The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-09-20
SURPRISE:
EXPRESSED BY JAPANESE
JOURNALS
AT ENGLISH ATTITUDE
Toward Japan Since Lao
Yang Battle.

Toxic, Sept 16--Uondon Times.)--
Leading Japanese journals are much
surprised at the change Of sentiment
reported to have been produced i'll
England by the news of the Lao
Yang battles. They observe that Jap
an is not fighting to win the applause
of the nations, but TO secure her own
existence and the peace of the far
east. She is therefore not greatly con-
cerned about the character of the esti-
mates of foreign peoples, but is deep
ly interested in the sentiment of Eng
land her ally to whom she owes so
much.
1t consequently becomes the duty of
Japan to consider, why the prospects
of the war are no longer considered by
the British people with the same con-
| fdence as previously.
The prime purpose of Japan in the
recent battle was, it is observed, to
drive the Russians out Of Lao Yang,
the richest town in Manchuria, and the
chief emporium of local supplies and
| food stuffs, and the principal strateg-
| ical base. Therefore Russia had
steadily concentrated her forces there
and constructed fortliCations, and
showed the unmistakable intention of
converting it into a permanent base.
| General Kuropatkin announced that
he hoped to make a successful stand
there and promised the car to fgh
the decisive battle from that position.
Not only were the Russians expelled
after many days hard fighting, with a
loss Of at least $4,000, but they were
also compelled to burn and abandon
ammunition and provisions in such
quantities that, to make good the loss,
will demand several months of work
on the Siberian railway.
Thus the strategical, material and
moral consequences of the battle were
most serious. 1t is true that the vic
| tory would have been more signal had
the Russians been enveloped and an
initiated, but such result could not
reasonably be expected where the
forces are nearly equal, and the Rus
SLAMS had the enormous advantage of
a position deliberately chosen and fort
flied by many months of labor
All this, it is remarked, is unques-
tionably appreciated by thoughtful
Englishmen. Nevertheless, London
dispatches suggest that, although Gen
eral Kuropatliin was driven out of
valuable position and signally defeat
ed, yet the British faith in Japanese
strategy has been shaken, and the
| final issue of the war in considered
more doubtful.
1t is surmised by the press here that
| it is not English opinion that has
changed, but the tone of the war cor
respondents who are thought to be dis
satisfied because they had not been
given large facilities. 1t is admit
ted that Japanese offlcialdom has not
shown the highest tact in the treat
ment of correspondents, some of
whom have nevertheless retained
their undiminished respect for the Jap
anese and impartiality for the authori.
ties. These correspondents perceive
that individual aims must be subor-
dinated to national interests. Others,
however, are gradually becoming in
imical and telegraphed statements
and appreciations which cannot pos
sibly have been based on actual OBJ
servation but have been necessarily
founded on hearsay and colored by
prejudice.
The Japanese journals express the
firm belief that the English nation
will not permit these accidents to
warp its judgment and undermine its
confidence in the Japanese arms.