The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-02-19
Russia. Sea Power, on Paper.
D1Splace-
ment. (Tons
b. %battleship; 40. armorsd cruiser.
In addition to those mentioned
there are seven torpedo-boat destroyers

classed. In addition to those mentioned
there are seven torpedo-boat d%estroyers
md four torpedo boats on the way out.
But the journey for such vessels 10 long
and arduous. The chances are very great
against an early arrival, II indeed they
can fetch at all. None are further than
the Mediterranean, where also at the mo-
ment are the belated battleship Osliabia
(of the sams class as the PobiedaC, the
armorsd cruiser (of old type) Dimltri
Donskoi. the battleship Emperor Nicolai
(also old), and q number of torpedo YES
(same as Pallada and Diana) left Bizerta
for the Piraeus January s.
Though superiority in material strength
on he sea, in the theater OF probable ac-
ton, u with the Japanese, the vital Ques-
ton after all IL one Of efficiency In man
agement Of ships and f1eets. Judgment
as to this must be formed after the event.
Equal courage must be granted. Russian
staying power has passed almost Into a
proverb; Japanese recklessness Of life and
patriotic devotion are undoubted; the two
nat1onalities, in these high qualities. may
be taken to be all that men should be.
The officers Of both are men Of ability
and education. American naval officers
have always had a liking and respect for
garded as essentially good fellows"
Many OF tho japanese officers, including
some now of flag rank, v been educated
at our own ava academy and are looked
upon as; men Of marked ability. The Jap
anese ships and squadrons, SO far as OBJ
servation extends, nave been well han
died; their drill Is constant Ind there
is no questioning their spirit. They lave
also had the test of a serious war not yet
80 distant but that the feeling Of conf
dence which comes from successful war
service must be reckoned with. 3. ].
Norman, an English ex-army officer, who
served long as an. instructor in both mill
itary and civil colleges. writing in the
Spectator" December &. things the homo
geneity Of good feeling In the Japanese
navy has been injured Of late by the en-
rance into the office class of other han
men Of the Satsuma clan, which In the
revolution of 1865 took over the navy as
the Chosu did the army; that the !eal-
ousies ~engsndered work for weakness.
Japanese Arc Superior.
Nevertheless, he speaks in high terms
Of both officers and men. The writer
would not presume to make a critical an
alysis OF the qualities Of the personnel Of
the two navies. even were he fitted by per-
the views OF the capable observer mem
toned are of timely interest. He Gays
of the enlisted men: THE Japanese blue
Jackets and petty officers are very fine
men indeed-far better SO on an average
h their comrades Of the army. They
are better fed, clothed and looked after,
and a very great proportion Of them are in
the service voluntarily. Taking them on
the whole. they are a fairly intelligent
lot Of men, far more SO than the Rus
slams. but in physique they cannot in any
way compare with them. > The Rus
slams undoubtedly have officers and men
superior to any the japanese can bring
forward, but I firmly believe-and I have
seen a good deal Of both-the average
Japanese officer and man is every whit
as good as the average Russian. Whether
the Japanese is quite so stubborn a fighter
as the Russian time alone will tell; but
there can be no doubt that while the Rus
slams have a great contempt for the Japa-
nese, the latter. on the other hand, have
some considerable respect for Russian
prowess."
The men are mainly recruited from boat
men. fishermen and sailors, 60 tina they
come into the service with the sea habit
to a much greater degree han can be
said Of the men OF the Russian q Rus
sia's limited s%sscoast, ice-bound for so
much Of the yea, naturally cannot breed
the large sea population Of Jlpan, which