New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-21
NOTES ON THE WAR.

japanese scouting parties. and the capture OF
some Of the latter, may well be true The Incl
dent occurred in Corea. but at what point in
thar country does not appear. We may assume
ii 10 have been in the northwestern part, how
ever. near the lower reaches OF the Yalu River
CT somewhere between the Yalu and Ping-Tang
The ca lures uades 10y the Russians included
some maps and memoranda, which may give the
captors information 20 the whereabouts Of
gre japanese army, concerning which there has
bael much uncertainty Of late, or they may mis-
lead them. II the japanese are planning some
strategic game they quite capable Of let
ting some OF their men get captured purposely,
with misleading plans and data in their pock-
etc
The latest news OF the Japanese feet is that
it was seen cruising off Port Arthur Thurs
day. 1t is to be supposed that It is keeping
close guard over that place, partly to prevent
any Russian ship from escaping and partly TO
watch for an opportunity Of striking another
blow at the Russian feet. But that is probably
now a mere side issue Of the campaign. The
chief operations are in progress elsewhere. and
thus far are 50 carefully guarded that nobody
outside has got an linking OF them.
There IS no cause for surprise in the state
ment that the people Of Northern Corea are
showing a friendly attitude toward the Russians.
The Coreans and japanese were for centuries
traditional and bitter enemies. and there is
probably little love between them ct this day.
IN their a-tairs ten Years aCo was Tor her own
good. and not uuspdshly for theirs and they
know that she IS opposing Russian conquest OF
the peninsula now chiefly for her own sake
II current reports lie true. the war has already
resulted in one great good TO Russia and TO
the world. We are told that the Gar had de-
creed the free opening Of Russia FOR the send
inr OK Of news The military censorship over
technical war news Will OF course be maintained.
he
correspondents win he free TO send oct all other
news without submission to the censor. That
VIII be ireetimably profitable 10 Russia herself,
for Il VIII put her In her true light before other
nations. Hitherto she has been largely a sealed
book 20 the rest OF the world. She has COM
has given the world no opportunity to Judge her
more Justly. on the basis Of fuller and more
certain knowledge. Now We shall be able to
know what is really going or m Russia, ana thus
go understand that vast realm FAR more per-
fectly than before. Now, & only the Car would
take anoiGer step. the loElcal sequence 10 the
one he has taken. and abolish The censorship I'm
The other direction. so that all the news OF
the rest Of the world might enter Russia freely
and be published there. Then Russia would un-
derstar5 the rest q the world IL viii un-
Gersta1d her and in such mutual acquaintance
there woul- be great good for both.
How much need there Is Of a fuller under
standing between Russia and other nations. and
how strangely erroneous some Russian opinions
have been, may he seen in recalling some Rus
sian uttersrces made only a few days before
the way began Thus a Russian general declared
that there are uinety-fve chances out Of one
hundred in favor Of peace. The japanese are
uot strong enough 10 enter into serious strug-
gle with Russia, rot even with the support OF
England and the United States The japanese
boast Of being able 70 land two hundred thou
sand men in the Gulf Of Pe-Chi-Li. There are
not ships enough ia the seas Of China and Japan
% r- Er-r -
the same time prominent Russian diplomat
expressed the confident conviction that Japan
was merely "bluftng' and trying 10 frighten
Russia subsequent events have shown the fatal
error IF such views. We may C0ncede that they
NeTe s!lSeIt- bul men uley must nave been
inspired 10y gross mlsinfornatlon or mlsappre-
heuSiOu. Nobody in America Great Britain
supposed that japan was "bluffng,' or at that
date supposed the chances were IN favor OF
peace.
The raaseing % a considerable Chinese army
at shan-Hai-Kwan VIII be not only permissible
but even desirable under the Chinese neutrality
proclamation. a neutral nation has right to
guard its borders against incursions by eithe-
bellige~ent, and IS indeed practically required
20 prevent either o. them from using its terri
tory a base Of operations. Shan-I Iai-Ky wan
is just on the border line between AIanchuria
and Pe-Chi-Li; between. that is 10 say, the part
n China that IS recognized as belicere II ground
ana the part mat under Secretary Hays propo-
sltiCu, is 10 bc respected neutral There could
! be no good excuse for either Russians or Jap
anese penetrating or landing in China south OF
that point But there can be no offence TO
either q them IN Chna's putting an army there
1 10 see 10 II that no struggling bands cross the
! frontier.
in dearth OF tidings of new battles, the cor
/ respondents are fighting over again the battle
/ Of Chemulpo. All accounts seem 10 agree IN
this. that the Russians acted with splendid
courage and thar the American built cruiser
NarlaE showed herself TO be all that a captain
could desire. But the Russian valor was met
With equal valor and with probably more ell
cheney, and the Nariag WIS confronted with
ships that outweEhed her IN fighting strength.
As for the conduct Of the warships cf other
nations which were there both before and after
the battle as well as during II, there Is some
thing that appeals 70 the Imagination in the
cheering which some Of them gave to the Rus
SLAMS, and ia the euccOr which they gave: but
there is also strong appeal 10 the approval
~ sound judgment in strict neutrality, in both
speech and action. observed by the American
ship NicksbUrg alone Of all the spectators.