The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-19
Importance of Command of Sea.

Strategically. the power that first ga,ls
a good foothold on Korean TERRITORIES
pecially on the coasts going to have a
decided advantage. The character OF
ing natural defenses Of great power, and
should Russia realize her present de-
mands she will have secured an enviable
lead. On the other hand, should the
matter be compromised through Japan
receiving a similar concession, still there
would be something in Russia's favor.
Masanpho, which has been for some
does not appear on any of the current
maps of Korea, but it is a fine harbor
about twenty miles from Fusan, the
principal port of Southern Korea, and
within easy striking distance of the ISL
and of Tsu Shima, one of Japan's ad-
vance military bases. Should Russia
prevail in her present demands without
would prove a very grave menace to ia
pans prime hope-the ultimate possess
sion of the hermit kingdom.
In struggle for Korea, the palm would
naturally fall to the Power having COM
mand of the sea, and brief analysis of
the available fighting facilities of each
nation now concerned will show how es-
sential it is that Japan strike soon and
hard if she is not to be borne under in
her ambitions by the steady, unobtru-
sive, cumulative forces of Russia on land
and on sea.
1t is remembered that half of Russia's
by treaty stipulations, while a fair part
of the other half must remain, for OBJ
vlous reasons of defense, in the Baltic,
even though far-away Japan be her op,
ponent. But, on Japan's part, fighting
as she would in her own waters. so to
speak, she will have at her command the
Whole OF her navy, backed by an efficient
army and strong domestic defenses
Ioday the Russian navy in the Far
East comprises two battleships of 16
Knots speed; two armored cruisers, re-
n IT,
three second class armored cruisers of
older date and speeds of Is, 16 and IS
KNOTS. or cruising vessels, she has one
second-class arnored cruiser of II knots.
two armored gunboats of Is knots. FIVE
small gunboats of speeds ranging from
II TO IA knots; three small 13-knot cruis-
ers OF rather aged type; two small min
ing and repair vessels: two 4OO-Ion ~
knot torpedo cruisers; ten medium sized
torpedo boats of from 16 to &c knots, most
~ the former; and couple of fair-siz-
ed 30-knot deStroyers.
The Japanese have at their present die
posal three exceptionally fine battleships
or IL knots speed two powerful, well pro-
tected afmored cruisers of % knots; one
tnlfd class armored cruiser of us knots.
four first-class protected cruisers of ~ (
knots; one first-class protected cruiser of
u knots; two of 1871 knots, and three of
II knots; two second-class protected
cruisers of 20 knots, and three of is'6
knots; one unprotected cruiser of I6.5
knots, and one of Is knots: seven gun
Doats, mostly 13-knot craft; and, four tor
pedo cruisers, one of 20 and three of a21
Knots; five 80 knot and five 31-knot torpa.
do boat destroyers; seventeen modern
f1rst-class torpedo boats of o. IS and 20
Knots, and twenty-four 20-knot boats of
an older make; and twenty-seven second
class torpedo boats, five of &c knots, thir
teen of "a knots, and nine of 20 knots
speed.
In addition to this force for home de-
tense may be mentioned the second
class battleship Chin-Yuen, captured from
emma, OF IA knots and 7,400 tons displace-
ment; the coast defense ship Ping-Yuen-
60, of 1900 tons and II knots also can.
tured from China, and a number of
wooden gunboats of some battery power.
Naval Equipments.
Assuming that the present vexed cues
ton of Masanpho may be held unse, fled
for the next four or five months. IN that
time Japan's naval equipment will have
been brought up to its ma imum superi-
GRITTY as compared with Russia's avail
able force at the same time for that
part of the world. The heavy fighting
line of each navy will then be as fol-
lows:
Russia will have FIVE battleships with
an aggregate displacement of So 1894 tons.
two of Is knots and three of l6 knots
Three armored cruisers, aggregate dis
placement, $3.50 tons; two of 90 knots
and one of Is knots. Three second-class
armored cruisers, aggregate splace-
ment, 1858 tons: one of 1873 knots. one of
l6o knots and one of 15.2 knots. Russian
lot n1 xI.l