The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-19
RUSSIAN SAILORS
ARRANT COWAR
Yankee Tars Point to Refusal to
Answer Fire Of Jap
.A.lak4a4a Ships.

| Washington, Dec. 19.-The pounding
which the Russian ships in Port Ar
| thur have received from the Japanese
without the semblance Of reply from
the inert Muscovite cruisers surprises no
one in the navy department.. That is
good for. The secret files Of the naval
Intelligence office, if they could be
placed In the hands Of the reader, would
show that that assertion is not whit
above or below the truth.
The files to which reference is made
American officers who observed the fight
in the harbor of Chemulpho, Korea, last
spring between the American-built Var
lag and Korietz, flying the Russian flag,
| and the Naniwa and Akutashima Of the
Japanese navy.
The Russian ships were scuttled by
their crews before they had suffered a
1.-THE of the damage that would have
been required to put an American ship
manned by American sailors out Of bust
ness. The Korietz was not damaged at
all before her sea cocks were opened
and she was sent to the bottom. "
The Variag was scuttled after she
had been hit seven times. Not one Of
the shots which took effect in her ought
to have made her commander even
think of giving up the ship.
that hit her went into the gun opening
of the port eight-inch piece aft and
killed the crew Of that gun and then
ricocheted across the deck and killed
! or wounded all the members of the star
of the eight, but the starboard one was
all right and ought to have done q lot
of execution. as it would had it been
worked at all.
Blame for Failure.
The blame for such lamentable per
Torrance on the part Of the American
built cruiser rests not altogether on the
captain Of the ship. The supposedly
confidential reports show that there was
Is tain ordered her sea cocks opened. The
Russian officers did not report the mu
- tiny but the American officers
who went alongside to offer as
sistance when the Varziag quit
! fighting did report it. The only evidence
afforded by. the fact. that when the,
went aboard the Russian ship revolver
the kind that only officers are per
mitted to have--were lying about tn
deck as if they had been used in a vail
effort to drive the panic stricken an.
The American officers delicately hint
ed that they would like to know TO
certain that their Impressions as t.
!; what had happened were supported b.
the facts, but the most eloquent thing
the Russian officers offered for thei
enlightenment was series of shrug
Of the shoulders.
Should Have Fought.
The idea of the American officers VIII
saw the fight is that the Variag, bein
q 23-knot ship and from five to 81
knots faster than the best Of the Rus
sian ships, could have steered directl
IF "a Tan
ron, using her forward guns all the tim
and have rammed at least one Of tn
enemy before being put out Of actio
| herself. Instead Of that she .permitte
the slower Japanese to lie off at di
-, at her At that distance the guns {
. the Korietz never came into range. =
The Japanese used only their eigl
and ten-inch guns. It was too far #
> for their rather weak secondary bate
les. 1t was also too long range, +!
the very strong secondary battery Of Il
4 Varaig, knowing that the odds wei
against her, should have moved in clo
: enough to have brought all her guns I
bear upon her antagonists instead
accepting battle at a distance or thru
!. marine miles.
\ But the fact that stands out with Il
most glaring distinctness is that t
common Russian sailor will not fgt
: Wiling vii 1aa to o. quit before he is hurt enous
to mention the fact. To show he
stanch a craft the Variag was after t
4 fight was over it may be mentioned tn
it took five hours to sink her after {
the wounded had been taken off.
4 other words, there was not wound
3 her hull that in the least endanger
her buoyancy Her engines were n
4 hit at all, and the only way she cou
T be put out Of business was to open b
sea cocks and let in the water.