New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-08
NOTES ON THE WAR.

The Japanese fleet. or a good pnrt OF it, re-
mains in evidence near Port Arthur. keeping
guard over what is left OF the Russian fleet
That is reported in various dispatches The Rus
sian ship Peresviet's sighting OF the enemy IN
Kwang- T1lng waters yesterday meant that
and nothing more. Kwang-Tung is simply the
tin OF the Regents Sword peninsula, from Dalny
down. and 'eKwang-TunS waters might mean.
therefore. in front OF Port Arthur or around In
Pigeon Bay. II is TO be assumed that It meant
the former. for It is exceedingly doubtful If the
Peresviet. or any Russian battleship. has ven
tuered ont OF Port Arthur far 10 get
around into the Gulf OF IiaO-Tuug. That the
Rayan has been thirty miles out is not surpris-
ing for that vessel is a light. handy cruiser
capable Of making twenty-five knots IN hour'
and thus able to run away from dPnger with
which It Is not strong enough to cope.
Meantime. with Admiral ToEos lighting ships
on guard off Port Arthur. the japanese are free
to use the yellow Sea and Corce Bay as high
way for tho transportation Of troops and sup
plies toward Manchuria. We pointed out the
other day in this column the probability that
japanese transports would soon appear In the
estuary Of the YaIu River. IL is now intinated
that they have done SO. Nhicn s.orc the latlI l.
ing will be made upon is not yet known Dut IL
will probably be upon the Corean side, AT least
at first But their arrival in those waters makes
It practically certain that there IS no CPhsld.
cradle force Of Russians or the Corean side or
the river.
Indeed II is not at all sure that many Rus
SLAMS are tarrying upon the Mancnuran bank
Of the Yalu We are told that the first line OF
defence against the japanese. selected by Cen
eral Kuropatkin. is near FengWang- Cheng.
That place is about thirty miles northwest from
the Yalu. II It is really there that the first
stand is 20 be made. Il must be that the Halu
is TO be abandoned by the Russians.
For such change OF base by the RUSSIANS
two good reasons conceivable. one IL that
General Kuropatkin realizes that the line Of
the YaIu would be difficult, IL not impossible,
10 hold because the Russians there would be
exposed to the attacks Of both the army and
navy Of japan Substantial fortihcations armed
with large guns, like those OF Port Arthur, may
defy feet But hastily imrrov!sed entrench-
ments fitted with nothing but Hight field guns
cannot do so. Japanese gunboats could steam
up the Yalu and play havoc with the Russian
army its bank cooperating With the japan
army in the most effective way.
The other reason is disclosed in the repeated
rirnor of a japanese landing at Taku-Shan.
That place is on the Manchurian shore. thirty
or forty miles west 81 the Yalu River. and
about the same distance south Of Feng-W Wang
Cheng Now, II the Russians remained at An
Tung on the Yalu. the Japanese at Taku Shan
would menace them ut the rear and thus put
them In q bad fix between two fires. But ct
-Wang-Cheng the Russians Will avoid that
predicament. They VIII be at one angle of an
e1uilateral triangle, with n Japanese army at
each Of the other angles. 1t IS quite possible
that General KuTopatlin may then hurl himself
with all force against of the Japanese
armies alone and crush 81. before the other can
ion it-after the manner OF Napceon Bona
parte II not he viii avoid being caught be
tween two fires, but viii compel his two antag-
CRISIS to come on together ard attack him at
the same side. and moreover. to do go at u point
where they get assistance from their
fleet