Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-01-22
5000 miles away in the Black sea. To

rG0u1OTCO the lar eastern Meet AFTER war
begins will be impossible, for Russia
las not coaling station on the way,
and to use the friendly French stations
would be a violation Of neutrality by the
French which, under the terms of her
:reaty with Japan, would force Eng
land into active assistance of her ally.
To meet this obvious difficulty, Russia
has already strengthened her Siberian
fleet, to some extent. She has there
now four battleships, comparatively
new, the Petropavlosk, Peresvet, Osli-
abya and Pobieda. They are all of about
the same class, ranging from II 900 to
$4,000 tons. One carries four 12-inch
rifles, and IL six-inch quick-firers, the
others carry four ten-inch rifles and IL
six-inch quick-firers. besides the Sec
ondary batteries. The four armored
cruisers on the station are the Rurik
and Dmitri Donskoi, both seen in Amer
lean waters ten years ago, and the Ad-
miral Nahimoff and Pamiat Azova, of
more modern construction. Besides
these there are two coast defense
vessels and several second-class cruis-
ers and torpedo vessels. But few, if
any, Of these ships are up to date, and
oO4dS VI tLO" WOIS Oult6 81 lung ago
as to be almost obsolete now. Yet they
form the strength of the fleet upon
which Russia depends for success on the
sea.
''They will have to meet thoroughly
modern and eXcellently equipped navy.
Japan has only eight battleships, but six
of them are the finest afloat. There are
the Yashima and Fuji, built to make Is
knots an hour, but showing better than
10 in actual trial, 12,000-ton ships with
armor from IA to Is inches thick and
carrying four 12-inch and ten siX-inch
rifles with 20 12-pounders. Then come
the four ships of the unrivaled Shikish-
ina class, Mikase, Hatuse, Asahi and
Shikishima, $4,000 tons, Is knots, IA
inches of armor, four 12-inch rifles, Ii
six-inch quick-firers and 20 12-pounderS
in the main battery. Seconding these
powerful bulldogs of the sea are six of
the finest armored cruisers in the world,
of the Asawa class, 10000 tons, % knots,
seven-inch armor, four eight-inch
rifles, IA six-inch quick-f1rers and II r.
Founders. In addition to these fight
ing ships of the first class, and her minor
cruisers and gunboats. Japan has nearly
20 torpedo vessels.
But not alone in the character Of her
ships has Japan the naval advantage.
She has the national enthusiasm, the
aptitude for the sea, the devotion to
duty, the mechanical ingenuity, the dis
cipline, the scientific training, the en-
ergetic initiative, that transform a navy
on paper into navy in fact" Her navy
is symmetricalfy provided with ships
of all classes, and for transport serv-
ice she has the mercantile marine Of all
Japan, the fleet of the Nippon Yusen
Kaisha alone numbering SO vessels. No
great coal capacity is needed in her
fighting ships, for their work will be
done close to home where the coaling IA
cilities are abundant. The weight taken
up in Russian ships by coal is given to
guns and armor in the japanese fight
ers. Of the five government docks four
will take the largest battle ships. Be
sides, Their are a dozen private docks.
In contrast with this, Russia has the
ice-bound harbor of Vladivostock, with
its yards and docks closed for nearly
half the year, private dock at Talie-
wan. and the Wanted Port Arthur,
which, although a tower of strength if
she wins on the sea, will be like a felon
on the end of a finger if she lose the naval
fight"