The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1903-10-21
The RISE OF JAPAN

The report in diplomatic circles ina
the differences between Russia and
Japan will be settled without the ne
eessity of war, while it will be good
news to the humanitarians every
where, will be a disappointment to
those cold-bICoded statistieans, ant
naval experts who have been expect
ing an opportunity to compare the
fighting forces of the two nations.
That Japan would not have suffered
in this comparison the majority Of
the experts agree.
It is difficult in this country to
think Of Japan as a great naval power,
the little island empire, with its d.
minutiye people deyoting themselves
to the fine arts, and seldom iateIfer-
ing in the affairs Of the world CT going
outside of their own boundaries. Tha-
Japan should have a navy which ranks
alongside of the fleets Of Russia and
should be in a position to involve her
self in a war with the pear that
walks like a man." this IS difficult Of
understanding in the United States.
But quietly and persistently. within
the past quarter century, Japan has
developed and has grown into a world
power that must be reckoned with in
the future. Twenty-Five years agJ
Japan had no navy, today her fleet IS
one of the dominating factors in the
far east. The rise Of Japan in naval
power has no parallel in history. Ma
tons have declined rapidly, and by
warfare and invasion have won terri
tory and power within the space Of a
few years; but never before has a ma
ton, in peace and in Quietness, ad-
vanced so rapidly in naval power as
has Japan. Today she is not afraid
to refuse even RUssia's demands, and
Russia exceeds Japan in geographical
extent and population as an elephant
exceeds in size a rat.
The navy OF Japan at the pressn,
time consists If six frst-class battle
ships, one s~econd-class battl5 snip, two
coast defense vessels (armored ships
which cannot fight at a distance from
a base), six armored cruisers of tee
drst-class, ten protected cruisers of thu
se~cond-clas5 with two building.
eight protected cruiers Of the first
class with Il building), nine IN
protected cruisers, one torpedo vessel,
seventeen torpedo boat destroyers
with two more building), and sixty
seven torpedo boats with eighteen
others in process of con~struetion).
Nor is the japanese feet lacking in
the man behind the gun. Japan has
educated her sailors in the service CT
Great Britain. She secured a British
naval officer as her instructor and or
ganizer and the system which made
Great Britain's navy the pride Of the
seas has been introduced into the
japanese service. A noted English
authority, Archibald S. Hurd, in the
October North American Review,
characterizes the Japanese sailors
thus: The japanese sailors are sail
ors by instinct. They are secured y
CONSUMPTION and do not volunteer for
service, as is the case in England.
Japan has a fishing population Of
about two million men, and from this
section Of the community she draws
her BEST seamen, men of intelligence,
resource and s~ea-lore, and capable CT
quickly acquiring sufficient mechan'
ical skill to enable them to control the
complex mechanism of their modern
men-of-war with complete success.
They desire no pampering and they
car live on the simplest food and sleep
anywhere; but in their new ships they
have more air. and, in some respects,
greater comforts than are to be. found
on many, if not most, British men
of-war. These sailors of the east take
things very much as they find them,
with a stoical calm. They face dan
ger with much the same spirit with
which they take their pleasure; and.
in spite of the rapid strides which civ
ilizatlon has made in their country.
their luxuries are few and they are
contented and happy"
Such is the navy and such the sail
ors Russia would have to fight to gain
Korea and atone for Port Arthur.