The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-12-02
JOHN r. BASS TELLS OF
EXPERIENCES IN THE FIELD

AS TO Fort arthur ialiluB De-
lieve that such an event would not by
any means bring the Japanese Russo
war to an end. This crisis of the war
from the japanese standpoint will be
when the Baltic fleet arrives in the
Inland Sea, If 1t ever does, for then
decisive battle will be fought which
will determine whether or not Japan
can still hold the mastery Of the seas"
John F. Bass, the war correspondent
OF the Chicago Daily News syndicate,
who is just returning from the scene
of the bloody operations on the Lao
tong peninsula, sums up the situation
in the Far East as above. He also
believes that on land the Russians and
japanese have fought each other to
standstill However. he still thinks
the japanese able to drive the Rus
slams back, not because the former is
an inferior force. but because 1t is not
a mobile force.
Mr.. Bass places more Importance on
what the Baltic fleet may or may not
be able to accomplish, thar on what
future land operations may develop
The Baltic fleet, on paper, gives the
Russians many more and newer bat
tleship than the Japanese. Should the
japanese fleet be defeated, the Rus
SLAMS could stop Japan's transport
fleet, which is conveying troops and
supplies to Manchuria. which in time
would cause the japanese armies to
be cut off entirely from provisions
and ammunition. Port Arthur could
then be revictualled, its forces and
Notifications strengthened and Russia
would once more be in a position to
continue the war
, Mr.. Bass brings out one point very
, strongly which is Instantaneous 10
the japanese. He doubts that the
, japanese admiral has been able 10 re-
t place the big guns on his vessels with
new ones. The life of a gun is practi-
cally at an end after being fired a
, limited number of times. In this event
Togo would have to match his old guns
against the newer, but untried guns
of the Russian admiral.
"If the Baltic fleet arrives in the In
land Sea-" said Mr.. Bass last night
aboard the steamship Siberia, 1.-The
japanese will be compelled to meet 1t.
, That will give the Russian vessels now
, lying in Port Arthur an opportunity
to repair and make an effort to get
out of the harbor. The japanese may
thereby be harassed from all sides
Japan says she has lost one battleship
believe she has lost two, thereby
weakening her sea force measurably.
1T is my belief, however, that the
! Russian fleet will not show up well,
but If by any chance the Russian feet
is an effective force there will be a
severe battle, and in case the japanese
fleet is disabled Port Arthur can again
be revictualled and renamed, all that
she needs to make her once again an
, impregnable fortress.
, "The fall of Port Arthur and the de-
feat of the Baltic fleet will not neces-
sarily end the war. The Russians will
fight on and contest every inch of
ground. The time may come when the
powers will intervene. Both these
nations are lighting on territory not
their own. The powers have certain
I. treaty rights there and some day they
may step in and say, You have had
time enough to settle your difficulties,
now get out.
II do not think the experts believe
the war will revolutionize military mat
ters. The Japanese have brought mill
tary arts to a perfection of which they
may be proud. They have not been
altogether creative, but they have fol-
lowed to the letter the text books on
tactics. Their officers have studied the
science of war in every detail, and they
have been able to make their knowledge
practicable in the field,
THE Japanese army is splendid or
ganization. l think the japanese army
Is as well organized as any in the world.
don't mean to say that the japanese
infantryman is the best in the world.
don't consider him, individually, SUI
perior to our American infantryman.
But as body of men trained together
they are about perfect.
For instance, they take advantage of
the ground they are lighting over.
ploying over any piece of ground. The
soldier or body of soldiers adapts the
ground to his needs. They advance at
the outset III a strong line. Then when
the firing becomes heavy, the men stop
and groups run forward and drop;
smaller groups of these again advance
until one man is moving ahead. Then
he is Joined by another and these two
form new nucleus which begins firing
on the enemy. The Russians on the
other hand make an attack, and If it
does not succeed they fall back.
| You cannot give too great praise in