Arizona republican., 1904-07-28
Russia in the Pacific.

Newspaper readers accustomed to hear of nothing but Japanese success, find it difficult to understand why it is that the Russian squadron from VladivoslOk has been able to make two bold dashes into the Japan sea, sink Japanese transports and threaten Ja- pans communication with her armies in the Held, return safely to Vladivo- stok, and appear at last in the Pa cifc to prey at will, apparently, on Japanese and neutral commerce.
 The situation is explained by Japan's inability tO detach from Port Arthur a fleet equal to the Russian squadron, and to the high efficiency of the Vladi- vostok ships All the Japanese battle ships and oh the cruisers of the first class are needed by Admiral Togo in the blockade and siege of Port Arthur. The world has never been informed as to the exact strength of the auxiliary squadron under Admiral Kamimura. II Is known. however, that Kamimura's s lighting strength is confined chiefly to converted cruisers and to torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers. None of his ships can have a wide radius of ac- tion. They must return frequently to their base for coal and supplies, and they are no match for the Russian ships in speed or fighting abilities. This explains why the Russians have escap- ed each time they have been sighted by Kamimura. It is to be doubted whether there Is any ground whatever for the suggestions now heard in Amer ica that Kamimura must be an in- competent commander. He cannot ac- complish the impossible, and on a straight chase he cannot overtake the Russians.
 The exploits of the Vladivostok fleet prove once again that speed is one of the qualities of immeasurable value in a warship-especially q commerce-de stroying cruiser. The ships which within a week have become the terror of the Pacific and threaten by their carrying the American or British flags to involve the United States and Great Britain, are to be classed with the finest cruisers afioat. They are the Gromoboi, the Rossia and the Rurik, the Bogatyr apparently having been left at home because of recent wounds. They are all armored cruisers of from 1O,923 to 12.936 tons and from 13.25O to 145O0 horsepower. They carry from six to ten inches of armor, and each has four S-inch and sixteen 6-inch guns. besides a great number of smaller guns and four or five torpedo tubes. The Rurik carries 2,OOO and each of the oth- CTS 2,569 tons of coal. The Rurik can make nearly nineteen and the others twenty knots an hour. What is partic- ularly to the present purpose is that at ten knots the Gromoboi can steam 17,5OG and the others 19,00O knots with out recosling. That is a tremendous radius of action. It would enable the ships to make their way clear back to Europe, or across the Pacific ocean to America and back again, or to cruise for weeks in the Pacific to the vast destruction of Japanese commerce. We remember what losses the Alabama in fiicted upon our commerce. Here are three greater and more deadly Ala bamas at large upon the ocean which carries the hulk of Japan's commerce.
 Nothing. apparently, is to prevent these formidable ships from paralyzing the great commerce between Japan and the United States, or, indeed, from bombarding Japan's ports-except Ja- pans excellent coast defenses. And the record already made proves that the Russians do not lack in audacity. If the Russian fleet at Port Arthur had been commanded from the first by Admiral Skrydloff the history of the last few months might have been diff ferent.
 Audacity. indeed, seems now to be the watchword of the Russians. There