The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-11-13
RUSSIA WITHOUT
GHOST OF SHOW
SO Declares Traveller in
Enthusiastic Letter.
JAPS SPLENDID WARRIORS
The Island Kingdom Unsurpassed il
Organizing, Forethought, Skill,
and Executive Ability.

ahese Tor their war with Russia and
lher skill In lighting both at sea and
on land are set forth with impressive
force IN letter just received in Wash
ingtOn
The author is a traveller in whose
letters. published I'm the magazines for
the past ten years, the American public
mas manifested IA constantly increasing
interest. and his Washington corre-
spohdent Is widely known as an authOri-
~ on all things japanese
As tne letter was written without
thought that it would be published. and
SO escaped the scrutiny Of the censor.
OF course. the name of the author can
not be diyulged.
An account Of the voyage across the
Paeinc and rather roundabout journey
IRON Japan to Korea preface these par
agraphs
Near Yalu's Mouth.
AT Seoul we were entertained by the
Emperor and had an interview with him
From Ping Yang we went 10 the mouth
OF the Yaiu and spent two days there.
Then we crossed Korea Bay 20 the Lao
Iuns Peninsula and spent nearly three
days at the headquarters Of Admiral
Togo's feet in the Elliot Islands We
were entertained on the flagship Mi
kasa, and / had talk with the admiral
as we'll as with Captain Nomato. who
had lived eight years in Russia ami
spoke Russian very well.
Prom there we ran down the coast
past Dalny until we could see the hills
OF Port Arthur. but there were so many
torpedoes and mines floating around
loose IN that vicinity that Captain
Takarabe didn't dare TO 90 any nearer.
On July 20 We returned TO Japan and
missed being captured by the Vladi-
vostok cruisers by just one hour.
If we had left Nagasaki at a. m.
as We intended. / should now be Ian
gushing In a Vladivostok jail We were
accidentally detained one hour and that
gave the imperial headquarters at Tokyo
time to reach US with a telegram Of
warning, and an orde- to go through
the Inland Sea 20 Kcbe. as the Rus
sian cruisers We're directly in the route
we had intended 10 take to Yokohama.
This is a brief outline Of our move
ments. but IL doesn't give even a sugges-
ton OF the experiences and impressions
that have been crowded into the last six
months, and the last four months in
particular I can't get them into a let
ter, any more than / could get the En-
cyclopedia Britannica into the compass
OF a spelling book: but / can tell you a
few things.
Praises Japs' intelligence.
"First. the Japanese. When you re-
marked 20 me shortly before ! left
Washington, that they were, or are the
10 smile at il as the exaggerated state
ment OF a Japanese enthusiast. / ought
10 have known that you don't make
statements for which you don't have
evidence. but this one seemed to me. at
taat time. so much Of an over-statemeHt
that I couldn't believe It.
Il now lay my face in my hands and
my hands In the dust and frankly con-
Tess thai you knew the japanese, while I
didn't have the glinmer of an idea OF
their ability. resourcefulness. and power.
think i have never, in all my life.
been so tremendously surprised and so
profoundly impressed by the skill
knowledge, forethought, executive abiI-
ity and organizing capacity of any peo-
pie that ! have ever been thrown IN
Cuntact with.
The trip in the Manshu-Maru was a
perfect revelation to me. / had given
the Japanese credit. before that time. for
artistic taste, quickness Of perception.
cleverness In adaptation, and the afi-
ity 20 do small things in a very perfect
way, but 1 hadn't the famtest idea that
they could do the biggest sort Of things
quite as well as Americans and in many
respects better.
Born to Fight.
"In the art Of making war. they're be-
yond all competition. There isn't a ma
ton on earth that, with anything like
equal numbers. could stand against them
for three months. either at sea or on
land They would knock even Germany
out I'm single campaign. and as for
ourselves we should be so hopelessly
outclassed that We shouldn't be in H.
at all
81 base this judgment not on the UNI
broken series Of their victories, but on
what I've seen Of their organization and
their methods. Nothing so absolutely
perfect has ever come under my obser-
walton.
81 spent six weeks on the Manshu-
Maru and in the course Of that time /
schools, manufacturing plants, warships
barracks, torpedo practice the training
OF men, artillery practice, marine en-
cheering the operations Of quartermas-
ters' and supply departments. Red Cross
and military hospitals, and scores of
other things that / cant even enumer-
ate, ! kept my eyes wide open and all
my faculties awake, and / assure you
that Ia all those six weelJs-in Japan. In
Korea. and in Manchuria-I didn't see
one single thing that had been over
looked, sighted, or neglected, OF sin
gle method that 1 thought could be inn
proved. On the other hand, 1 saw doz-
ems of things that were far bette" done
than We have ever done them in Ameri-
ca. and big things too.
Il came back with the firmly cstab-
hshed conviction that Japan Is the Iirst
military power on the globe, ana one Of
the FIRST powers in every other respect
Russia Outclassed.
IF 1 had seen before the war the
things that I saw ON that trip. 1 should
have had no more doubt of the success
81 Japan than of my own ultimate
death. Russia. with her government
and her methods. didn't have the ghost
Of a chance from the beginning She
was as hopelessIy outclassed as 1 should
be in wrestling bout with "a ji-jitsu
..E.s