The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-02-19

classed. In addition to those mentioned
there are seven torpedo-boat destroyers
and four torpedo boats on the way out.
But the journey for such vessels is long
n arduous. The chances are very great
against an early arrival, If indeed they
can fetch at all. None are further han
the Mediterranean, where also at the mo-
ment are the belated battleship Osliabia
COT the same class as the Pobleda+), the
armored cruiser (of old type Dimitri
Donskoi, the battleship Emperor Nicolai
(also old), n a number of torpedo yes
sells. The new protected cruiser Aurora
(same as Pallada and Diana) left Bizerta
for tho Piraeus January 8.
Though superiority in material strength
on the sea, in the theater OF probable ac-
ton, is with the japanese. the vital ques-
ton after all Is one Of efficiency in man
agement of ships and fleets. 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
n~ationalities, in these high qualities, may
be taken to be all hat men should be.
The officers Of both are men of ability
and education. American naval officers
nave always had a liking and respect for
their Russian naval friends, who are re-
garded as essentially good fellows"
Many OF tho japanese officers, including
some now of flag rank. ave been educated
at our own naval academy and are looked
upon as men Of marked ability. The jap
anese ships and squadrons, SO far as OBJ
servation extends, have been we'll han
died; their drill Is constant ard there
is no questioning their spirit. They have
also had the test Of a serious war not yet
SO distant but that the feeling Of conf
denee which comes from successful war
service must be reckoned with. F. J.
Norman, al English ex-army officer. who
served long as an instructor in both mil
itary and civil colleges. writing in the
Spectator December s. things the homo
geneity OF good feeling in the japanese
navy has been injured of late by the en-
trance into the office class of other than
men of the Satsuma clan, which In the
revolution of 1868 took over the navy as
the Chosu did the army; that the jeal-
ousies engendered work for weakness.
Japanese are 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
sonal knowledge to do SO; but some OF
the views of the capable observer men
toned are Of timely interest. He says
of the enlisted men: THE Japanese blue
Jackets and petty officers are very fine
men indeed-far better SO on an average
than 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 ave officers and men
superior to any the Japanese can bring
forward, but I firmly believe-and l 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 flghte,
as the Russian time alone will tell; bu,
there can be no doub that while tie Rus.
SLAMS have a great contempt for the Japa-
nese, the latter, on the other hand, have
some considerable respect Tor Russian
prowess."
The men are mainly recruited from boat
men, fishermen n sailors, SO that they
come into the service with the sea habit
to a much greater degree tnan can bs
said OF the men Of the Russian navy. Rus.
sia's limited sescoast, ice1bound for sc
much Of the yea naturally cannot breed
the large sea population Of Jtspan, which