New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-16
NOTES ON THE VAR.

In attrfbutine the destruction OF the Petro-
pavlovsk to q japanese submarine vessel ths
Russian wish may be father TO tbs thought
though we do not exactly see why Il should be.
OF course, the Russians dislike TO admit that
the Japanese have beaten them IN any way.
They have often said they would blow up their
own ships rather than surrender to the jap
anese. 1t is quite conceivable. therefore. that
they would prefer to charge the loss OF the
PetropavlOvsk to one Of their own mines rather
than to q japanese torpedo. and thus to con-
fess themselves to be bunglsrs, rather than
credit the Japanese with superior fighting quail
ties. But we do not see what salve for wounded
pride could be extracted from tbs submarine
boat theory.
The theory may however, be correct. Japan
may have number Of submarine boats II 50.
she has carefully concealed the fact. for It has
never been publicly known But then the Jap
anese have a faculty OF secretiveness. They
may easily have built some submarine boats
behind closed doors, and said nothing about
them II so. they must be credited with havfns
outwttted their opponents. That they purchasers
such boats and conveyed them home on or with
the Kasuga and NisShin can scarcely be-
lieve. for the reason that we know OF sOurcs
from which they could have gOt them. They
bought the two cruisers from Argentina, ana
received them from an Italian port. where they
had been built But Argentina had no sub
marines. Italy has one. and is building anOtheri
but it Is scarcely suppOsable that she would
sell them. Great Britain has q number OF them
but there IS no ground for thinking that sns
has turned any OF them over to japan France
has more OF them than all other powers put to-
gether. but. OF course. she has not let Japan
have one. So IL Japan has such vessels she
must have built them ION the sly" But we see
at present no convincing indication that she has
any. There was nothing IN the PetropavlovsS
disaster that could not have been caused by
Japanese torpedo or by a Russian mine
The Russian order to shoot spies all news
paper correspondents with the army who uss
wireless telesraphy seems harsh one but nay
be justified by the exigencies Of war. or course
a government has a right to exercise censor
ship over correspondents who accompany its
armies. and IL Is easy to see why Il may Do
thought necessary to extend such censorship 20
the entire prohibition OF wireless telegraphy De-
cause messages sent by that system would %
independent OF the censor. and not subject to
his inspection.
Reports Of more than 10000 Russian troops
at the seat OF war are again In circulation Tns
ST. Petersburg correspondent OF the Figaro
OF Paris who is at once well informed and sym
pathetic toward Russia. reported that on Ma-cn
% the total Russian forces n Manchuria wers
177.OO0 infantry. 1900 cavalry and 256 guns
Including the railroad guards. II his inforrna'
ton was correct. the present tales must %
much exaggerated. for It would not have been
possible TO transport 100000 and more soldiers
across the continent in these last two wees
About LOCO a day many can De ~
patched. and the trip takes from four - ~
weeks