The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-13
THE RUSSIANS
WERE TOO SURE
STORY OF A MAN WHO WAS AT
PORT ARTHUR.
They Were Not Prepared for Defeat,
Either by Land or by sea-Rivalry
Between Russian Army and Navy
A "Lesson" to Be Taught the Pre-
sumptuous Japs.


The first blow in the great war was
prise. To the residents in the fortress
at Port Arthur it was not compre-
hensib1e, says correspondent of the
London Times, writing from Niu-
chuang. 1t Is even reported that a
naval officer on shore in the New
Town, when his attention was directed
to the firing on the port, remarked
arily: "Ah, they are carrying OUT
some night maneuvers. Such thfngs
must be; for some day, perhaps, we
shall have to deal with the Japanese
and so back to bed" as an observant
recorder would have said.
The Russians, naval and military,
underest1mated the fighting qualified
Of the enemy and were overconf1deni
or success, boasting that an easy vic.
tory would be theirs. They have
never expected or prepared for defeat,
sl1ner at sea or on land, and know not
how to remedy the damage their ships
have sustained, and are slow to learn.
For instance, the Retvizan, which in
the torpedo attack had a hole twenty-
two feet by fourteen feet made on the
port bow, and seven compartments
nlled with water, sank Just as she was
backed on shore. After she had been
patched, the tide still rose and fell in
the hold, but the Russians believed
that by pumping she could be made
to float. After seven days she was dis
covered to be settling deeper and
sistance of Mr.. Gilchrist, a. Scotch
marine engineer, was sought; but
there were no facilities available for
raising the ship, and the authorities
could not agree as to those which
should be tmprovised. The cons
mander Of the ship, the admiral Of the
port and the admiral of the fleet are
equally interested in saving the vessel.
but. while one will not have a hole
made in the side of the ship in order
to pump out the water just above the
water line, instead Of raising 1t twenty
feet, or tighten the ship by removing
anchors, cables, guns and turret, an
toons and the third is powerless. The
Czarevitch, too broad to be locked
and too badly injured to be kept
af1oat indefinitely, by constant pumps
ing, is to be temporarily repaired In
mud dock. to be specially constructed
as soon as the authorities are agreed
on matters of detail.
The fleet, since it's beginning the
envy of the army, has proved, as .arny
officers foretold, weak defense and
an Intellectual offensive weapon. The
jealousy and rivalry of the two
L.,
humored nor assumed; it is bitter,
deep-seated and sincere It has been
intensified locally by the manning of
land forts and naval gun crews. The
army officers resent this assumption
of their work by men who have not
proved themselves successful in their
own branch Of the service, and the
naval officers retort by comparing
army men with mujiks who can not
distinguish a Chinese junk from a.
Japanese man-of-war.
One other point may be worthy Of
mention. The much-vaunted Co.'S
sack Is held to be not only the best
Of scouts, but 50 indefatfgable that,
If told to convey a message to a place
he has never visited, he will succeed
by reason Of his special training,
Returning from the new to the old
town one midnight, / was accosted
by a Cossack messenger, who told me
that he had searched in vain for the
chief telegraph office, and that, If T
could not find it for him, he would
have to wait until daylight. Any Of
the watchmen in his vicinity could
have led him there as easily as I did,
had they not been so thoroly Russian
to all his questtons-and that was an
answer the Cossack was content I'd
take.
In about a week Port Arthur has
recovered much of its customary
gayety. The officers obtained, OF
took shore leave, the restaurants were
thronged with well-dressed women az
well as men. Japan has not yet
wounded deeply the self-esteem Of the
Russian. He is even now more
confident of victory than he was be.
fore. It is right; we are at war,
japan will be taught a, lesson she will
never forget-such are the words Of
men who belong to a race which the
present generation has not yet
learned the first word of the lessons
with which 1t threatens Japan. But
the boastings Of idleness, the insins
cerity-all are the junior officers only.
The really responsible men, those In
high positions. now know, If they did
not realize before, how dangerous the
position Of the Russian empire in the
far east has become and how slight ID
the hold she has upon the territory
she believed she had acquired WITH
her railway concessions outside thS
great wall Of China.