The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-03-03
WAR NAY LAST YEARS
With Japan Controlling the Sea, Mel.
Their Can Win, an American
Officer SAYS.

Washington, March Japan anc
Russia may continue their fighting for
years without either nation gaining a
material advantage" This was the
opinion Of an American army officer.
given in a paper read before the War.
college in Washington this week. The
officer, Who belongs to the general staff
and was with the American soldiers
who marched to Pekin, is accepted here
as q reliable authority on military conf
ditlonS in the far east. 1t was prepared
and read before the Japanese troops
landed near Vladivostok. Extracts Of
it are herewith given: THE strategic!
value of the m Of waters sur.
rounding Japan n the Lao TungI
peninsula is of the very greatest toI
Japan. The value to Russia is not sol
great. as Russia has communication byi
land with home, her base of suppliesI
and source of reinforcements.
Realizing the vital Importance Of!
controlling the seas, Japan's fire moveE
was to insure the pre~dominance of her,
navy over that of Russia's in eastern.
waters, and she now controls the wa.
ters necessary for the conduct of any
land operations which she may contem-,
plate.
What will be the next move? The
knowing ones now ook for a great bat,
lie along the Yalu. Look rather for.
attacks upon he railroad leading from
Russia to Manchuria. Why? Simply
because that is the plain, common
sense thing to do. II that railroad is;
cut the Russian army In Manchuria.
win be Isolated and Japan will then
And herself called upon to face ami
army. much smaller than her own, sep
arated several thousand miles by land
from the source of strength. and with!
out means Of communicating there,
With by water. In the meantime Japan
Will jealousy guard her present advan-i
ages upon the seas. The fleets at
VladIvostok and Port Arthur will be
watched, and every move made by
either will be known and promptly met
THE war viii be a long one. Now
that Japan has control of the ocean
Russia cOnnot q her. She can
not invade Japan. She cannot prevent
her receiving supplies. On the other
nand, Russia's army In the east Will
light and hang on as long as life Is In
It's members. If the army Is cut off
from Russia by the destruction of the
great Siberian railroad it will still fight.
It may be destroyed, but that will not,
onquer Russia. She can give her a
setback In the east; she can worry and
harass her, but Russia will come back
with strength and vigor. Her
are as ~inexhaustible as u own. Her
people are as proud n as patriotic as
our own. Japan will find her strength
faxed nightly. 1t Will be sadly worn
before arriving where the Russian
army in Manchuria will await her. 1t
viii be sadly shattered before that
army Is beaten. IL it ever will be beaten.
IF the powers of the world do not
Intervene the war will last for years.
AS it now stands, aeither nation a be
conquered by the other. The bitterest
bni,,II itv acfnatpS ting DnOnlG- of 10Th
nations in this struggle. Will the ma
lions be drawn into the conflict is the
question that is agitating the minds Of
many. This will not h" the case un-
less causes for interference should
arise, which are not now discernible."