New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-18
NOTES ON THE VAR.

The supreme value Of sea power il strikingly
shown in the present war. Having secured con-
troll Of the sea, the japanese can menace or
actually invade the enemy's country at any
point on the coast OF at several points stimuli
taneousIy. They move an attacking force
from one point TO another by sea with an ease
and CELEBRITY no land force can hope TO rival
Moreover. they can keep the enemy IN igno-
rance OF their movements and thus plan e1ec-
tive surprises Thus we learn that the japanese
have been putting troops into Corea At Masan-
pho at the south. at Wonsan at the east and at
Cbeuaulpo at the west. all at the same time.
Also. at the same time. they have been menac-
ing Port Arthur. the estuary OF the 1alu kiFer'
and several places on the IG i OF - ro,,iJ
Was II Boyle Roche who said no man Cou !a
be in two places at once unless ne was pro-
The japanese seem to be whole HOOK OF olrdS-
While the Russians have apparently kept
their attention fixed upon the Yalu River. there
has from the first seemed a likelihood that the
Japanese would try some interesting tricks IN
another quarter. The persistent runors Of then
activity on the Gulf Of Leao-Tong are more than
plausible. II is 70 be observed that Chin-Wang-
Tao and -Ifai-Kwan. where they were said
% have made some demonstrations. are at the
southern end Of Manchuria, Just north of the
Great Wall. and so Just within the bellgerent
Railway lies close 20 the shore. ana II runs
thence directly north and east 20 Hsin-NlnS-
Ting. near Moukden. where japanese paJrois
are reported TO have been espied by the nus
slams The objects Of such movement would
be unmista kahle. They would be 10 cut the
Nanchurian railroad north Of Port Arthur, $50
late the latter place and menace It at the rear
and also menace at the rear the l;Csslan army
which is supposed TO be near the 4alu River
French official reports indicate japanese and
Ing al The head OF the Gulf OF Leao-Tong, some
where near New-Chwang. Such landing would
have the same objects as one at Shan-H al-
Kwan. and would be much nearer the attain
ment Of them
II IS necessary TO discriminate carefully be
tween different towns OF the same name in
China. There is for example. Kin-Chau. or
Kin-Chow. as you please There IS one place
Of that name Just north Of Dalny. and say
thirty miles from Port Arthur. and another
near the head OF the Gulf OF Leao-Tong- Some
dispatches make the recent reconnaissance o.
the japanese at one Of them and some az me
other. Which II really was does not YET ap-
pear
The report Is confirmed that the japanese have
landed powerful army at won-San. for the
supposed purpose Of invading Manchuria. The
landing is credible the supposed purpose IS al
most incredible. won-San Is weary way from
Menchuria- Straight across to the lower Yalu
IS nearly $50 miles. over mountain ranges where
there are no roads but goat tracks Why send
an army that way. when II might more easily
have been landed at Chinampho. or even at
Yongampho. the latter right at the frontier and
the former hundred miles away on a gooa
road7 II the aim be to strike at the Tumen
River and thus to menace Nladivostok- there IS
a march 81 four hundred miles up the east coast
Of Corea a formidable undertaking. Surely the
army would have been landed further up the
coast II such its plan OF canpatgn- OF u
there was too much ice in the Sea OF Japan 1or
ships 70 go further up 1t Is not reasohADle 20
suppose the army Will attempt that long marcn
I'd the coast without a supporting fleet on
shore II seems more reaSona bic 10 suppose mat
Russia is sending an army down that coast from
Vladfvostok and that this JapaneVe army mas
been sent 20 meet it and il possible to stop ~
somewhere IN tile narrow pass between ths
mountains and the sea
There Is a grim significance in Admiral Togo's
remark that. although the results Of last sun
days attack upon the Russians at Port Arthur
are unknown, ne feels the moral effect
upon the Russians viii be excellent There
could be few things more demoralizing to
feet Of powerful battleships and cruisers than
20 be kept cooped UP in port, target for re-
peated attacks from willy and relentless enc
mics. who steal IN without warning and us
charge deadly torpedoes at the all but helpless
fleet For a fleet like that, half disabled and all
huddled together in harbor is largely helpless
1t might have been better for the Russian COM
mander 70 have emulated the gallant Cervera
at Santiago and have risked all in one daring
sortie- His fleet could scarcely nave Jared worse
than II has done and II might have Jared much
better
few definitions OF Chinese geographical pre-
fixes and suf1xes may be OF service in elucidat-
ing the nomenclature OF current news.
First. prehxes: Ia. as in Ta-zu. means great.
and Siao as in Siao-PingThou. means small
Pei or Pc Nan Tung and 81 are respectively
north south. east and west. Thus the Pei-Ho
il the North River. etc. Shang and Hia are
upper and lower. Pal Hei and Whang are
white black and yellow. Sufflxes are more nu-
-nerous and familiar. kiang. HO, Tchuan. TIA,
Nuren and Tchu each and all mean river Thus
YaIu Kiang and Lao HO simply Yalu River
and Lao River. Shut, Kou. Thsuan. Xii, Col
and Ussu are unfamiliar terms. meaning a brook
or small river. Hu. Nor and ONO mean lake.
as In the well known Lob Nor and koSso Col
Pc. Use and Tien mean small lake swamp,
a town situated near such place Hal means
sea- thus Whang-TIai is the Yellow Sea, TunE-
Hal is the Eastern Sea. and Nan-Hai is the
Southern Sea. Tao. and sometimes Shan. means
island. but Shan more often means a mountain
range. Ling is a pass over mountain range
Teheng Chen and Hotun mean a large town.
and ChuanE ChwanE. Phu or Flu. Tien. Thsun
Thun. Tsi Su and TchanE r~ean borough or
Incorporated village. Kwan. Wei and Wing rCean .
a fortified town or military post as in shan