New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-26
NOTES on THE FAR.

Reports CT Welucst-y's operations az Port Ar
thur remind Us strongly q the classic rhy mes
about Ten Little Iujuns.' who one by one
vanished IN one way OF another until the last
was gone. "ard then there was none So-c---e-
.gflela." reports GA wednesday told US that iour
japanese b4t,Ieships and two transports had
been surk-au appalling loss 20 n navy contain
ing only seven batt.esL!ps all told Then came a
second. saying that az any rate four japanese
cruisers had been destroyed AS the evening
vvared the cruisers sh-cuk 90 torpedo boats. and
the uuU Der Cf them steuC.y s-l.H- Af.--t u Va
admitted ia1t Ie5-aI- N,t ---o.e 80 -,
those a-te vessels had some 20 l-r 800. ~.
Then 70 last came an official declaration tl4A-
not so much ss one torpedo beat was SuHS' OF
even 20 much as injured. The -FOUR uat,IeSL-t9
and two TRANSPORTS had dwirIled down 90 four
worthless hulEs - merchant SHIPS Nh-eh tis
rr~1resa tovyaI into the hGrlor for the express
first fruits Of the removal OK the censorship from
outgoing news iu Russia. the reading word may
have gained something In lTotlslcH' p~t NOS III
accuracy. OF Information
TIE rist 81 the whole matter IS that the Jap
ancve tried 60 shut the Russian fleet Up in the
harbor By blocking the narrow entrance WITH
wrecked huIks. and failed. with no other loss
than that OF the hulks. The scheme was not
original II has many times been tried. some
times with success. The Russians themselves
tried II az sebastopol. IN the Criuean War.
lH
best varships IN their navy our own navy
tried II at Santiago. without complete success.
The japanese were amply justified IN trying u
az Port Arthur for that harbor lends Itself well
10 such a scheme. Alexis kgausse, whom We
have already quoted as one az the foremost Rus
sian authorities u1on these subjects deG LaIes
that 1T IS questionable whether the esllIhd1s
generally held 20 the strength ana utility OF
Port Arthur Is not exaggerated The deep WlteI
area * limited, and is so placed as TO necessl'ils
large vessels being anchored within sight ana
within range OF the outer sea. The accommoda-
tiou offered inside the harbor IS insumclent Ior
more than a small squadron OF battleshlps, ana
the entrance channel IS so narrow as TO present
considerable risk TO the passage OF fleet
single vessel sunk at the entrance to the harpoF
would etectu9iIy seHl up an the sHlps l.Sl,.5
While Port Arthur possesses undoubted
strength. the protection 1t IS capable or aIIord-
ing 10 a fleet IS limited and the FISK or us oelns
starved out in case Of war is extremely great
one feature Of the affair IS % interest TO
Americans and cannot fan 20 be I'm a sense graf
flying 10 them. That IS that. in the words OF the
Russian official report. the japanese were bat-
fed by "the brilliant action and destructive fire
Of the Retvizan." Why the Retvizan bore the
brunt OF the fight f. obvious. She was outside
the harbor and she was outside because she
was disabled and could not get inside Cen
orally n warship that has been tOrpedoed and
driven ashore IS abandoned as lost. or at least rs
out OF service but II seems that this superb YES
sci. though SOrely CIlpplGuf WIS 0lAAA t-AAC ~
serve as n stationary battery. and to be. IN fact
the saviour OF the rest Of the fleet. she was
probably not attacked by any vessels compor-
able with herself IN strength. but merely by the
mosquito fleet. Nevertheless, she beat or the
destroyers and smashed and sunk the hulks be-
fore they got TO the point where they could
block the harbOr. Such record Is a fine tribute
10 American naval construction, for the Ret
vizan was built IN American shipyard.
The Variag, too. another American built ship,
seems to have been so well constructed that not
even the desperate fighting at ChemulpO could
destroy her. 1t IS reported that the japanese
have rescued her. and have found that she can
readily be repaired and put into active service.
If so, she will materially Increase the strength
OF the japanese Navy.
dispatch from Port Arthur yesterday stated
that twenty-three japanese ships were ap-
preaching that place. and that firing had begun
again. on the Russian side by the Bayan, the
Novik and the Askold. The Bayan Is a fine
cruiser with twenty-five knots speed and car
rying two S-inch guns. The Novik. which was
recently repaired after being injured I'm former
fight Is one Of the smallest cruisers In the Rus
sian Navy, and the swiftest. having a speed OF
twenty six knots. but her heaviest guns are Of
less than hve-inch calibre. The Askold was re-
ported seriously damaged some time ago. but as
she is not too large TO enter the Port Arthur
drydock. she has been repaired and put into ac-
ton again. She is OF the best cruisers in the
Russian Navy. OF high speed and armed with
dozen O-inch guns. In armament she closely re-