by a single division of the Union army at Vicksburg in the assault on the 22d of May, 1883. Japan may be a nation of warriors, but her present army knows nothing of actual battle in conflict with trained and effective troops. The Russian troops are exceptional in their ability to preserve order and discip- line under whitening fire. The Japan ese may be equally resolute and ef- fectfve, but no opportunity was pre- sented in the late war between Japan and China to indicate what the Japan ese army would do in the event of wig orous resistance.
 There is a quickening of commerce between San Francisco and the Orient since the concentration of warships in Asiatic waters. Large quantities ot merchandise. presumably fleet sup plies, have been shipped to Asia. The bulk of supplies go the other way through the Suez canal but when a particular line of provisions must be had at once San Francisco is the near est point for the supply The Cana dian Pacific and the connecting line of steamships at Victoria are active bid ders for the transportation of goods. Chicago is right in the race with San Francisco for the trade. The Cana dian Pacific is giving a very low rate on through consignments from Chicago to Hongkong. but not lower than the rate which San Francisco merchants obtain from the steamships sailing from this port to the Orient. The ap- prehension of our merchants has been excited, however, by the figures which Chicago houses competing for this new r fI T.