The San Francisco call., 1904-04-27
Successful Tests of Sub
marine Boats at Port
Arthur.
Far East Stronghold Reports
That All Is Quiet at
Present.

ST. PETERSBURG, April 26.-It is
stated in railroad circles that the Cow
ernment has decided to double track
the Trans Siberian Railroad and that
Prince Khilkoff, Minister of Railroads,
has submitted to the Emperor an esti-
mate according to which this work can
be completed in eighteen months.
A telegram from Port Arthur says:
Experiments with submarine boats
here have been attended with brilliant
success. All is quiet in the region of the
fortress
The entrance into service of four sub
marine boats at Port Arthur means the
addition of new and formidable
weapon for defense of the stronghold.
The dispatch of the boats in sections
over the railroad has been shrouded
in secrecy and even to-day many in
st. Petersburg are inclined to doubt
the report by officials of their presence
at Port Arthur or to accept the in
formation as trustworthy. An effort
now TO close or blockade Port Arthur
Will be too dangerous, If is thought, for
Vice Admiral Togo to attempt.
The report that the Baltic fleet is to
leave Libau on Thursday for the East
is incorrect. Some of the ships are
going into commission and those being
completed cannot be finished before
July.
Vice Admiral Skrydloff, recently ap-
pointed commander of the Russian
naval forces in the Far East, to-day
visited the barracks of the naval
guard. Addressing the latter he made
his first public reference to the going
out of the Baltic fleet, saving:
Twenty-e eight years ago 1 went with
your predecessors to fight for the En-
peror's country against the Turks. 1t
is now the monarch's wish that l
Should lead you again, as commander
in chief of the fleet which you are
going to join on board the battleship
Alexander Ill"
CRITICIZES RUSSIAN NAVY.
The Novoe Vremya to-day contained
remarkably free criticism of the Rus
sian navy, as follows:
1T would be well to put an obelisk
in front of the admiralty inscribed Re
member Makaroff His death should
be the signal to destroy the old order
of things, of which he fell a victim
after heroically doing his best
with the defective weapons at
his disposal. Makaroff's death marks
new era for the Russian
navy. The old days, marked by
a muddle of carelessness and ineffi-
cheney, are over, and we have learned
our lessons.
The nation understands them just as
ha
the necessity Of reform of the per-
sonnel of the navy! The present sys-
tenn of promoting officers according to
the number of nautical miles they sail
may work well in a highly efficient
navy, but it is absurdly dangerous for
ours. where the capacities of officers
fuctuate. AS result, many of our
best officers are discouraged into re-
tirement.
The present war is unlike any pre-
vious war in that the whole nation is
following its phases with breathless
anxiety. Our nerves are strained much
as are those of the defenders of Port
Arthur. We weep over our reverses
and rejoice at the slightest success.
Like the English in the Boer war, we
are one of the greatest of the world
powers fighting a smaller one, and the
sentiment of patriotism overwhelms all
other considerations"
MAkAROFErS HARD TASK.
letter dated April 4, written by
Colonel Agapeieff, a member of the
staff of Vice Admiral Makaroff, who was
lost at the time of the Petropavlovsk
disaster on April 13. throws consider
able light on the conditions prevailing
at Port Arthur. He said:
"Our squadron suffers from the great
disadvantage of not being able to get
out of this harbor except at high tide,
which is especially awkward if it is
high water before dawn. The enemy
has not failed to profit thereby. COM
ing UP with impunity on the ebb tide
and attacking the whole morning if
the SQUADRON was inside. 1 mentioned
this to Makaroff, thinking he would
not take notice of it; but the next time
it was high water before daylight he
ordered the squadron out the previous
afternoon. by which he spoiled the Jap
anese game and also avoided the dan
ger of collision in going out narrow
entrance after dark
During the cruise to the Miaotao
Islands on March 25 we ovefhauled
four British steamers going to Yinkow