New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-31
PORT ARTHUR.

The Japanese are closing in for the final
struggle at Port Arthur. That seems 10 be the
certain tenor of current news. The time is tit
ting and auspicious. II indeed the need Is not
urgent General kuropatkin and his arLly have
been disposed Of so far as the possibility OF
their relieving the beleaguered fortress is con-
cerned Tashl-Chiao and New-Chwang have
raade It more likely that they Will plan a re-
treat not only from Liao-Yang to Moukden. but
even from MOuhden toward Hardin, than that
they will Try 10 march down 10 the kWanE-
Tung Peninsula. We may assume then that
the Russians NJ Port Arthur viii he left TO
stand or f8ll upon their own resources. and that
the japanese around that place will continue 10
lave a free hand TO maintain tie siege or TO
make the assault Tie need OF action by the
japanese lies in the need Of releasing their feet
from guard duty there for other duty elsewhere;
- dispose Of the Nladivostok squadron. for ex-
ample. and 20 meet the contingency however
remote IF Gle Baltic fleets coming around 10
Asian waters. If Admiral Togo's leet were 10
he held at Port Arthur by tie requirements OF
the siege until the Baltic heet could get around
and join the Kladiyostck squadron, and then tle
latter two should cooperate with soriie from
Port Arthur. there might be trcable OF the most
serious kind Cor Japan. We MAY Ice sure that
the japanese NH spare no efforts 10 capture
for general control OF the seas.
The taking Of Port Arthur, however. will be
no easy task. unless the place succunlbs 10 FAM
inc or 10 exhaustion OF ammunition. Tie nat
nral strength OF it is great Ii lies in an oval
amphitheatre, surrounded by hills rising ut
their peaks 10 a height Of 1900 feet Every
one of those hills, from Takhe Bay at the north
east clear around TO the promontory of Lao
Tie Shan on the Strait OF Pe-Chi-Li is fortified
with powerful guns in masked earthworks In
ceed, the forts begin at each side of the narrow
harbor gate, on Golden Hill ana at the tip Of
the Tigers Tail. On Golden Hill are the
HwaRg-Chin forts, followed an the northeast BIZ
the Lao-Lui-Chui, and then by the Pe-Tou-Shan
fcrts, overlooking Takhe Bay. Beyond these
are the Cr-Lung and then the Kee- Kwan forts
on the lShaa. North and northwest OF PORT
Arthur lie the An-Tse-Shan, E-Tse-Shan and
Sung-Shan forts on hills OF those names-Shan
meaning hill or mountain. Thence n line Of
forts extends straight southwark TO the lao
.le-shan promontory. If we now turn 10 the
Tigers Tai, a. the southwest side of the har-
Dor gate, we find the Wei-Yuen, Sing-Tse-Ying.
lan-Iau and chins-rau forts. the last named
being on the isthmus which connects the Tigers
Tail witt the mainland. Other Notifications
connect these with those on the Liao-T,e-Shan
coast, making an rnbroken chain clear around
we city These forts, or many OF them were
first planned by the Chinese They were
greatly improved by German military engineers
IN Chinese employ. and won for Port Arthur
the name OF the Gibraltar of the East FINALLY.
sitter the Russian annexation they were further
Improved and strengthened ard the few cams
IN tie chain were filed up by General vernan.
Der, WIG. g rot cutie a second Toalehen. is by
FAR the f;test successor TO that mighty yen,r,
The Russian army has saoa-n
.,ON. .hp Jcya-esc r,.r-a N L. q,
fosee Iisa.n that ring Of forts Neither can