The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-18
Are Proud of TogOs Latest Achievement in OecOyiRg
 Enemy Over Mine
EXPRESS REGRET OVER
 DEATH OF MAKAROFF
Commander ogasawara Issues State ment in Which He Says He Chased With Best Admir-
 aIs in the World.

Tolxio. April 17.-5 p. m.-Japanese are elated over the successes they have met at Port Arthur. They are also proud of the achievement of Admiral Togo, par ticularly of his new strategy in counter mining the enemys harbor and decoying him across this field of mines to an equal ly dangerous flank attack.
 The success of the system of placing deadly counter mines is due largely to series of careful observations made by the Japanese during their previous attacks on Port Arthur The Japanese saw the Rus sian fleet leave the harbor and return to 1t several times and they discovered that the Russian warships followed an identical course every time they came out or went In, evidently for the pur- pose of avoiding their own mines The Japanese took bearings on this course When the destroyer divisions of the Ja- panese torpedo fotilla laid the counter mines during the night of April 12-13 they placed them along this course. The laying of these counter-mines was exceedingly perilous. because if any Japanese boat with mines on board had been struck by
 
 been annihilated.
 Weather Was Favorable. The weather of the night of April 12-13 favored the work. There was a heavy rain, the night was dark and cloudy and the Russian searchlights playing over the channel failed to reveal the presence of the Japanese destroyers.
 Rear AdmiraI Dawo 1,,oo ;, of the squadron which decoyed the Rus sian fleet over the fleet of mines His squadron consisted of the cruisers Chi tose, Yoshino, Kasagi and Takasago, all unarmcred vessels, which presented tempting bait for the heavier Russian ships.
 Vice Admiral Togo directed the flank attack. He had the battleships Hatsuse, Matsushima, Asahi, Shikishima, Yashima and Fuji. He waited thirty miles out at sea until Rear Admiral Dewa signalled him by wireless telegraphy to come h. His vessels then dashed at full speed toward the entrance of the harbor. All the battleships under Vice Admiral Togo are capable of a speed of eighteen knots, and they quickly covered the distance. It is not clear what warned the Russians that they had been trapped, but they probably discerned the battleship squad ron on the horizon and retreated precipi- tately to the harbor.
 Vice Admiral Togo did not succeed in preventing the Russians from entering, but did force thm to disastrous retreat, which ended in the destruction of the Petropavlovsk and the disabling of the Pobieda. After these occurrences the cruisers Niasn and Kasuga were used to lombard Port Arthur They possess the highest angled guns in the fleet, capable of throwing shells to the elevated Russian land works which are beyond attain ment by the average naval weapon.
 Two Distinct Attacks.
 Vice Admiral Togo calls this attack on Port Arthur the eighth, whereas here It is the seventh A probable explanation is that Vice Admiral Togo regards the lat est operation as two distinct attacks.
 Expressions of regret at the death of General Makaroff are general here. Speak ing for the naval staff Commander Ogas- awara has published a length statement in which he laments the death of the Russian vice admiral and pronounces it to be a loss to the navies of the world. Commander Ogasaware reviews the life, professional career and the personal att tributes of Vice Admiral Makaroff and declares that he Is entitled to be chased with the best admirals in the world. The Koryu Maru, which participated in the latest attack on Port Arthur, is torpedo depot boat and under the com mand of Commander Oda Oda is a mine expert and the success of the Japanese countermning operations were largely due to his ingenuity and bravery.
 The Japanese report that the wreck of the Petropavlovsk lies southeast of Golden Hill, one mile outside the entrance to ha har