The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-05

ST. PETERSBURG, March 2z-In
the uniform of a Cossack General, Gar
Nicholas reviewed the other day reg
imert of infantry, which swung by the
Winter Palace under orders to the Far
East A few minutes later, dressed as a
Captain of the Navy, the Emperor drove
to the New Admiralty yard and in
spected the warships which are being
rushed 10 completion there. It will not
be the fault of his Majesty should there
not be in Manchuria and Asiatic waters,
within the next few months, military
and naval force superior to that of the
Japanese. To his officers he must in
trusts the utilization of the instruments
which he is placing in their hands.
These two acts Of the Emperor, or
dinarily of little importance, brought to
mind the question which all St. Peters
burg has been discussing since the OUT
break of the war What is Russia's
plan of operations? The English jour
mails arriving in St. Petersburg contain
the widest speculation upon what is a
simple matter to the Russian strategists,
at least so far as concerns the method
of effecting Japan's defeat First" l
was told. Russia will mass in Manclu-
ria an army superior to the Japanese.
She will place in Asiatic waters fleet
superior to that of her enemy Then
Japan will be taught that it is not adj
visable to thrust war upon a nation that
desired peace, and which offered hurlifi-
ating concessions IN the hope of preserv-
ing it"
Every military expert knows that the
question of men does not concern Rus
STA; it is the question of supplying those
fnally concentrated upon the battlefield
which is causing chief concern. General
Kuropatkin has particularly charged
himself to look after his army's COM
munications, and his experience as chief
of staff in past wars will be invaluable
to him in the campaign upon which he
is about to embark.
The railroad has it own special guard,
and wherever necessary additional troops
will be assigned to protect the line
Port Arthur and Viadivostok have
strong garrisons, we'll equipped and arm
ed, and supplied with foed. There re-
main. available for active operations,
almost 100000 men, who have been or
ganized into three divisions-the strong
est, of about I25,ooo occupying we'll
fortified strategic positions upon the
Yalu River; the second holding cen
trail position between the extreme left
of the first division and Vladivostok,
which will stop a flank movement from
the Sea of Japan, and the third in
trenched so as to prevent operations by
a force diseInbarking at the head OF the
Liaotung Gulf Among these three di-
visions are 10000 Cossacks, incompar-
ably mounted. Wait till the Cossacks
get at Them" the average Russian will
tell you. he Japanese cannot stand
up against them. Inc Cossacks are as
great devils to-day as they ever were.
They are armed with fine carbines ard
long swords. and they will be able to
move rapidly. The South African War
taught the value of mobility in military
operations
General Kuropatkin recognizes that
this army is not large enough Before
he left St. Petersburg he asked for a
fighting force of 100000 men. His re-
quest was not fully complied with He
was informed that he should have 400
600 men, with reserve of 100000. As
rapidly as a singIe-track railroad will
permit, this army is being modified in
Manchuria The trains are running
regularly, and, for the Trans Siberian
Railroad, smoothly The maximum es-
innate Of the number of troops arriving
daily upon the scene of operations is
6.ooo. The minimum is 5000. / should
say that an average of 1000 men are
daily being despatched to Mukden or
some other convenient point The larg-
er the army, the greater the quantity of
supplies that must be shipped to it, and
the fewer the trains that can be sent
with troops. Consequently, June will
have arrived before General Kuropatkin
will have his army at the strength deter
mined upon.
Turning now to the navy, some facts
have come to my attention which will
have an important bearing upon the fu-
ture canloaign
The assignment of four cruisers to
Vladivostok. and the damages sustained
by the Retvizan, Czareviteh, and Palla-
da. rendered the Russian Asiatic feet
inferior TO that of Admiral Togo. The
Pallada, which was gotten into dock
is again in active service. The Care
witch. which had large section of her
bottom ripped out by the explosion of
the torpedo-the hole is said to have
had an area of I7S square feet-is on
pontoons IN the harbor and cannot be
repaired in time for the projected feet
operations. Repairs are being pushed