The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-02
AMBITIONS OF JAPs.
Prisoners of War Declare Mikado Can
Dictate Terms.


Vladiyostok. Sept. 1.-The ambitious
hopes of Japan are freely discussed by
japanese prisoners here. All of them
are confident that naval supremacy
viii enable Japan TO dictate terms of
peace, which win incl1de, according
TO tLem,s the possession Of Port Ar
thur, Dalny, Korea, Saghalen, KAN
tchatka and the Commander islands,
leaving Manchurla in Russian hands.
The japanese prisoners claim a first
victory for their country in The pre-
venting Of the Russians from making
a base of NladIVos.CS, fecm which
place the hostile iee-s would effeetu-
ally have imperilled communication in
Korea, rendering .aai campaign m
possible. The japanese, they say,
gained this victory by forcing a War
in TIE winter, when VladiyostolI was
ice bound.
The attack on the Port Arthur
squadron and the bOttling up Of that
place, they claim, were their next
victories.
Then came the battles of the Yaiu
and of Kinchow. both of which are
regarded by the Japanese as victories
for the navy. Tkey declare that with
out the aid OF gunboats il would have
been impossible 10 cross the Yalu or
TO storm impregnable Kinchou- Thanks
TO the navy, the Japanese focIAed con-
venient bases at Takushan and later
at Yinkow, and, thanks 70 the navy.
they are now preparing to form river
fotilla like General kitchener's. Nile
expedition, which will be able to as
cend the Lao river ard its tributaries
as far as Lao Yang and Mukden ana
so harass General Kuropatkin as to
compel linn to retreat 10 HaTbil thus
effectually preventing a march for The
relief of Port Arthur, for the japanese
declare that the capture OF this fort
ress is their chief aim.
This determination is doubled be-
cause Of the fact that a por-ion of The
Russian squadron has returned there
and, They assert. the destruction Of
Rear Admiral Prince Oukhtomsky's
slips is more important -haa the de-
feat of Kuropatkin. They realize that
the japanese must capture Port Ar
thur before Vice Admiral BOjestven-
sky, commanding the Baltic Squadron.
can arrive there. The loss OF the fort
ress and of the war vessels now there
will compel the Baltic squadron 10 re-
main in European waters. but they are
confident OF coping with this squadron,
which is inferior in number anl which
would be bereft Of a naval base ex-
cept ice bound Vladivostok provided
their plans at Port Arthur are success
full.
The Japanese prisoners state mat by
the time General Kuropatkia has suf-
ficient men TO take the offensive the
Japanese Will have gradually With
drawn into Korea, retaining only P:rt
Arthur and Dalny, having fortified
every point on the line of march in
order TO impede but not to prevent n
Russian advance. The japanese are
confident that without the mastery OF
TIE sea no Russian army, TO ma tsr
how numerous, can hope 10 re-take
Port Arthur or drive them out of SAX
halin or even Kamchatka, which
though a peninsula, is practically iso-
lated from the continent by impossible
desert wastes.
Regarding Korea. the japanese STRAIT
egists consider that the Russians
would attempt the impossible if they
tried to dispossess them. They would
Lave TO operate over zoo miles from
their railway base with nothing better
than the mountain paths fo~ trans
ports, where the Japanese woUl1 be
able to get supplies over The Seoul
Fusan railway from any port on the
coast. The japanese are convinced
that Russia. realizing the impossioil-
ity of her task, will agree 30 terms Of
peace. leaving her in possession Of
Manchuria and giving Them Port Dal-
ny, Port Arthur, Sakaklin, KamtchaI-
ka and the Commander islands.