The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-04-07

ieft arthur mas been shown, on
the occasion OF the recent attacks by
the Japanese fleet. 20 be most DIFF
fieult place 10 defend. unless protect
ed by friendly fleet outside.
once that fleet has 90 retire with
In the inner basins OF the waterway.
IL becomes useless for scouting pur-
poses, and II only source Of dan
ser 10 itself within. as. In the event
OF bomhardment. the want OF space
In the harbor compoln all vessels to
lie close 70 one another. making a
better target for the high-anglc fire
OF the attacking force.
Port Arthur 10 well defended II the
number Of forts and their position
count for anything. but In the first
/ place the guns are not heavy enough
to keep an enemy az n distance. and
the weather r. often too boisteroun
10 admit Of ships lying out far
enough 10 act as first line OF de-
/ Tense. The hiEh position OF the
shore batteries admits OF small craft
coming up Ia the darkness Of the
night under the Russian fire. as
/ doubtless the japanese torpedo boats
/ did In the first attack. with perfect
safety. for the guns could not ponai-
bly, be depressed sufficiently to reach
them.
Another defect IN the defensea Of
/ the port are that the forts are too
/ close 70 one another.
/ Those tuahore doubtless receive
any shells that are meant for those
on the immediate Sea border II the
range be too great They are. more
over. placed 40 close 60 the town.
shipping and harbor that a ricoehet
/ from the fort would probably land
IN the town. or n the direction %
the shell wero correct. q might hit
either the fort on one side. the town
In the middle. az did actually occur.
or the fort or railway on the other
side.
II was doubtless for this renvou
that the yieetoy ava his BEST to r.
move sill business houses and SHOPS
OF every description 20 T'alten- Wan.
ard l. another reason. together with
the food question for the present
exodus Of both civilians and troops.
| The japanese showed great judy
msrt in not pressing their reesns
attacks on Port Arthur any farther
than they did. for 90 endeavar g.
take the place BY assault % arms
| would Be All impossible feat. a. fact.
the only sides on which an entrance
could possibly be effected would be
on the north side. BY which the ruiI-
way approaches the town. and on
The vest. owing "a the nature % the
| high range Of HIN. on the other
sides. II would DO equally lrngo~si-
bic 10 make n boat attack by the en-
trance To the harhor. for there are
small batteries on either side which
could play a murderpus croasftre on
the safrsnoe and be themselves quite
under cover
The laying % mines round the en-
trance TO the harbor presents very
serious difficulties. as the passage n
very short. and you az once come 20
open sea with strong currents and
/ deep water. So that. AZ has been
| proved. the dangerous game of iay-
Ina mines would have been better
left undone By the Russians a, Port
/ Arthur.
Another great weakness IN the de-
| Tense. and n point that al persons
/ having authority should look 20
when choosing position 70 defend
which doubtless weighed heavily
with the japanese when they gave
/ up Port Arthur-is that. n the town
were properly Invested from all
sides. which could BE- easily done,
/ there would be no means Of beating
retreat
This II n lesson the vicsroy has
svideutIy taken 70 heart before u is
too late In moving HIS headquarters
to Hardin or Mukdsu. as has been
reported. and leaving only a few
thousand troops In Port Arthur: for
/ II the defense canno; be maintained
| by means OF the heavy guns. the
small arms would undoubtedly fail
as well.
Tha japanese. having already
taken the place by assault with con-
siderable ioss when held by the Chit
nsss. are not going 20 run their
heads into another moose by losing
a number OF valuable lives. when
they know well that the feet can
| both hold Port Arthur and prevent
the issue BY land Of large bodies Of
troops. once the Russian fleet IL
/ locked up In the harbor. by plarinE
their own fleet on either side Of the
peninsula along which the railway
runs. II being possible 10 command
the neck Of the peninsula from either
side.
A peculiar feature Of the Russian
defense at Port Arthur IL the his
tory attached 20 some % the heavy
guns which are M present in the
forts. These guns were sold origin
ally 10 the Chinese nuthoritls by =
German firm. shortly before the
Boxer trouble. when the Chinese
were buying arms on every avail
able occasion They bought on the
thrse-yeag system. paid 80 much
down, and the balance divided be-
tween the second and third year.
The firm had TO pay the regular
"cumshaw" TO the lower officials out
Of the money they received the first
year. The guns were delivered al
/ once and deposited In the Hhiku
arsenal, where Admiral Sir Edward
Seymour made his grand stand with
his wounded when returning from hts
futile endeaevor 10 rescue the Peking
legations. Some of these guns were
not even unpacked. Before the sec
ond and third installments we're paid
fighting began. and the guns were
captured by the allies and handed
/ over TO the Russians for custody.