New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-04
NOTES ON THE VAR.

A Russian officer who was captured By ira
Japanese on Sunday says the effect OF the Jsp-
anese artillery fire in the battle the Yalu was
tremendous and q London dispatch attribute,
the Japanese victory largely TO the superior
weight OF their guns Two months ago IN these
columns called attention to the fact that at
that time. according to the best authorities tia
Japanese were far stronger IN artillery than TIA
Russians, having at the scene OF war TO2 runs
to the Russians 256. In addition to this great
disparity In numbers. the Japanese had ana
have by far the heavier guns. It Is easy FOR
them TO transport heavy guns by sea 20 within
short distance Of the place where they are
to be used in battle. 1t Is much more seriou,
undertaking for Russia to transport them over
her five thousand miles OF single track railroad
already taxed TO its utmost capacity with TROOPS
and provisions
General Kuropatkin IS reported to be uncora-
monty anxious to discover the location and atm
Of the second japanese army. and to Be dis
persing his troops among numerous places along
the coast. in order TO meet it wherever It may
attempt 10 land. Thus he has TO choose be-
tween two dangers-that of having the japanese
land on an unguarded spot and that OF spread
Ing his troops out thinly that the JAPANESE
will be Athletic break through their line and land
IN spite OF them. they have Just crossed thu
Yalu- What IS certain is that the second Jap
anese army will give a good account Of itself
whenever and wherever 1t does land. for Il is
composed OF the very flower OF the Japanese
nation. Its commanding general Is Baron Oku
a veteran not only Of the Chinese war, but also
Of the Satsuma rebellion. In the latter war.
twenty-seven years ago. he was a major, and
commanded the battalion that raised the ss.gs
OF KumamotO. In the war with China he com
manded the first division, which was not sem
TO China But later he was made lieutenant
general and commander in chief OF the japanese
army in ForTnosa, for the suppression OF the
abaTlf IN Nat IA "a mad
Of the ablest officers IN the Mikados service
An orninous feature Of the present situation
IS the danger OF Chtna's neutrality being I'm
paired IN some way. Baron Hayashi. IN the
remarkable interview with him published yes
terday, refers to the possibility OF Manchu
rising The Manchus are among the most war
like Of all the Monaghan race. They are thu
ruling tribe OF the Chinese Empire. and It has
been particularly CALLING to them to have their
home province and the imperial tombs In Rus
sian possession. The present danger Is that
they viii be inspired to rise against the Rus
SLAMS by seeing the latter defeated at the Talu
by the Japanese. The Manchus consider them
selves vastly superior TO the Japanese. and they
likely to argue that il the latter can face
and defeat a Russian army they themselves
can easily drive the Russians out OF their coun-
try altogether. The action OF the Russians IN
burning the town Of An-Tung when evacuatfns
IT is also likely 20 exasperate the Manchus and
further provoke them to rising. Yet another
cause OF Chinese irritation may be found IN tho
massing OF Russian trooDS at Sin-NIin-Tun and
other places west OF the Lao River. and the
Russian orders that the Chinese troops and po-
lice shall retire therefrom- Hitherto that has
been regarded as a part OF China's neutral do
main. II the Russians now invade 1T. the Chi
nese may hold that they are violating Chtna's
neutral territory, and proceed to reprisals. For
China TO take part In the war as a belligerenr
would throw the whole OF Eastern Asia into ths
melting pot
The free use OF torpedo boats which Japan has
been making has caused some surprise. the I'M
preston having prevailed that her navy was
deficient in that class OF vessels. AS g mattsr
OF fact she has thirteen destroyers and nrty-six
torpedo boats. More than half OF the latter
are very small. being OF from fifty to eighty
tons displacement 1t was supposed that these
were too small for anything more than coast
and harbor defence. But Admiral Togo has
taken them across stormy sea more than IVA
hundred miles to Port Arthur, and there used
them effectively. The secret OF it is that he has
transformed a number of big merchant steamers
into travelling shipyards for the prompt re-
pair of the mosquito craft close to the scene OF
action. 1t IS more than i've hundred miles %
the nearest Japanese shipyard. but It Is less
than One-tenth that distance TO the safely guard
ed harbor where these movable machine shops
lie.
The statement that the Russians did not mean
to offer serious opposition to the Japanese az tns
crossing of the Yalu. but rather TO lure them on
to their destruction In tho heart of Manchuria,
seems TO be discredited by the later report that
General Kuropatkin himself. with twenty thou
sand troops. IS hurrytng toward Feng-Wans-
Cheng. to meet the advancing japanese and
drive them back into Corea- If Manchuria vera
being opened to the Japanese as q trap &c
would be opened little wider and kept open a
little longer until the victims got fairly into H.
We must conclude. as was said IN our columns
at the outset, that the Russians meant TO keep
the Japanese from crossing the Yalu. but wesa
unable TO get enough troops together at caa
critical time and place
One curious feature OF the battle OF last sun
day was that the Cossacks were put TO hishI
and furiously pursued by the Japanese cavalry
Nobody supposed before that the Japanese cav
airy would make any effective showing against
the mighty horsemen from the plains or thS
II will be recalled French cavalry detaen-
ment was pursued by German infantry!
The Japanese sharpshooters are frequenuS
mentioned playing important part IN 'h'
battle. The Japanese have paid much atten
ton to rifle practice at the butts. and instead %
fighting in mass and firing In volleys have mas
tered 10 a nicely the art OF open formation 'i a.
individual firing at picked targets. Moreover, -
their Murata rifle they have one Of the deaole'-
weapons OF precision in all the world