Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-23
THE EASTERN WAR
EXPERT CONSIDERATION OF THE
RUssIAN-JAPANEsE CONFLICT.
By FRANKLIN & YOUNG
fCopyrIchted 1DO1.J

The war cloud which hangs over the
eastern hemisphere grows daily larger and
biacker. The pending Russo-Japanese con-
flict seems likely to take on such dimen-
sions as in the near future to overshadow
the whole earth The events of the past
fortnight make 1t self-evident to men who
know war that nither the Russian nor the
Japanese governments were prepared to
undertake any true military operation.
Russia would gladly have remained quiet
for several years, and it is equally clear
that Japan really did not intend to begin
the war until the coming spring. It begins
to look as though the japanese, knowing
by means of their spies the exposed situa-
tion Of the Russian warships at Port Ar
thur, due to the obvious incompetency of
the Russian admiral in command at that
point. merely took advantage of what they
thought an opportunity to destroy the Rus
sian fleet.
The strength of the Russian army now In
Manchuria. as given out authoritatively at
Berlin is. in round numbers, 100000 men
This army is now quietly resting on the
defensive behind the Yalu river, with de.
tachments supporting Port Arthur and Niu-
Chang. Its outposts are advanced many
miles to the south of the Yaiu. An inde-
pendent corps Of the Russia main army is
posted at Kap-San. The opposing japanese
force is divided into two large bodies One
OF these, of about 60,000 men, Is about Won
San, and the other, of about $4,000, is at
Chemulpo. The first Japanese army has a
detachment posted at Ki1-Ju to observe the
RUSSIAN corps from kap-San. On the wa
ter the Russian Port Arthur feet ia ranjdIy
pelng repaired; its strong fotilla of torpedo
boats is intact. The Russian Vladiyostock
squadron is reported at various places II
appears most likely to be operating along
the west coast of Japan, and was last
seen about seven miles northeast Of Fusan
The Japanese fleet has been divided into
TWO bodies The first of these is blocka ding
Fort Arthur and Nfu-Chwang. The second
division of the Japanese fleet has been
Drought back home, and is now en- route to
the Sea of Japan for the purpose of op-
posing the Russian Vladivosteck warshi.s.
The actual theater of war is not TODAY the
place where the chief military interest
centerS.
There is reason to believe that the Rus
san government feels that the hour has
struck for the long contemplated death
grapple with England This is indica ted
Dy the concentration of Russian troops on
she india and Persian frontiers and by
further indications that it Is Russia pur-
pose to bring her Black Sea feet out
through the Dardenelles into the Mediterra-
mean. Each of these things are a military
menace to England. With one war already
on her hands russians seeming readiness
to take on another goes to show that she
must have arranged q satisfactory alIi-
ance offensive and, defensive, with the
German empire. This move one the part
OF Russia logically will take the form of
first transferring her Baltic fleet to the
eastern coast of the Mediterranean and
then by the consent of the sultan uniting
to 1t her entire Black Sea feet Thereupon
this great mass Of warships would be likely
to proceed in body to the orient for the
purpose of wrestling from Japan it's present
supremacy in that part of the world. There
are many and prodigiousf obstacles in the
way of this naval mane,sser