Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-01-11
DECIDEDLY WARLIkE.

Of the contending nations have met In
conflict. AT any rate the tension OF
the past few days will not continue
long. and there will be bloody war
or a complete back down. Owing to
this exciting situation everything
bearing on the standing OF the two
great powers and the propable result
ia eagerly sought In this connection
q writer in the { obe-Democrat re-
views the situation AS follows:
Probably individual sympathy has
something to do with the estimates OF
the chances for victory In war be-
tween Russia and Japan. British ex-
perts think that Japan would come
out ahead in a war between the two
countries. while the German authori-
ties on military matters believe that
Russia would be the victor In nll the
important wars between the yellow
and the white races Of the past two
or three centuries. the whites have
ultimately won, but no white country
has met yellow foe 50 formidable as
Japan is Japan displays confidence
too. on the eve OF what looks like i'm
pending war which ought TO count for
something. especially as she appears
to be intelligently aware of the ire.
mendous task that would be before
her in n struggle with the northern
colossus. Her army and navy, so re-
port says, are trained TO very high
point of efficiency, She has had Euro
pean and American models In the
httf1dtnu af ,,lttng. nd nh
Is said TO have taken Intelligent ad-
vantage of all the points gwen her
by her mentors.
War results are ordinarily the
most uncertain of all earthly things
when dealt with in the prospective.
They are particularly uncertain in this
case, when there are so many points
of contrast between the antagonists,
1t seems certain that the Japanese sol
diers and sailors are better trained
physically than are the Russians.
They are much smaller In weight. but
In wars, as In other things IN these
days. the battle is not to be bulky
American military experts who took
part In the advance on Pekin in 1900
say the Japanese were the best march
ing troops In The expedition, and that
the Americans came next, with the
Germans third, the British fourth and
the Russians fifth. A Jap can thrive
on quantity of food so small that ii
would starve an American. The Jap
soldier can carry rations for much
longer campaign than can a soldier oi
any other nation. He is harder and
quicker than the Russian, can endure
much greater fatigue, and has n far
more cheerful disposition. in war, as
in other sorts of activities, good hui
NOR has much influence Japan. be-
Ing nearer her home base in con
test with Russia, could bring more
warships into action than could Rus
sia. The first fighting which will take
place, II war comes, will be on the
water. and the advantage, at the out.'
set at least. ought to be with Japan
"Of course, Russia AT home is in
Vulnerable to serious attack from any
great power or coalition of powers.
Bonaparte dashed himself against her
nearly ninety years ago. and he was
the principal sufferer. England
France. Turkey and Sardinia were
theoretically the victors In the Grim.
can war, but In reality Russia. not.
withstanding the military hlunders on
her side. which were almost as great
AS were those which were committed
by the allies, was the winner. She
showed the world that she was as i'm
pervious to dangerous assault in the
latter half of the nineteenth century
as she had been in that cycles early
days. Even II the war should involve
England on the side of Japan. the bulk
OF the fighting would have to be done
in Asia. If war comes. Korea un.
doubtedly will be the battle grouno
when the fighting reaches the land
Russia can march an army overland
from Manchuria into Korea, for there
is only a narrow river, the Yalu, for
her to cross. Japan on the other hand
cannot send an army of any proper.
lions into Korea until she has swept
away the Russian fleet. or bottled
It up In Port Arthur, which would be
Russia's chief naval base in the fight.
Ing. With Japanese army in Kor.
ca, 1t would probably be comparative.
ly easy for her drive Russia out OF
that country. but Japan would have
to win big naval victory before she
could safely transport an army across
the Korea strait into the Yellow Sea
or the Sea of Japan. Then when the
Russians were driven north of the
falu. Japan would be on the border
OF Manchuria, and there Russia would
probably be able o resist all the forces
which Japan could bring against her.
But the war would carry with It so
many possibilities OF various sorts that
predictions as to its length and Its
outcome. even when based on he best
data which is available, are subject to
many and peculiar hazards
Let every Herald reader get down
the family atlas and study up on geo
graphy-and few Russian.J apanese