New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-04
NOTES ON THE VAR.

Those who sarcasticauy suggest that Japan
and Russia must be engaging in an international
peace conference instead Of war should take
into account a few things which they seem to
overlook in their desire for news OF big battle
every day. one Is that war between two such
powers as Japan and Russia Is tremendous
thing. and II would be madness to rush into II
precipitately. with all allowance for the de-
STABILITY OF striking swift and heavy blows. 1t
must be recognized that prudence and wariness
are essential not only 10 success but TO security
Again. II should be borne in mind that the
weather and all accompanying conditions are
very unfavorabe for operations on either land
or sea. Ten degrees OF FROST reported at
Port Arthur. That probably means I'D degrees
below freezing the CentiSrade scale which
would be II degrees above zero Fahrenheit
That is pretty cold weather for campaigning.
and up I'm Manchuria it is probably dozen
degrees colder. Rivers and harbors are clogged
with ice, and the coasts are fringed with H. As
for the roads, the best OF them are worse than
worst before our gospel OF good roads was
preached. \ third point is that We really do not
know how much may be going on Dehlhd the
i'm .netrable screen which the Japanese censor
ship interposes between the war and the world.
But after ALL IS the war tagging extraordina-
riIyP II does not seem to be Let US compare II
with our war with Spain. Diplomatic relations
between the United States and Spain were sew
cred on April 20. Eleven days later occurred
the battle Of Manila Bay. the first serious en-
gagement in the war. IL was not until May -,
or more than a month after the beginning OF the
war that the Spanish fleet was bottled up
at Santiago. Our troops were not landed IN
Cuba until June 10. and the real invasion OF
that island by General Shafter did not begin
until June 80. The first land battle occurred on
July 1, and Admiral Cervera's fleet came out
and was destroyed on July 3 Now Japan ana
Russia broke off relations on February D. ana
In the night OF February and morning OF
February o the Japanese disabled the Russian
fleet and bottled il up" at Port Arthur. ON
February also they destroyed two Russian
warships at ChemdpO. and landed twenty thou
sand soldiers in Corea. Now less than month
since the beginning OF the war. the japanese
have overrun the most Of Corea and have IN
vaded ManChuria and Siberia and invested /
VladivOstOk at the landward side Really, we
must regard that far more rapid action than
our own under far more difficult circumstances
The reports Of japanese landing on the ex-
IRENE northeastern coast OF COrea and their |
march inland are confirmed. 1t seems neon
ceivable that such an invasion by a compare !
lively small force could have any other object |
than to raid and destroy the Siberian railroad |
back OF VladivostOk. One landing place named !
is Song-Chin. $50 miles south OF the Tumen i
River. and one hundred miles from the nearest 4
point on the Manchurian frontier. But the only Il
road thence runs up to the Tumen and so on Il
10 the rear of VladivostOk. We are told they Il
landed at Song-Chin on February 10 Whether Il
by this time they could have got up TO Ninguta
may De doubted. But there have been other re-