The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-03-04
WAR MAY LAST YEARS
With Japan Controlling tho Sea, Neis
ther Can Win, an American
Officer Says. \

Washington, March 2.-"Japan ana
Russia may continue their fighting for
years without either nation gaining d.
material advantage" This was the,
opinion of an American army %officerd
given in O paper read before the War
college In Washington his week. The
officer. who belongs to the general STAFF
and was with the American soldiers
who marched to Pekin. is accepted here
rs a reliable authority on military cons
ditlonS in the far east. 1t was prepared
and read before the Japanese troopa
landed les Vladivostok. Extracts Of
1t are herewith given: The strategid
value of the command of waters sur
peninsula is of the very greatest I'd,
Japan. The value to Russia is not sd
great. as Russia has communication by
land with home, her base of supplied
and source OF reinforcements.
Realizing the vital Importance of
controlling the seas, Japan's fire move
was to insure the predominance of heH
navy Owe h of Russia's in e%astern
waters, and h now controls the wal
ters necessary for the conduct of any
land operations which She may contend
plate.
What will be the next move The
knowing ones now look for a great bait
lie along the Yalu. % rather foH
attacks upon the railroad leading FROM
Russia to Manchuria. Why? Simply
because that is the plain, conlnon
sense thing to do. If that railroad i'd
cut the Russian army in Manchuria
will be Isolated, and Japan Will then
ind herself called upon to face an
army, much smaller than her own, sept
arated several thousand miles by land
from the source of strength, and With
out means of communicating thereJ
with by water. In the meantime Japan
will jealousy guard her present adNan1
sages upon the seas. The fleets az
Vladivostok and Port Arthur will bd
watched, and every move made by
either will be known and promptly met
THE war will be a long one. Now
that Japan has control of the ocean
Russia connot conquer her. She cans
not invade Japan. She cannot prevent
her receiving supplies. On the other
hand, RuSsta's army in the east will
fight and hang on as long as life is I'M
Its members. If the army is cut off
from Russia by the destruction of the
great Siberian railroad it will still fight.
1t may be destroyed, but that VIII not
conquer Russia. She can give her ~
setback in the east; she can worry and
narass her, but Russia will come back
with strength n vigor. Her ~resources
are as ine%xhaustible as our own. Herr
people are as proud and as patriotic as,
our own. Japan will find her strength
laxed nightly. 1t will be sadly wornl
before arriving where the Russian.
army in Manchuria will await her. It
will be sadly shattered before that
army is beaten. If it ever will be beaten.,
'If the powers of the world DO not
Intervene the war will last for years.
AS 1T now stands, neither nation can be-
conquered by the other. The bitterest
luminosity %actuates the people OF both
nations in this struggle. Will the ma
lions be drawn into the conflict is tho
question that is a%gitating the minds of,
many. This will not h tbs case un-
less causes for Interference should
arise. Which are not now d~iscernible."