New-York tribune., 1904-09-19
J4PANS ARMY SYSTEM.
Attent'on to DetmI-Gencrals Not
at the Front.

lessons
ara constantly before the eyes OF the military OBJ
servers with this army. They have made no revo-
/ Iuuonary discoveries thus far indeed the chief
1 lesson has been the overshadowing Importance of
'lat complete preparation which has made every-
cog OF every wheel OF the great machine slide
quietly IN its groove at the appointed minute and
the attention 70 details for lack Of which tbe
1 servants OF the Car wasting so much bravo
/ food fo- uo--der
The work Of the Russian artillery early on .1,,I,.
/ 81 commanded the highest praise from every one
/ II was IN stro1g contrast with the showing r7ada
/ az The Yalu. and was IN every respect credit -
/ that arm Of the Russian service Their gun DO
sI'ions We're selected by engineers who appreciated
the possibilities OF the country AS they had failed
20 CO az the Yalu. The contour OF the hills which
push forward into the valley on both sides Of Tao
Wan afforded line OF defence which roughly,
speaking. extended nearly IN semi-clrcle Mos
OF me RUSSIAN guns looked down into the valley
ard also commanded the lower ranges Of the hills
beyond r. where the seven japanese batteries mus
md cover while they presented To the enemy or1
SKY line targets. difficult 70 gauge Consequently
they gave the japanese artillery q hard day. and
compelled The batteries with the japanese left
o!Vlsion attempting 70 flank the Russian right 70
sii1l ,heir ground repeatedly to avoid the fierce
ard accurate IRE poured upon then wherever they
opened
Moreover the bravery ~ the Russian gunuers was
beyond all praise ON riding the battle-ground
asterwart. IL seen tha.. although the Japanese
shells had hardly been able reach those Russian
guns on The high poak behind Tao-wan the other
batteries had endured = han oT shrapneI which
were underfoot everywhere. while common shell
had torn gaps over every few feet of ground about
the guns Many statements have appeared in Fu-
ropeaH newspa about the superiority Of Japan
csc guns. but their work far has Illustrated the
Western aphorism that success IL not IN holding
good hand. but in playing poor hand we'll II
is conceded hv the experts who have seen their
work in the field that the Russian guns are better
~ HA and rTee- -Ha
equality should about six japanese guns against
four Russian
The showing made by the Russian infantry leaves
much 10 be explained n their trenches had been
held by marksruen like the Beers there would have
been no question of the japanese reaching them
without heavy loss nc They were dug in
splendid positions on the sides and the SUBMITS %
hills and the approaches across the valley and UP
the hillsides had little cover except patches ~
corn. Yet the Russian defence was either remark
ably Weak or only a demonstration. because the
japanese OF the central division hit by tnei- are
numbered only a score or two.
BLUNDERs OF RUSSIAN TROOPS
There were the same blunders in management
that marked the Talu. The infantry in front %
the Japanese LEFT Fought we'll ard uaroeuvrad skill
fully. bat late on the night Of the battle two Rus
sian battalous appeared north ot Tao-wan in front
OF the Jepenes- right flank and then retired with
out opening fire The purpose of their movement
remains mystery. At Hen-TAuE. whore A thou
they had brass band that left its Instruments
IN the field. thev gave of the finest exhibitions
% futile bravery 80 far witnessed They were
marching in close column ~ fours under destruc-
tive FIRE. and although men we're cut down By
squads they never broke ranks or retreated. The
useessness ~ the sacrifice was as eloquent IT'S
courage. and the credit for the former belonged TO
the officers
The great vpumber OF casualties among the Rus
sian officers. and particularly their generals.
while no japanese general has been hit. is due
largely 20 the different theories followed The gen
erals of the japanese directors while the Rus
SLAMS cling the old skobeIoH tradition - com
Hander At the head Of his leading the hghtlng
From the Japanese lines the white
coated Russian officers riding cunspicuously before
their troops. while from the Russian side II must
be hard 10 discover the japanese officers because
their uniforms Ike those Of the ranks and
because General kuroki and the lesser generals !
usually somewhere behind the lighting line man
aging their battles By telegraph and telephone.
Probably electricity has never played so great
a part IN warfare before it does with the Japan
ese Every general % brigade In the field is like
modern ambassad dor. at the end of q wire which
his divisional commander controls and the generals
Of divisions are In touch by telegraph telephone
with the corps commanders. The engineers run |
wires of the columns with marvellous rapdlty. Fir
Ing IS heard somewhere a. the front. A detach-
ment of engineers cmerges from headquartors |
pack ponies carving bundles Of light bamboo poles
and coolies ana carts follow them with coils Of |
slender copper wire The poles. which have |
pointed ends. are quickly planted the wire spreads
out &c fast as men uncoil H. and a field tele- |
phone Is al work No evidences have been seen as !
the army advanced into an Anemys country that |
tho Russians employ the Telegram ph extensively. |
There are traces of wire poles except the old /
Chinese line from An-Tung TO Peking
JAPANESE GENERALS TACTICS.
~he Russian generalship is more spectacular and |
perhaps inspires the soldiers with greater courage
but the japanese is businesslike. These gen
erals do not play the galleries at al. The |
censorship which they enforce tends deprive /
them of their just dues IN reputation often corre-
spondents are forbidden 20 mention the OF
the leaders in daring and important fights. because
The names might give the enemy clew 10 the
Identity and therefore the strength and the
Of the organizations opposing them
General Okzawa gathered his troops I'm the fog Of
Early morning on july and prevented the Russians
from sezing the Matchmaking: he turned KelIer's
almost successful attack OF the 18th disaster
and his soldiers from the rocks above the Yu-Shi-
Ling shot down a thousand Russians without any
,Ompeusating damage to themselves He is a strate-
yist and fighter. In England or America he would
be popular hero. but The newspa pers which come
tail TO mention him How unpopular a censorship
hat excludes exploitation OF generals would be with
certain other armies Is appreciated by correspond
snts who have accompanied those armies
General Kuroki is a quiet and unassunning man |
rather the Moltke type than the theatrical general
who rides about exhorting and cursing his men His
ype Is apparently the prevailing one in the Japan
.se service Sometimes it appears that he has
worked out his plans oc battle perfectly before