The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-05-03

N(OAtAAAAC0 AASAAA T AoN 0SG-t Yalu. In consequence. our base will probably be moved to Antung.
 ..To be perfectly frank, must say expected yesterdays engagement would be more decisive. especially in view of the large number of Russian troops op- posed to us. Its significance must largely depend on our ability to pur- sue the enemy"
 Reviewing the whole future of the struggle that has just commenced in deadly earnest on land, Baron Hayashi said:
 "The duration os the war must lie rather with Russia than with Japan. For the moment the military advantage is with us. for Kuropatkin has extend ed his front and we can strike where and when we will. Our aggressive movement may be carried on to Muk- den, perhaps to Harbin. and perhaps even further, but before long there must come stage of the campaign where Russia will assume the role of the in- vading power and where we must act solely on the defensive. From the be- ginning it has been so, and our aggres- sion is and has been meas towards the eventual expulsion of the invading army.
 General Kuroki himself probably cannot say at this moment at exactly what point our aggression will be changed into the defensive. Kuropat- kin, so I believe, says he will not un- dertake to drive us back until he has 30O00O men ready to take the field. think what that means is that at least five per cent of that force will idle from sickness. so hat to keep his forces at the maximum required Kuropatkin will always have to be transporting 15,O0O men from St. Petersburg-no mall task.
 This years harvest in Manchuria, learn, promises to be bad A million Russians there in addition to the army must be fed. We have or shall have closed every source of food supply ex- cept by the Siberian railroad. Even with double tracks and no men or muni- tions of war to transport, the problem of feeding the Russian population and army now in Manchuria would be in itself intensely serious, but with a sin gle track road, which is Russias only vital sinew. 1t seems almost impossible, and famine appears inevitable
 With this dreadful accompaniment of war, there is only too likely to be a rising amonst the Manchurians. They may attack the Russians or they may attack us. Either case is bad enough to contemplate.
 al efk ol1 these contingencies we are working day and night on the Corean railroad, ad by October the unfinished portions of the road between Fusan and Seoul will be completed and q new line from Seoul to Wiiu will also be ready. Lo- comotives are coming from the United States and as soon as these arrive we will have a strong and rapid line of communications through all Corea which will almost touch our own main- land, and we will not be likely to suf- fer from want of supplies or reinforce- ments.
 As regards Port Arthur and vladi- vostok the situation is somewhat diff Iferent, I cannot say anything about the movements of our other armies that have been mobilized, but there is no doubt that the Liao Tung peninsula will, if any success attends our land forces, be cut off from supplies. Neither Port Arthur nor vladivostok can be taken from the sea front, but I hink you will find Port Arthur either taken by our land forces or starved out by September. The Chinese are smuggling pa,.n f-ir {yfn Chefoo, but only to an immaterial ex- tent and that will soon cease.
 "The most unfortunate incident of the campaign up to date is Vice Admiral Kamimura' misfortune in missing the Vladivostok fleet. It seems from here that it was a pity the vice admiral did not stay outside that port insead of rying to find the Russians in the open sea.
 Vice Admiral Togo will doubtless re- main on watch outside of Port Arthur By September, when the hurricane sea- son comes, he should be able to safely house his fleet in Japanese port No fleet, Russian or Japanese, could be particularly effective then. I scarcely think Russia will send her Baltic fleet to face our autumn hurricanes. If the ships go before then, they will encoun- ter the monsoon period, which lasts from ay to August and in which coal ing at sea enroute to Japan would be exceptionally dangerous, if not impossi- ble, and coaling at sea is the only way the Baltic fleet can take hand in the war"