The Irish standard., 1904-06-11
Ninety Days of War Forces Japan to Surrender
Sovereign Right to Collect Pub
lie Revenues.
Russia, on the Other Hand, Borrowed Three
Times as Much on the General
Credit of the Country.

with the transfer of operations from
sea to land-which Japan must follow
up in order to invade Russia-the con-
ditions change. ADMIRAL TOGO
WITH HIS FLEET was able to run
from Chemulpo to Port Arthur in
twenty-four hours; General Kuroki, of
the Japanese army, was nearly sixty
days marching from the same place,
Seuol, to the Yalu river, less than half
the distance, one being about 24O
miles and the other about 1875. This
serves to illustrate the difference be.
tween marching army and steam
ing fleet, and at the same time proves
the truth of Napoleon's famous declur-
alton that IAN army moves on it's
belly" an experience he encountered
while invading Russia. If Japan is
to derive any advantage from it's ex-
pensive bombardment and investment
of Port Arthur and it's successful land
ing ut the Yalu river. it must follow
Russia into the interior. Every mile
thus advanced finds Russia that much
nearer the base of it's supplies and
Japan an equal distance further away,
Japan's army advances OH foot, while
that of Russia moves by rail. EACH
ARMY MUST BE FED. and each
must carry it's forage with it. While
General Kuroki was covering 125
miles with 100000 men in Korea on
foot. General Kuropatkin covered
$500 miles with 100000 men by rail.
This advantage. instead of diminish
ing as the war progresses. will i'll
crease in favor of the Russian forces.
The nearer the Russian forces get to
Harbin, the actual Russian base of
supplies, the harder it will be for
Japan to follow, for it is conceded that,
if Russia is forced to retreat it will
not only destroy the railroad as it goes
back, but the food supply as well,
thus forcing Japan's army not only to
walk, but to carry its supplies with
it. If the unexpected should happen
not to say the impossible-and Russia
should find it eXpedient to abandon
both Port Arthur and Vladivostok, and
destroy the railroad connecting be-
tween both places with Harbin, as it
certainly would, it could still break
Japan by compelling it to keep it's en-
tire army in the field as defensive
measure, thus robbing it of the peace
full fruits of occupation and at the
same time burdening it with hopeless
debt
Under the general rules of interna-
tional warfare, Japan, in order to earn
or acquire an indemnity, must either
seize Russian territory or else force a
surrender. Manchuria, being Chinese
territory, is not subject to seizure;
neither are the cities of Dalny or Port
Arthur beyond the movable improve
ments thereon, including the railroad.
all of which Russia will destroy if
necessary; so that Japan, even though
it continued to occupy Manchuria after
it ceased to be within the war zone.
could gain no advantage therefrom.
The nearest avilable Russian territory
Is more than six hundred miles dis
: tant at Viadivostok. and this port is
closed by ice for four months in the
year, thus rendering it useless as Il
naval base. Immediately behind it is
Siberia, where Russia has it's railroad,
its food supplies and its army of Cos
sacks, who would ask no higher privi-
lege than that of waging constant war
fare against the Japanese. There will
be no peace in the Orient until Japan
sues for it, and no intervention by the
other powers except that of forcing
Japan to vacate the neutral territory
of Manchuria as soon as it ceases to
be in the war zone. Japan is not at
war with China, and cannot therefore
either seize or buy it's territory.
This is the view that the money
lenders Of England take of the sit,a-
ton. and, while it is not in accord with
: the view expressed through the papers
owned by those same money lenders.
it is the correct one. One of the coun-
cilors Of Japan declared, at the very