West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-06-23

Forchnndcdncss, Planning Power
and Mastcriy Execution Revealed
I'm the work os Her Army and Navy.
Probable Engagements often Rc-
hearsea-Her Readiness. For War.
Wiring from CO." roads n typical
printed dispatch, admiral Togo re.
ports" etc. Where everybody Is curl-'
GUS to know, is "ooT' Russia IL pug.
zled about IL. 40 short Is the time be-
tween appearances OF ships on Port
Arthur that IL is plain some base not
on Japanese territory has been estab-
lished from the first. Moji Is the obvi-
Gus base, says the New York Posts
special correspondent. AS you sail I'm.
To the strait YOU see miles OF huge con-
Teal piles OF coal, uncovered. Long be-
fore the break I'm "tho negotiations
stores had been accommodating there.
ana, although there are coal mines a
little way inland, quarter OF n mill
non tons OF Welsh coal were imported
Tor operations that would require fast
stoamlng, Mott however, is not where
the squadrons In the Yellow sea arc
coaling aud provisioning. III one reads
the dispatches OF tho admirals with at-
tention he will observe that the 'sun.
mentioned place" the rendezvous"
the 90" Is for torpedo boats only
seventeen hours steaming distance
from the mouth OF the harbor which
has been so long subject to attack.
One could give good guess as TO
where 100" is Il saw tho cable shin
laying wiresl, but Il does not seem fair
To look over shoulder and give away
the mans hand. All that can be said
is that 100" Is OF Korea ana is an is-
land with an English name. Its selec-
ton and the secrecy OF its maintenance
are part of the strategy OF tho naval
campaign. The more one learns OF that
strategy the higher one regards the
torehandedness, the planning power
ana mastery or execution possessed by
this suddenly awakened people.
When Japan was despoiled of her
fruits OF conquest IN the China war
by three European nations she saw,
nrst, that she needed European ally
TO Offset color prejudice and second.
thot she needed to measure her capacl.
ties against the most Immediately ag.
gressive OF the whitc nations Ono
hear or the treaty with England.
Japan went forward then with re-
newcd energy and decision. While wo
In America, up TO the very charge OF
the torpedo boats at Port Arthur, were
more than hopeful that there would be
no. war, Japan was ready and eager.
For at least three years she had been
training, building, maneuyering, study
Ing, testing herself for conflict, and
Russia was more ignorant OF Il than
the rest OF the world.
Port Arthur. Harbln, vladivostok,
those mado the strategic triangle. All
attention, oil ingenuity, was brought
to bear on how to assai Port Arthur,
how to deal with tho fleets there and
at VladivostOk, how TO assist the army
to cross the Yaiu. The minutcst de-
tails were worked out and then prac-
uced, Ships were grouped NJ they
would be for action, and their com
m0nders learned the pecularitles af
vessels they would operate with. The
probable fights were fought over and
oveE Every man knew by heart the
part he would have TO take. The dis
ciplinc was strict Men were praised
or blamed according as they played
the mimic game. If, as once happened,
n squadron did not successfully inter
ccpt squadron representing the
enemy) alta proaTaugcd spot, the COM
mandtng officer was called TO explain
his failure. Always after n series OF
cvolutlons there would be a general
consultation and discussions among
the commanders TO learn wherein the
tactics might be improved
Officers gave themselves wholly 80
thelr duties. No books OF fiction, no
Illustrated papers, wore permitted I'm
their libraries, only technical treatlsos
ana professional works. (On the Rus.
sim ships at Port Arthur there were
pingpong tables) Tho proficiency be-
came great ono day, for instance. tho
navy Office IN Tokyo. by wireless tcicg-
rapliy, started n ship out OF one har-
Dor, guided her thirty miles out 10 sea
and brought her back to different
harbor. This was done by giving com
mnnds for steering che commands
wore received, hlindly Obeyed and tho
shin perfectly navlRated, as though the
general stan were IN person on her
bridge instead OF nearly 200 miles I'm.
AhAthf NthNhh ~ NAuit III Alt HHfollN
story OF brick building.
Probably no cruisers OF the same di-
mensiOns have been built rs fast as
Japan built some recent ones. Amerl-
cans have taken nearly four years al
ready 10 build the cruiser Denver. The
japanese ere able 10 turn ont ono OF
the same class in tho government yards
In two years and a month. Moreover,
they have TO get most OF the materials
from abroad
AZ 10 how perfectly ready she was
there IS this evidence Of the stations OF
her mcn-of-war on Fob. 1 and the con.
diuon Of her sbipyards All first class
battlcships. all nrmorcd cruisers. six
second class cruisers, two third class
eruicers and al seventeen torpedo
boat desiroycrs were at Sascbo. the
port nearest to the Russian bases.
There was here mobllizcd the Standing
squadron. or tho first second. third a.
visions complete, With the strong lot OF
Qcstr0ycrs besides At the shipyards
when war broke there was scarcely n
sound; they were as quiet and idle as
n war bad no relation 20 their business.
The navy was listening for the com.
mond 90 90 out ana act the parts she
had been rshcarsing