The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-20
Japan Realizes That Land, Not
Sea, Is Russia's Natural
u Element.
Many Weeks May Pass Before
There Is Actual Fighting in
A. Manchurias
Korea Already Virtually Part OF
Japanese Empire-Both Will
Profit.
By Frederick Palmer.

bY FTGuGTlCh { d1lu0As
Golfers Correspondent with tho Japanese Zen.
eral Staff Published In advance pS speoia
--.nasro.nt With Golfers Weekly. Copy
night, 1904.
Toxic. March live have re-
ceiyed the first home papers with ac-
counts of the early days OF the War'
They convince US OF what we nao sup
posed from the first: that New YORK
and London are tar more excAIea o'ei
the war than TOXIC.
It takes Imagination for any dWeiler
in this peaceful town to realize thar
he is in the capital OF g. nauon en-
gagged in the most stupendous strug-
gle of modern times. ,
asst week I wrote that we were still
waiting; this week I write the same.
Nominally, at least the correspond
ents have made little progress: Inc
general staff has selected five Amer1-
can and eight British correspondents, |
who are to proceed to the front as a |
first contingent |
But many weeks may pass before
we see any fighting. The winter cam,
paign, which delighted the fearful
fancy Of some Of the runor-rnongers
on the China coast, seems no more IN
the domain Of military practice In the
orient than In the occidenI
Winter War Suits Japan.
A war begun in winter was quite
rnexpected to the Russian navy,
which we now know was thoroly TAX
en- by surprise. war begun IN
winter serves the Japanese army, be-
cause Japan can make better use OF
the intervening time ne Ell ore s,ni tn
weather permits actual caHpalsiAAiis
than Russia can.
With the warm days Of April, Japan
will be ready to strike on land. VIII
Russia be ready to receive the dow
Action will come in as quick sequence
oa5 xuitb little warning as tnOS6 OIL
The city was no sooner empty of
one lot Of reservists than another ap-
peared. In the last few days we nave
seen a repetition OF the scenes OIL LIE
first week Of the war.
Another army has sprung out OF
kimonos into blouses. Many OF the
members are veterans. Inc meoals
which they wear tell of battles against
the Chinese in 1894-95.
They will assist to make again tne
conquest Of ground which they once
won. Some Of them are stopped with
hard labor, but, even more than the
Younger men who have gone berore
them, they perhaps have the au Iaa:
ried, and, Of course, being Japanese,
have large families. .-.
Dispatches Are Cut.
Nothing Is more significant OF
where the news In the nome papers
comes from than the infrequency and
the brevity Of the dispatches from
Toxic.
The cable correspondent never saw
how his dispatches were sent. Inc
authorities cut out whatever they
thought undesirable, and, with these
eltminations, whether 1t made sense
or not. the dispatch was sent.
No rnalignity was intended by this,
for Japan Is unused to a censorship
being a free country and having none
In time Of peace.
When the cable correspondent
pointed out the unfairMess of the
method, they expressed their willing
ness to remedy 1t.
An arrangement Is to be made asle
whereby the writer may see the
elisions, and at least MAKE sense o.
The truth Is that there Is little tC
send in Toxic except facts and off1cia
reports. You can hear more rumors
in an hour In Shanghai than in {
week here.
Probably the spread heads give NJ
one more satisfaction than the Off
GERS Of the general staff. Anyth1n,
that leads to confusion Of informa
ton serves their purpose--the genera
staff working so quietly, so quietly, 81
quietly.
Japanese Not Overconfldent.
What Is now most impressive t
the foreigner Is that the citation o
victory has left no aftermath of over
confidence. Before the naval engage
ments the Japanese asked themselve
the question, What If Russia shout
win on the sea?"
They took all possibilities into cor
sideration. Now that the sea Is clea
now that the first premise Is assured
they do not look to easy victories o
the land.
have talked with no intelliger
Japanese who did not fully realiz
that the land, not the sea, was tE
Russians natural element.
The Japanese expect carnage
Manchuria; nothing more or less. The
are counting upon gigantic battles an
heavy losses. :,
They go to their work with tt
grim determination of one to who
across the railway behind Port A
thur by the first of July, as many
their admirers expect that they wi
without an appalling list Of dead al
wounded, the average officer will
surprised. Perhaps the general ste
will not be.
we fancy that Kodama knows a
He knows not only where the Ian
ings will be made, but where the ba
ties will be fought.
Japs as Spies.
The Japanese officers dressed
Chinese, who are actlng as spl
must keep the general staff inform
as to every Russian movement.
They can slip back into Korea
Niu-chuang with their news, ana on
it is in Japanese territory 1t flies oH
a wire held exclusively for cover
ment purposes. 1t Is impossible TO,
Russian to be spy in Japan.
This land of 45.000,000 tnhabital
Is like club; only members
get past the doorkeeper. The Int
1 iigent work Of the general staff. Il
most Of the inside history OF the W
will never be written.
No one knows the names Of
three officers whom the Russis
hanged for an attempt to dynam
a bridge No one knows how ma
others are now playing some n
ardous part under the Russian fl