The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-12


large steamers would be nesdsd. No
such iaotilla could be gathered by Russia
In Far Eastern waters without years OF
preparation, If even then. III we assume
this impossible part Of the programme TO
have been achieved, We must recognize
that there would still remain cam
paign of invasion in circumstances OF
stupendous difficulty, campaign in
comparison with which the Transvaal
war would be insignificant. The wave
OF Mongol conquest which swept over
the world with irresistible momentum
from Central Europe to the eastern edge
of the Asiatic mainland broke vainly ON
the coasts Of the island empire. Where
KUBLAI KHAN failed, Russian EN-
peror could not hope for success, for,
relatively, the Japanese possess to-day
far greater powers Of resistance than
they had In the thirteenth century.
As regards the sea fight with which
war between the Mikado and the Gear
would necessarily begin, the Japan
Weekly Mail publishes the result OF the
latest official Investigations into the
relative strength Of the various naval
fleets and squadrons in Far Eastern
waters. II the only vessels included in
the account he line-of-battle ships, ar
mored cruisers, cruisers capable OF
steaming sixteen knots and gunboats OF
twenty knots. We arrive at the following
figures: Japan has thirty vessels, with an
aggregate tonnage Of 2O3,I92; England
has fifteen vessels, with a collective
tonnage Of 100, $50; the United States has
five vessels, the total tonnage Of which is
ss,S25. On the other hand, Russia has
twenty-five vessels, with an aggregate
tonnage of 1855, 249; France, six vessels
having total tonnage Of SS,sO4; while
Germany has seven vessels, with a col
lective>tonnage Of 29,713.
Let us next note the effect Of group
ing certain fleets together, bearing in
mind that England is bound by treaty
to assist Japan should that country be
assailed by more than one European
Power. That Russia would not en-
gage in war in the Far East unless she
were assured of the cooperation Of
France, is usually taken for granted.
The combined fleets of Russia and
France would comprise twenty-eight
vessels, with an aggregate tonnage OF
almost exactly 225,0O0 tons. On the
other hand the united fleets Of Japan and
England would comprehend forty-five
vessels, and the total tonnage would ex-
coed 333, $500. In the improbable event
that the Russian French coalition should
be assisted by Germany the fleet of the
three Powers would be considerably
stronger than that Of Japan and Eng
land, but the difference would be much
more than Offset could the latter gain the
cooperation of the United States. We
add that, if torpedo destroyers, armored
coast-defence ships and coast defence
gunboats be included, the superiority OF
the naval force of Japan and England
to that of Russia and France, and also
the superiority of the United States force
TO that Of Germany becomes even more
marked.
II we keep in view the distance from
each other of the naval bases Of Russia
and France in the Far East, it is by no
means impossible that Japan might prove
match at sea for both Of her probable
antagonists. With Englands help, she
seems to have almost certainty OF mari
time ascendency.