Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-04-06
WAR TWOMONTHS0LD
PROGRESS or THE CONFLICT BE-
TWEEN RUSSIA AND JAPAN.
Strict Censorship Makes 1t a Difficult
Matter for Correspondents &c Get Ac-
curate News to Outside World-Dis-
patches Received Are Contradictory.

| patches Received Are Contradictory.
The world knows about as little OF
what has been done or is going on IN
the war area of the far East as II the
telegraph were not yet invented. The
war correspondents seem to have been
bottled up and do not know what the
belligerents are doing. and they are not
permitted to tell the little they may hsp-
pen to find out. Therefore they amuse
i themselves and confuse the readers OF
newspapers with runIors and guesses. In
place Of news and facts, the newspaper
readers of all the world are fed with Idle
gossip and the more or less absurd the
cries of self-advertised experts on the
conduct of operations OF which they are
absolutely ignorant.
Tuesday morning. we are told. at vast
expense of cable tolls, Admiral Togo $
fleet, consisting of fifteen big ships and
eight torpedo boats, advanced upon Port
Arthur. which the admiral had captured
on the previous Sunday, and bombarded
It, Why Admiral Togo did this Is not
explained. Nor are we informed how
il was that the Russians rega.ned pos
session of the city. Yet they must have
recaptured it. for we are notified that
on Monday they evacuated Port Arthur,
first having surrounded it with land and
sea mines and kerosened all the build
ings, coal and stores.
At the same time the Russians, as is
stated by the correspondents. are rush
ing large quantities of supplies 10 Port
Arthur. AS the japanese have captur-
ed the town il is certainly very polite
of the Russians to supply them so boun-
tifnlly with food Meanwhile. the Rus
slams, having evacuated PC Arthur af-
ter having reeaptured it al ! driven out
tie Japs, have had time, mining the
harbor. to recover fifteen japanese tor
pedoes from which the japanese. in
their pardonable excitement forgot to
withdraw the safety plugs. This new
ertheless, has not prevented the Jap
anese, as we learn from the London
Times correspondent at Toxic, from
bloekading the entrance TO Port Arthur.
The fidincs from Vladivostok are no
less interesting. The harbor is blocked
with ice, and the Russian squadron,
which left the other day for the purpose
OF effecting a junction with the Russian
feet blocked ut Port Arthur, is frozen
up there. This seems peculiar in view
of the fact that the Nladiyost ( feet has
sailed to intercept at a certain point in
the Pacific the battleship and two cruis-
ers bought by Japau from Chilli, which
reached Japan two weeks ago and par
ticipated in the bombardment Of Fort
Arthur on Tuesday morning But we
are getting used to these little things
Two Months of War.
The Russo-Japanesc war has been in
progress for two months. SO far as can
be gathered from the meager dispatches
the operations OF the war have been
limited to the naval attacks on Fort
Arthur aud Nladivostok On land there
has been no engagement more serious
than picket skirmish. There have been
no Reconnaissance in force, no mnneuy-
ers of the opposing armies; there has
been no uumasking on either side. In
eight weeks there has been no war on
land. the generals on both sides giving
all their attention to the mobilization OF
forces.
In the several bombardments Of Fort
Arthur Russia has met with considers
bic loss. but the naval operations have
had little influence in shaping the course
OF the campaign on land. Undoubtedly
Russia has been put at a disadvantage
on the sea front Of the theater OF war
by the Gripping of her fleet, but this has
NOT prevented the massing of troops on
strategic lines. and it is now reported
that the mobilization Of the Manchurian
army is complete On the Japanese side
- - 4 -
pleteness in preparations for advance.
This does not mean that a general en-
gagement will be fought until the Jap
8neSe commander feels that his army is
strong enough 70 force a battle. Then
wiz come the real test OK strength
II is not known 20 wtat extent the
Russian fleet has been crippled. but the
Japanese admit that it is still strong
enough to give them great uaeasiness,
Japan, with nearly all =. its available
military 10 zoe in Korea. must retain CON
troll of the sea to win, or in case Of
d~feat to save its army from destruction.
whereas Russia can conduct great land
campaigns and permit its feet to remain
or the defensive
Az the main issue OF the war turns
on the occupation and control Of terri
tory. whatever the fleets may do. the
decisive battle or battles Will be fought
on the land not on the sea
The strict news censorship is painful
| To press associations and publishers. who
/ have sent squads of high-Salaried CORE
/ spoudents TO the war, and very annoy
/ ing 20 the public, yet it must be owned
/ that the Japanese have shown rare good
/ Judgment in keeping their military move
/ mcnts concealed from the reporters and
4 from their enemy. A censorship that
/ cannot be beaten by the ingenuity Of a
| whole battalion Of American newspaper
| men is a corruscatiug triumph Of admin
/ istrative efficiency and executive ability
Humor of the War.
Russia Cond use couple OF Deweys
q.