The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-05-10
THE WAR SITUATION.

There is nothing more from the "un-
confirmed rumor" of a japanese defeat
at Kiu-lien- Cheng with a loss OF 10000,
but there is much to indicate that the
landing of the Second Army on the
Liaotong peninsula has demoralized
the Russians. The Boosting of The past
few weeks and days has suddenly stop
ped and now the Russians are busily
preparing the mind of the world TO
accept the prospective loss of Port Ar
thur as part of Kuropatkin's strategy
St. Petersburg reports that the garri-
son in Stoessels command-embracing
Dalny as well as Port Arthur and the
defences of the peninsula railway-ls
but $4,000 strong and that the harDor
has finally been blockaded. From Muk-
den comes the news that Port Arthur
has been cut off. Nothing more is said
about striking a great blow Plain
", the Russians are on the defensive
with not nearly the force they have
pretended to possess.
The Japanese seem to be landing at
more than one point. PitZ-Ze-wo, where
10000 have disembarked, is on the east
side of Liaotong, about sixty or eighty
miles above Port Arthur. Port Adams,
where 10000 are said to have landed,
is on the west side of the peninsula,
directly opposite Pitz-ze-wo. Kinchau,
where U. S. Minister Griscom reports
a landing, probably means Kinchau
bay, on the west side, about thirty
miles from Port Arthur and near the
walled city of Kinchau. Rapid con-
centration on the railroad is practicable
from all these points. 1t may be as
sumed that the japanese force num-
bers not less than 100000 men against
Stoessel; and that by thanking the Rus
slams who now confront the army of
the Yalu, and driving them away, there
will soon be 100000 men, ready to add
vance up the railroad. And back of
them will be a powerful fleet. keeping
open the lines of communication and
supply One need not be surprised II
the japanese land a third army soon
to invest Vladivostok. The capture of
that port and of Port Arthur would
make it impracticable for Russia TO
send out a new fleet. The ships would
have no port.
Turning back to the "unconfirmed
rumor" of Japanese defeat north of
the Yalu, the official advices from Min
lister Iakanlra snow tTdt up u MAY d
the Russians were still losing ground.
An incident of their firing on a detach-
ment of their own men, killing or
wounding more than half it's number
may we'll have been magnified on the
streets of st. Petersburg as a Russian
triumph
pitched battle on or near the Lao
tong peninsula, won by the Japanese,
would have tremendous consequences
apart from those to be readily seen on
the surface. 1t is something like that
which China is waiting for. The quar-
rel, so far as it concerns Manchuria,
is her quarrel. That vast province be-
longs to her; she was tricked out of it
by Russian diplomacy. BY herself
China could do nothing, but with n vic
torious japanese army in the field she
might do much. Concentrated not far
from the Lao river are $4,000 men un-
der General Ma whom Japanese officers
have been drilling for two years. Led
by these experienced fighters and act
ing on the same field with Japanese
army, this Chinese force could add
much to KuropatlSin's difficulties. Fur
thermore China, by forwarding rice and
tea to Japanese, would simplify the lat
ter's commissariat problems; and by
supplying burden bearers and helping
out the spy system ii could make the
task of the Mikado's generals that
much easier.