New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-26
NOTES ON THE WAR.

Admiral Togo reports that during his NTH
bombardment OF Port Arthur the Russian feet
came out OF the harbor and showed itself in the
open roadstead. That was probably done. as ne
supposed to tempt the japanese ships TO close
IN against the Russians and thus come within
the range OF a heavy plungius fire from the
forts on the hills But Admiral Togo was too
wary thus to be entrapped- What Is perhaps
more interesting and instructive than the object
Of the rnGnosuvre is the display which was thus
made OF the Russian strength There were
says Admiral Togo. five battleships. four eTuis-
ers and several destroyers. Now, there were
originally seven battIeships. OF these three
were injured. and OF these three one. the Aueri-
can built Retvizan has since been partially re-
paired We may assume, then. that the fvs
which were shown were the Retvizan. the Petro-
paulovsk. the sebastopol. the Peresviet and the
Pobieda- The Poltava and the CzareVitch aIe
probably stin disabled. Beyond doubt the hve
vessels in service constitute fleet formidao!s
for defence. and one that would be formidable
for attack II It were prudent for il to take the
aggressive.
Tho Russians declare that ell these lombard
ments have done little damage, though they
confess that they are trying to the nerves OF
the garrison II is we'll known that high ansls
firing does comparatively little injury TO town
or 70 fortIhcations. II would be disastrous 10
ships. however. II it hit them Just as would the
ulungine fire from forts on the hills How nerve
racklng and demorallzing it is to men, however,
NM be Judged from a description Of the ne"
Japauese high explosive shells and their ac'lOl'
The fuse OF the she'll acts on contact win N9'e''
clothing or anything il may touch IEen tuo
shell expIodes. The fragments into when II Is
blown range from the size OF buckshot to that OF
.a~fafu radius are III
orally torn TO pieces. while those outside OF II
rocatva only slight wounds. Thus one OF these
shells burst on the bridge Of the Variag. Wnere
,,e,,, the CAPTAIN and four men. one OF the
mon was SO completely destroyed that no trace
80 bt,, WAS found OF another man only one
,,,a,eled arm was found. The other two men
were badly but not fatally injured, one OF the'"
having no fewer than 10 wounds from uilS
FRAGMENTS of shell. The captain est'Psu WEN "
few scratches The Conclusion produVeu ~ 'i
o,l,siop Is said 90 be peculiarly stunning dear
-, ord derroraIiziug. With such projectiles
dropping around promiscuously III ro'' Al
t, ,,.r,-sz Of the garrison must be soreiy tired
Those who wonder why more rapid progress
t,s NOT baen nade in the land campaign would
IN we'll tn consider the limited extent 10 Whicn
tho qospeI OF good roads has been preacheu III
those narts. Captain Cavendish, OF the hI'''''
ARMY. who visited Corea a few years ago say .
..roads do not exist in Corea. The cOmHsnniea-
.,o,,, consist Of bride paths and footpaths worn
h.. travel to such degree of passabihty "a tLl1S
,cssass ONLY stern necessity ever causes any
vov,oirs to be made" In such a country DeioIe
an army with artillery and supply wagons can
he moved il is necessary not 70 improve OUs
actually to create the reads The Japanese s0'
along prettv well IN the war with emma ten
wears ago because their land campaigning was
dome l., winter when the ground was frozen
F2,-t now it IS not frozen. but thawing In Man
cburfa the roads are little II any better. ana
at this time OF year they are at their worst.
The soft loan of which they are composer
saws Mr. Hosie long British Consul at New
Cbwans. becomes a veritable quagmire where
in animals are frequently suroeated OF
drowned" II is idle TO expect much campaign
ing over such ROADS.
II is stated that 100000 Russian soldiers
have been sent 70 the Far East since the war
began That is quite credible But we are not
informed how many have arrived there Not
a large proportion OF the whole, probably. see
ing that the time required for transit is about
six weeks The latest estimate of the Berlin
ssAfuitar Wochenblatt'' is that II seven trains
n day are dispatched as many as 133.OoO men
can be sent out In fourteen weeks But It Is