Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-07
HAS JAPAN CONTROL OF THE
SEA7

New York Times.-By the public
and press in this country it has been
assumed that Japan's successes in the
war have placed beyond doubt final
victory for the mikado's men. This
assumption rests chiefly on the diffi-
Guilty and expense involved IN rein-
forcing and supplying the Russian
army In Manchuria over a long line OF
single track railway, the control of the
sea having been generally conceded to-
the Japanese. Do the facts justify the
belief that Japan can maintain the ex-
listing condition of naval superiorityfl
Practically all the knowledge we
nave, concerning the naval operations
Off Port Arthur is contained in dis,
patches coming from Japanese sources.
Aomlral Togo reports that his vessels
We're practically uninjured after the
russian sortie. He is sure that one
Russian battlesh1p was sunk and that,
Two cruisers We're badly hurt But It'll
Is evident that the Russian ships cam
leave the harbor and maneuver in the
open sea. and this escape from the
ldleness heretofore imposed upon them
coupled with the activity Of the vladi-s
| vostok squadron, proves that Japan
may not be permitted undisturbed
control of the sea.
1t is practically certain that neither
OF the Russian squadrons will be de-
stroyed without a very weir fougnt
pattle, and 1t is highly probable that
In such fight, some OF the Japanese
shlps would receive serious il NOT
fatal injury. But, even admitting the
possibility OF their escape from dis
apllng damage, 1t is reasonable to sup
pose That the condition of the Japan
ese vessels would not be improved by
such stubborn fight as the Russians
undoubtedly would make. Coming at
the end of four months of constant
blockade and battle, the strength Of
tne mikado's fleet would be considers
ABLY deteriorated Let it be admitted
that all the Japanese vessels were
still able to keep tie sea, they could not
fail to be less powerless factors than
they We're before. To worry the block
aders and to do as much harm as pos
Side to the Japanese ships would be
good policy for the Russians, there
lore even If they expended all their
Vessels now n the Pacific. Japan has
no reserve. What can be done to mair1-l
tain her present control of the sea
must be done with the vessels that
nave been already so hard worked.
Assuming that no serious injury has
been done to blockadlng fleets in the
last rev days, Japan has five battle-
SHIPS and six armored cruisers avail
able to meet the fresh leviathans Of
me Russian navy, known as the Bal
TIC fleet 1t may be several months
pefore these new ships can reach
Aslatlc waters but it may be treated
as a certainty that the Baltic fleet will
go TO the China sea, IL the Russian
| emperor decides to send it,
Taking into consideration the shins
remaining available on both sides. fine
material superiority may be. regarded
as being with the Russians for thew
| VIII match five of their own battle-
ships against five of the Japanese and
| VIII have two left over to deal with
ene SIX Japanese armored cruisers. AS
one nrst-class battleship Is held to be-
| the equal of three armored cruisers.
the two fleets might be regarded al
having equal strength But the prob
ability Is great that the Japanese ves-
sells will have suffered such diminution
oI thelr effectiveness as to put them
In position of inferiority to their on-
ponents.
If, therefore, these two fleets should
emulate the celebrated Kilkenny cats.
and destroy each other, the Russians
would take. control of the sea with
| their effective protected cruisers of
the Japanese. 10y
Once the ocean highway was thus
opened, the fine ships Of the Russian
volunteer fleet capable of CARRYING
Z,ooo men each, could rush troops to
inc assistance of Kuropatkin in over
whelmlng masses, and, eventually. the
invasion of Japan itself would follow.
-
such program could not be carried
out IN few weeks. 1t might not be
possible to get the Baltic fleet north Of
Singapore before next winter: but the
slow and sure" policy is one that
Russia understands, and it may be
worth her while to wait
That Admiral Togo recognizes the
necessity of saving his heavy vessels
as much as possible is shown by the
skillful manner in which he keeps
them in reserve sending in his de-
stroyers to do the chief work. The
faet that the Russian admiral reports
only three Japanese battleships on
blockade duty shows that two have
been injured or else detached to watch
Admiral Skrydloff's squadron. If the
Vladivostok cruisers should get away
again 1t would be almost certain proof
that 1t is not Japanese lack of vigil
lance that permits their escape, but
an insufficient force of powerful ships
An alternative now strongly suspect-
Il <HxIeI .