The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-09-23

they would at least be able to make an
effective and, as far as they are con-
cerned, N lr best fight Inststl OF that
they come laundering ous in the dark
and are promptly torpedoed by The
wary little Japanese who have just
been hoping for some such mishap.
I notice in the European press that
the torpedo boat efficiency in action has
been a great disappointment to naval
experts who affirm that one Of the leg
sons OF the war is the ineffe ,tivencss
Of the todpedoes. This may be true to
a certain degree, but If the actual eff
feet is small the moral effect is GER
tainly enormous. The torpedo hits" of
the Japanese boats may be few com
pared to the misses but they have
been enough to paralyze the Russian
courage and confidence. The result has
been that Japan is now maintaining her
blockade by means of three or four
cruisers, mostly second-class, and a
dozen or two destroyers and torpedo
boats.
I have seen the blockading fleet time
without number and not once have I
seen a battleship along and rarely more
than two cruisers. If the moral effect,
then, OF destroyers is SO vigorous that
a mere handful, as it were, can keep
within Port Arthur an entire fleet OF
cruisers and battleships certainly the
torpedo craft cannot be called a very
bitter disappointment.
The condition of the fleet inside Port
Arthur is certainly puzzle. If, as the
Russians themselves claim, the fleet
l., o..
ton at a moments notice, why is 1t
that they don't come out and fight?
Only the other day 1 saw a Japanese
cruiser nosing along absolutely alone
almost within range of the Russian
guns If the much discussed fleet is so
efficient and in such fine state of re-
pair, why didn't some one of their
cruisers, such as the Bayan, which is
certainly a match for any of the Jap
anese second-class cruisers, both in
guns and armament, come out and
have go at our Japanese friend?
The strength which might have been
brought against the Russians by the
arrival of more Japanese might have
been offset by sending out the Diana
and the AsSold with a half-dozen OF the
destroyers and torpedo boats, which
rumor says are lying under steam in
side. Instead of doing something Of
this sort, however, the Russians prefer
to wait until after dark and get blown
up with ease and precision by the Jap
anese, who are eager to do the job Cor
them.
The main sphere of Russian activity
seems to be in the placing of mines all
MI.
ed to be almost as dangerous to them
selves as to the enemy. The entranc
to the harbor is, according to report,
literally sown with these devices. The
result is that, if the Russian fleet get )
out, maneuvers through its own mines
and gets back again without losing a
vessel it has played in great luck and
is entitled to a rest of a week or two.
Tt is not strange that they have NO
time to plan any moves against tho
Jananese when they have so much DIFF
fcuty in thinking about their mines
and how to avoid them.
9 4-"4~4HA,~A4-AA4-.4%4@4|>AM4 a -
the best way to secure the influence of
both Cleveland and Bryan but they
are going to take no chances on the ex-
President. They want his active sup.
port and they are assured they will
have 1t.
The campaign secret, so far as there
is secret, is that Mr.. Cleveland is held
back with the reserves. The skirmish.
ers are out with the vanguard now, but
he will come numbering up with the
heavy dragons. There will be another
letter from Mr.. Cleveland, and possibly
even a speech will be made in New Jer,
sey or in Illinois.
Mr.. Cleveland is very fond of ex
Controller Jimmie" Eckels, who is
now a bank president in Chicago. Mr.
Eckels has political ambition. He wants
to be Secretary of the Treasury som.
day. He has accepted the task o.
raising fun Is for the democratic cam
palgn in the west 1t may be that if g
speech under Eckels auspices viii fur
ther his prestige r. Cleveland will &C
out west to deliver it. The open ques
ton is whether the antagonism his pre-
sence in Chicago would excite among
the Bryan followers and the labor
unions would not do more harm thar
good to Parker's candidacy. This view
may cause the 3ronunciamento to bC
tended for the whole country. Chicago
would have some advantages, and l an
inclined to the opinion that Mr.. Eckel'
will be gratiiied by having the honor Of
presenting ex-President Cleveland t
the country as a campaign talker
There is no hurry and the democratic
campaign managers are quite conten
that Mr.. Cleveland should fish or hun
or do whatever he is at present engaged
in for while longer.
What would be of most interest nov
would be to have one OF the severa
New York newspapers which are saving
the country by shaping Judge Parker"
campaign get an interview from Mr.
Cleveland on the retirement of Davit
B. Hill from public life. That retire
ment is one OF the swiftest episodes II
political history In three days It 4
all over and Hilrs enemies are abusing
him worse than ever. If he had fxeC
the date at September 1 instead o
January l they would have been jus