The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-02-05
Japan Chances and Russia 5
~ "a dno ne Stephen Bonsal
u5ANAS@A In Kansas City Star
In Kansas City Star

6olleH lHlo WORKING order TOT a spring
campaign; if it could it would certainly
prove immensely s~erviceable.
Korea, which would furnish the battle
field at least in the preliminary stages of
a struggle, is a beautiful country, hilly,
mountainous, well wooded and we'll wa
tered. To the American it looks more
like home, more like the middle states,
western Massachusetts and western Mary
land than any other Asiatic country. 1t
is exceedingly healthy and very fertile;
otherwise the 10000, 900 Koreans who lead
such dronelike eXistences would die of
starvation.
Pages might be, and indeed lave been,
filled with statistics as to the naval and
military resources of the great antago-
nists, but I think hat statistics count for
rather less on the east coast of Asia than
anywhere else. When you read that the
Russian military strength on a peace
footing is more than 1000, 900 and on a
war footing more than 5000, 000, you think
that the powers ought to interfere in be-
half of little Japan, SO obviously over
matched.
But after all the battalions should only
be counted that can be brought on the
firing line. Today If Admiral Alexieff can
dispose of 200, 600 men he will consider him
self exceedingly lucky, and he knows that
in view of her imperial obligations in 9TH
er quarters Russia cannot spare more
than 3O0, COO more men to defeEd her far
eastern possessions.
*~
The outside limit. l take it then, of Rus
sia's fighting strength on the Pacific is
5OO,0O men. Now, Japan can put in the
field as many men as that, and more.
They would not be as perfectly equipped
as Was the selected division of %, 900 men
that was sent to the relief Of Picking, but
they would be fresh, well drilled and in
diligently equipped troops, who would
have the advantage of reaching the battle
ground after a two days journey, while
the Russians achievements will have
starved and suffered in q journey half
way round the world.
So far as land forces are concerned the
Japanese at the beginning of the war will
outnumber the Russians at least two to
one, and it is very doubtful whether this
initial superiority will ever be quite equal
lied. | have no doubt that if war occurs
tomorrow the Russian fleet will avoid a
conflict with the Japanese fleet and take
refuge in the naval bases at Port Arthur
and Nladivostock.
These great fortresses will be defended
by the silent engineer officers of the
school OF Todleben, whose names never
get INTO the papers,, and General Wogack,
the man who saved Tien-Tsin, who has
served twenty-five years in the far east
and knows every nook and corner of the
country as ne does the palm of his hand,
will be turned loose with a corps of Cos
sacks TO harass the tanks of the invad-
ing army.
here the weakness of the Japanese In
cavalry VIII become apparent. The Rus
slams have in the 200, 900 men which con-
stltute, l estimate it, their first line of
defense, $4,000 of the best and NOSE en-
during cavalrymen that the world has
ever seen.
At a pinch they are, as 1 can testify.
men who can subs.st on peanuts. and
ponies that can live on peanut shells. And
then every man in the Russian Siberian
army Is trained to fight on foot or in the
saddle. The infantry mount and become
cavalry; the Cossacks dismount and he
come infantry.
every man OF the 1000 o is horsed, and
we'll horsed, with the exception of the gar
lison artillery. For three years past Ad-
1nlral AleXleff has had in his magazines
everything that was necessary for carry
ing OH a six months war, even should he
pc completely isolated from Russia and
Europe. Everything is there, even to the
nay TO subslst the horses for that period
OF une. VI course, whether these sup
plies could be successfully distributed to
where they are needed Will depend upon
the intelligence, or want of it, with which
the first japanese blows are struck.
line Japanese army is apparently in
splendid condition; everything is ready
doWn>to the buttons on the CATERS. but az
a hsntlng machine against white men
tley nave no record at all; they have
lnelr record to make; and they are, per-
maps, unduly puffed up by their easy VIC
tories over ~disorganized Chinese. One of
the princes Of the blood will nave the
nom1nal command, probably Prince Ari-
singaWa or Prince Komastu, but actual
responsibility will devolve not upon the
old bow and arrow soldiers, but upon the
new school; upon Lieutenant General
rukuslil1na ana his leutenants, Aoki,
Shloa and Sato, who gave us a taste OF
their quality in the Pekin expedition.
An estimate of the nava strength of the
opposing power is even more visionary
than one as to the land force. The figures
show that Japan is greatly superior in
tonnage and weight of guns and in up-to.
date armament and armor to the ships
which the Russians have in their Siberian
laval division.
Eighteen months ago the finest battle.
snip that Japan possessed was sent tc
kurihama to salute the American feet. in
the water where Admiral Perry. the
grandfather Of Admiral Rogers in com.
mand of the Asiatic squadron, first an.
chored and negotiated his treaty. After
the celebration was over we visited the
Japanese battlesh.p and believe the
opinion of such experts as Admiral Rod.
gers and Captain Mackenzie and Admira,
Curzon-Howe and Captain Pe.cy Scott OF
the British navy, who were present, was
unanimously to the effect that the jap
anese battleships were the smartest ant
apparently the best Equipped as engines O,
destruction of any in the world, The of
fcers and men appeared to be certa.nl,
very intelligent and Of course thew are
brave, as are all Japanese. But in thu
shock of battle, what will they do? VIII
they be cool and calm and collected, euua
to the many emergencies that will inevi
tably arise? The Japenese are new to bat
t!eships and they are toys that demand
experience as we'll as study to run well.
The Siberian division of the Russian
navy has been tremendously strengthened
in the last twelve months, and many O
the obsolete cruisers that gave thei
squadron, an old-fashioned appearance
AVE been sent to Europe or have beer
broken up. The physique of both officer
and men Is magnificent; I should say. su
perior to that Of any other navy in tn
world.
I read a very learned review last wecl
written by an English expert, which SAT-
that the sailors and machinists and tn
gunners were Of very poor quality, witt
the exception of a few Firms AS a mat
ter Of fact the Siberian division is manne,
entirely by Firms and men from the othe
Baltic provinces. They seem to knoy
their business very well, and the warran
officers particularly have always inspire