The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-03
WHERE WILL THEY STRIKE NEXT.

The opening events of the war in the East
have followed each other with almost be-
wildering rapidity. The japanese. who as
sumed the offensive at the beginning. have
maintained it so successfully as to indi-
cate that they have been acting on a pre-
concerted programme, part of which was
to confuse as well as weaken the enemy by
rapidly delivered blows at unexpected times
and places. In carrying out their pro-
gramme they have been materially aided
by their skill in keeping their plans and
movements secret.
Between the success of the japanese in
maintaining the veil of secrecy and the
chronic Russian habit of lying it is hard
to tell just how much injury Japan has in
fiicted on her powerful foe, but it is evil
dent she has pretty nearly made herself
mistress on the sea. Probably that was part
of her plan Of campaign. Naval power was
so obviously Japan's strongest point and
Russia's weakest that it would be natural
for Japan to open the war with naval at
tacks. The uniform success which has at
tended these is one of the most remarkable
able than the great successes gained by the
United States navy at the beginning of the
war with Spain, because at the beginning
OF that war the navies Of the two combat
ants were much more evenly matched on
paper than were those of Japan and Russia.
Although details of the repeated attacks
on Port Arthur are vague it is evident that
the Russian fleet in that harbor has been
practically put out of the fighting. Some of
the ships were sunk. others disabled, and
If any remain intact they are bottled up. 1t
is evident, also, that the garrison and Rus
sian land forces behind the town have be-
come demoralized by the repeated attacks
and furious bombardIng by the Japanese
warships. For several days past there have
been indications that the Russians were
preparing to abandon Port Arthur as a base
of operations. In reality. it has ceased to
be base since the first attack by the Jap
anese. In less than three weeks the latter
have practically nullifed the work of five
years done by the Russians in fortifying
Port Arthur. for if it cannot be held and
used as a base of operations II might as
well not have been fortified at ALL Its
abandonment or its elimination from the
list of important strategic points would be
a humiliating confession Of defeat by the
Russians.
Having broken the naval power of Rus
STA and established her own supremacy on
the sea ii would seem natural for Japan to
concentrate her energies on land operations,
and that is evidently what she is doing
Within the last week the center of Japa-
nese activity has been transferred from the
ocean to the land. and the movement of
| ships has given place to that of troops. II
has been known for some time that Russia
was massing troops north of the Yalu
river, the northern boundary of Korea, and
now it appears that Japan is concentrating
forces in the same quarter. 1t is claimed
that she now has over 10000 troops in
northern Korea. A dispatch from Toxic
| says the general staff has taken the field
and Japan is ready to strike.
1t is therefore reasonably certain that the
next important event of the war will be a
! land battle, and that it will be brought on
| by the Japanese attacking the Russians on
| the north side of the Yalu river. 1t might
| be more prudent to await the invasion of
Korea by the Russians and engage them on
| the south side of the river, but having
taken the aggressive the Japanese are likely
to maintain it. The japanese programme is
not merely to keep Russia out of Korea,
but to drive her out of Manchuria. This is
difficult programme to execute. but the
Japanese seem TO be daring enough to at
to be along the Yalu river and probably on
| the north side of n