Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-26

leave to it's fate squadron of a dozen
warships and over thirty destroyers and
torpedo boats still fit and ready for action;
1t would mean the loss of the entire Lao
tung peninsula. carry the Japs to Yinkow
and place them on the line of communica-
ton between China and Manchuria.
What Port Arthur Is.
Port Arthur has cost thirty millions. It's
occupation by Russia is the grievance of
Japan and the menace that she sees to her
own future as a nation. Port Arthur is
fitted with dry docks. arsenals, permanent
forts, all with the idea that she shall be
bulwark of Russian power in the east, and
give the facilities of an ice-free port which
has been so long worked, struggled and suf
fered for.
ITO realize what Port Arthur means to
Russia 1t Is necessary to understand that
the colonization of Siberia is national
movement. Having a crowded population,
which is increasing more rapidly than any
other European nation, 1t was necessary to
provide for them. Siberia is for Russia
what the great American desert was for us;
the Siberian railroad Is for her what our
transcontinental lines were for US; Port
Arthur is for her what all of our Pacific
ports have been for us. In thirty years she
expects to gather the advantages that she
has seen us gain in that time. The Japs
know and feel all this as intensely as the
Russians do.
Many Points of Weakness.
Port Arthur has many points of weak
ness. Strategically, the fortress stands in
the same relation to Manchuria that the
city of Washington did to the north during
our civil war. 1t is at the apex of an
angle projecting into the enemys country
in this case counting the sea as Japanese
possession. Almost on the skirmish line,
surrounded by heavy guns, martial law in
her streets. the President himself forced
to go in disguise to take his seat hostile
population in front, on the flank and in
rear, single poor line of rail the surest
line of communication-all these were not
SUFFICIENT to cause the abandonment OF
Washington. No man in the north dared
to propose 1t or cared to do SO. To hold
Washington cost thousands of lives, mil
lions of treasure and prolonged the war
beyond a reasonable limit. But every move
nal principle at the fore. that Washington
must be held. 1t was national senti-
ment, the growth of fifty years brooding
over great disgrace.
Russia tenure of Port Arthur means as
much to Russia, the conditions being quite
similar, so let US see how it will work out.
Wars do not now occur from the caprice
OF kings and the intrigues of courts. They
are the result of national movements and
natural causes which have been preparing
through many years. This time two ma
lions, with the highest birth rate, found it
necessary to expand and it brought them
selves do not fully contemplate what the
result will be when Siberia has popula-
ton of 40, 000, 600 instead of 5000 600. There
are those who predict political changes of
immense Importance and rapid tendency
toward a republican form of government,
aided and encouraged by the ruling class.
"All this makes me think that nothing
but bitter defeat or bankruptcy, some
strange lack of understanding, will permit a
Russian general to give up Port Arthur.
"Of course Russia could find seaport In
China in case that country should be drag
ged into the war, but that involves many
contingencies, and is altogether, as Kipllng
would say, another story.
The Theater Of War.
"a better idea Of the zone of military OPP
erations Is gotten by a map in which the
shaded portion represents the area In which
military operations on a large scale need
not be expected. In this large tract, over
200 miles square, lie the head waters of the
three great rivers, Yalu, Tumen and Sum
gari The great white mountains with nu-
merous offshoots. rise to height of 5000
feet 1t is a great forest country, Astounding
In tigers, ginseng and robbers. The best
roads are mule tracks, of which there are
exceedingly few, and they are practically
closed during the rainy season.
This great neutral zone gives no practical
advantage to either combatant. 1t prevents
Russia from invading Korea, because she
has no interior line of travel, and she can
not move along the coast with her flank
open to the sea. 1t restricts the Japs TO
two narrow lines of operations IL they take
the offensive. The tendency is to maintain
the present state of expectancy and to pro-
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