Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1904-11-11
WAR FOR A WEEK.
SEVEN DAYS HISTORY OF THE
EASTERN STRUGGLE.
Thrilling Stories of Bravery and Hero
ism Come from Russo Japanese Bat
tlefie1ds - Desperate and Prolonged
Seige of Port Arthur.

Seige of Port Arthur.
During the week the world received ,
the two most thrilling accounts Of the
operations Of the present war which
have yet been published. The first
was the story of the battle of Lao
yang, told by Frederick Palmer in Col
lier's Weekly. The other was the &C
count by the Associated Press CORE
spondent of the operations about Port
Arthur during the last three months.
Both of these stories will hereafter
rank among the classics of war CORE
spondence.
The Port Arthur story leaves one in
voluntarily with the feeling that war,
though a horrible and brutal thing, is
yet redeemed from part of its ugltness
by the lustrous heroism, self-sacridce,
and devotion Of it's victims. Was there
ever a more wonderful story told Of
forgetfulness Of self and love Of coun-
try than this account Of the Japanese
soldiers who fell MORALLY wounded on
the slopes Of Port Arthurs forts, smil-
ing because they felt they had done
their part we'll? Or was there ever
practice Of cooler daring than that Of
the Japanese pioneers who, sent for
ward to cut the entanglements which
| prevented the infantry charges, tum-
| bled over as dead before the wires,
where they waited until night fall,
| then stealthily crawled on their backs
| to the barbed wire and nipped it with
| their pincers?
The enthusiasm among the privates
! and under officers was brought out in
the great charge without orders Two
attacks had been repulsed on the morn
ing of Aug q. Gen. Nogi was in
quandary. He called his officers to-
gether. The troops were left to their
ow4 devices, and spontaneously by
/ tens and twenties rushed up the blood
stained hill. Twice they were rolled
back, but the third time made their
efforts good. ..
The Japanese authorities have &C
June their first-class battleship, the
Yashima, 1890 tons, struck a mine
and sunk. The fact was reported at
the time unoficially, but was officially
denied by the Japanese government
| The denial was justifiable, for STRATEGY
cal deceit is legitimate in war. In the
battle Of Aug. 10, therefore, Togo had
but four battleships, against the Rus
slams six, and was outnumbered. How
ever, he whipped the Muscovites badly,
scattering some Of them and driving
FIVE Of their battleships back to Port
Arthur. where they have since been
| <.--------r@v~x5oSH ~ INC nix 0A
Rather s,,rs If the fleet attempts an
N2eF sortie it will be far easier work
for Togo than it was on Aug. 10.
In their statement about the Yashi-
ma 1t would not be surprising If the
Japs had been guilty Of another gen
tie little deception. Though the va
shima was sunk in June, by this time
it may have been raised and repaired.
When Rojestvensky reaches the far
east he should not be at all surprised
If he meets five first-cass battleships
under Togo. But whether Togo has
four battleships or five, he probably
will not have much trouble with Ro-
jestvensky and his cavalrymen.
The Seige of Port Arthur.
General Nogi announced to his army
Oct. Is that there would be bonn
bardment Of the whole eastern ridge
Of the Port Arthur defenses prelimi-
nary to an attempt at its capture. This
bombardment began the next day and
under cover of the fire the Japanese
regiments drove the Russians out Of
their trenches on Sungshu and Rihlung
Mountains, and on the southern part of
Pohsian Mountain. The artillery prac-
tice continued for three days longer,
and on the night Of the twenty ninth
the Japanese reserves were moved up
! through the network Of trenches in
front Of the Keekwan forts. Right
here our direct information ends.
1t is probably true that even though
the Japanese capture one of the forts
| on this ridge they cannot hold it I'M
less they capture all or nearly all Of
them. If they accomplish this greater
feat they will not, indeed, have ended
the siege, but they will have finished
the heaviest part Of the task. Certain
forts along the seacoast southeast Of
Port Arthur will remain in Russian
hands, although perhaps not tenable
against land attack; also certain large
forts west Of Port Arthur the forts of
the Tiger Tail Peninsula, and the hill
forts at the end of the Liaotieshan
Peninsula In these General Stoessel
can continue his desperate resistance
for a time longer.
A. ~, %l,o Cbol-1,o