Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-10
Notes on the War,

| NokeS on INC war.
We are now told that the japanese
will make no important land advance
| until they have massed one hundred
| thousand troops at Ping-Yang. Thai
is rational and credible. But it was ter
days ago that we were informed tina,
two hundred thousand Japanese troops
invade Manchuria and Siberia!" The
latter news is less sensational than the
former, but it has the advantage OF
being more accurate, and accuracy is a
desirable quality, even in twentieth
century war news.
The fact that 12-inch shells were
thrown into Vladivostok seems to
indicate that at least one battleship
was in the attacking squadron, for guns
of such calibre are not commonly
carried by cruisers. Four of Japan's
older protected cruisers do, it is true.
carry each one gun of 1875 inches
calibre. But it is scarcely suppOSable
that those vessels were sent to blockade
and lombard Vladivostok. The effec-
tive use of big guns at long range re-
quires them to be carried upon some
thing better than a four thousand ton
protected cruiser.
The Japanese, we are told, avoided
subjectng their ships to the plunging
fire of the Vladivostok batteries. OF
course. 1t ought to be pretty Well
understood by that time that no war
ship is Il match for well constructed
land Notifications. 1t cannot destroy
them, and it is vulnerab BILE to their fire.
hn CT hafxx CHI
battery as i target. The ship presents
an area of six thousand square feet or
more. while the gun on shore and the
embrasure through which it peeps
present not more than twenty-five or
thirty square feet A shell from the
battery striking any part of that big
target is pretty sure to do serious
damage, while the earthen embankment
Of the fort may be peppered with
shells without any serious results. The
Japanese realize this, and will not
rashly put their ships in a place where
they can do no harm but are likely to
suffer destruction.
the expensiveness of war is strik-
ingly shown by the fact that in the
ineffective bombardment of Vladi-
vostok the Japanese used 100000 worth
of ammunition.
In the Boer War the formula Il re-
greet to report" with which certain un-
lucky British officers Drefaced their
tales of woe, became byword.
Admiral Alexieff promises to i'm
mortalize himself with his PREDATORY
formula hIln,hlxy inf
majesty"
The report that there are 10000 Tun-
guSe irregular troops in Southern Mar
:huria, causing trouble for the Rus
slams, is an extraordinary one. The
Tunguses are not a Manchurian tribe.
but inhabit the Tanner Peninsula. on
The Arctic Sea. the northernmost part
Of Siberia, thousands of miles away
from the Regents Sword. 1t seems
impossible that any such number of
them has been drafted into the Russian
Army and has now deserted from it.
The report must refer to some other
Tunguses than those generally known
to the world.
The daring and the achievements of
the Japanese upon the sea need excite
no surprise Centuries ago the Japan
csc We're the Vikings of the East. Their
war junkS We're the terror of the seas
md coasts of all East Asia. The Jap
iese were to that part of the world
what the early Danes We're to Western
Europe. Then, in the days of the great
Emperor Hideyoshi, it was decreed
that Japan should have no more inter-
course with foreign lands. and these
sea rovers and pirates became simple
fishermen. But the spirit of sea fight
ing has apparently survived the change
and is still potent.
The abolition of piracy made Japan a
great fishing nation. There are now.
Or were before the war, more than 1000
vessels and nearly $4,000 men engaged
in the Japanese fishing industry. taking
about $1,OO0,000 worth of fish Il year for
export.
In one respect the Russian Army is
doubtless far superior to the japanese.
namely, in cavalry. That branch of
the Russian Army numbers about $780,
900 men and the same number Of
horses. That is two or three times as
many as the Japanese can number, and
the quality of the Russian horses is far
superior to that of the Japanese. But
the Japanese console themselves with
the idea that the old style Of cavalry
charge in mass is no longer practicable.
and that the chief use of horses is to
convey their riders to the scene Of con-
f1ict where the riders are to dismount
and fight on foot. 1t will be recalled
that that was exactly what was done
by the Beers with much effect. Tho
Russians themselves recognize the fact,
for they have discarded most of the
lances which the Cossacks used to car
ry, and also the carbines. and have
armed their cavalry instead with long
range rifles Tho ic th,,c