The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-30
JOHN F, BASS TELLSOF
XPfRIENCES IN FIELD
{Continued from page u


continue the war
Mr.. Bass brings out one point very
strongly which is Disadvantage TO
the Japanese. He doubts that the
japanese admiral has been able TO re-
place the big guns on his vessels with
new ones The life of a gun is practi-
cally at an end after being fired a
limited number of times. In this event
Togo would have to. match his old guns
against the newer, but untried guns
of the Russian admiral.
eff the Baltic fleet arrives in the In
land Sea- said Mr.. Bass last night
aboard the steamship Siberia, 1.-The
japanese will be compelled to meet it.
That viii give the Russian vessels now
lying in Port Arthur an opportunity
to repair and make an effort to get
out of the harbor. The Japanese may
thereby be harassed from all sides.
Japan says she has lost one battleship.
I believe. she has lost two, thereby
weakening her sea force measurabiy.
TT is my belief, however. that the
Russian fleet viii not show up we'll,
but if by any chance the Russian fleet
is an effective force there will be a
severe battle, and in case the Japanese
fleet is disabled Port Arthur can again
be revictualled and renamed. all that
she, needs to make her once again an
impregnable fortress. 5
''The fall of Port Arthur and the de-
feat of the Baltic fleet will not neces-
sarfly end the war. The Russians will
fight on ami contest every inch of
ground. The time may come when the
powers will intervene. Both these
nations are lighting on territory not
treaty rights there and some day they
may step in and say, You have had
time enough TO settle your difficulties,
now set out.
st Go not think the experts believe
the war will revolutionize military mat
ters. The Japanese have brought mill
tary arts to perfection of which they
may be proud. They have not been
creative, but they have fol-
lowed to. the letter the text books on
tactics. Their officers have studied the
science of war in every detail, and they
nave been able to make their knowledge
practicable in the field.
THE Japanese army is a splendid or
yanization. I think the Japanese army
S as well organized as any in the world.
don't mean to say that the japanese
nfantfynan is the best in the world. I
1on't consider him, individually, su-
oerior to our American infantrynlaia
But as "a body of men trained together
hey are about perfect.
For instance, they take advantage, of
he ground they are fighting over.
They have no set or fixed way Of de-
,loying over any piece of ground. Ihe-
soldier or body of soldiers adapts the,s
ground to his needs. They advance at
he outset in a strong line. Then when
he firing becomes heavy, the men stop
md groups run forward and drop;
mailer groups of these again advance
lie is joined by another and these two
orm a new nucleus which begins firing
IN the enemy. The Russians on the
,ther hand make an attack, and if it
loes not succeed they fail back.
You cannot give too great praise in
he management of the japanese artil-
cry. They had 1000 yards less range
han the Russians at Iiaoyang, but tln-
"A
pieces into position and opened up
errific fire on the Russians, nonplus-
ing them.
Then the management of the whole
rmy. Our division, Kuroki's, had
bout 10000 men. You would hardly
now you We're in the midst of an army.
he force was scattered about in little
illages, a half company here and half
here, making little noise and seeming
eaceable in their pursuits. But when
ou know the army is to move you can
ratch from a road and see it assem-
ling at night, silently, hardly whis-
er and little noise outside the creak-
lg of the artillery wheels.
II consider the japanese weak point
) their strategy. In other words 1t
oes not seem to me they have the men
. conceive great ideas. 1t is the |
erfect details of the organization of
he army and the execution of plans |
-hich shows them in a fine light. II |
the contrary with the Russians. |
he army is disorganized and the line |
Ulcers are very inferior and they don't |
now their business. They have the, |
d tradition that an officer must be 8
evil of fellow, a gambler and drink
1.-THE Russians don't know how to OPP
ate in the face of an enemy. At the
alu the Russians gave their worst ex-
bition of field tactics, but at Liaoyang
e noticed they had been improving
actually, and it showed they had been
hipped into line by masterful hand
hen Kuropafkin was able to retire
ON Liaoyang without serious losses
showed he had accomplished really
feat.
"Kuropatkin has whipped his army
ITO line to fight well on the defen-