The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-10-05
BALTIC FLEET STARTS EAST SOON.
War 10 Far East Will Depend Upon
Issue of Sea Fight After Arri-
val Of Baltic Squadron.

ST. Petersburg, Oct. 3, 2 a. m.-
Announcement is made that Emperor
Nicholas will visit Reval On Tuesday
TO bid farewell to the Baltic squadron.
After months of preparation and
several false starts it is believed that
the SQUADRON is at last on the eve OF
It's departure upon its long journey.
A division in the admiralty has exist
ed throughout the, period of prepara..
ton regarding the advisability OF
sending out The squadron, but with
the decision to double the size of the
Manchurian army, and press The war
with visor, the logic of those who
for months have insisted that every
available ship should be dispatched to
the far east has finally prevailed.
The argument that no complete VIC
tory over the japanese is possible un-
less the command of the sea is wrest-
ed from them could lot ts overcome,
and though much valuable time has
been lost and the moment seems IN
auspicious, it is officially intimated
that an irrevocable decision has been
taken to dispatch the Baltic feet
even if the Port Arthur squadron
should be annihiiated before its ar
rival there.
tt is realized that the squadron,
which, on paper, is about equal in
fighting strength to that of the Japa-
nese feet, will be much better able
to encounter the foe now than next
spring, after the japanese ships have
had all winter to clean, repair and
re6t.
While hopes are still entertained
that Port Arthur may be- able to hold
ont until the appearance of the Baltic
feet, the question of the fall of that
stronghold does not, apparently, enter
greatly into the calculations of the
admiralty. The only thing expected
of the Port Arthur squadron is to
break ont of tie harbor and infiict as
mneh damage as possible upon Admir-
al Togo's feet. Such ships as escape
are expected to make their way to
Vladiyostok, where the repairs upon
the cruiser Bogatyr are understood to
have been practically completed, and
those on the Rossia and Gromoboi are
nearing completion.
140 QQSStlO0 VI ooO !" a. ~ SA-N 100
east will depend upon the issue OF
sea fight after the arrival of the Baltic
feet. Vladivostok, although ice-bound
in winter for commercial ships. can
easily be kept open for feet of war
vessels by means Of ice breakers. Ii
the japanese feet is caught in such
weakened condition that the Baltic
ships are able to win victory, Off
cials here hold that other problems
will solve themselves, and with Japa-
nese communications severed the Japa-
nese army on the mainland will be at
the mercy Of Russia.
This boldly announced programme
seems to stake the whole issue upon
sea lighting. The Japanese ships, it
must be remembered, have been in
active service seven months. No mat
ter how greatly the efficiency of the
guns and the. speed of the vessels have
been impaired. the crews of Admiral
Togo's ships have enjoyed the prestige
of CON .inuous victories, while op-
posed to them will be a feet of brand
new ships, more or less untired and
none of which have yet fired a shot
in actual warfare, and whose crews
have never yet been under fire.