The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-10
i SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10. 1904.
The Situation at Port Arthur

The Situation at Port Arthur.
The reason for Japan's desperate eff
FORTS to take Port Arthur and tho reason
for General stoessel's stubborn defense
4 becomes apparent when 1t IS understood
B that Port Arthur Is the real key to the
situation. This was admirably brought
out in recent article In the Scientific
American the author of which says that
b there is much moro Of mcthoA than Of
madness in tho heroic stand taken by
4 Stoessel and his gallant troops. lie points
ont that General Stoessel has locked up
4hree OF tho most important elements
in The war, namely: The Russian fleet
81 within Port Arthur, tile Japanese block
Z aiding fleet within the harbor and the
Japanese army of Investment Of 10000
& men. He says that at the present juno
ture there is no doubt that the Russian
4 forces and the whole Russian plan Of
u cam paign are In an exceedingly
critical condition but that IL tho
K Russians can maintain the status quo
for two or three months longer, the po-
sitlon may be entirely reversed and
Japan's opportunity for a successful
s prosecution Of the war forever gone,
The Manchurian armies are about even
( ~ matched, and Japan has been unable
& to outflunk the Russian army and secure
a strong position across the railroad. cut
ting Off the Russians from their base Of
supplies. 1t is fair to presume that In
planning the campaign the Japanese
Il strategists expected that by the time
~ their Manchurian armies effected q juno
I ture before Lao Yang, Port Arthur would
have fallen and the army of investment
would have been available to give. Japan
The numerical superiority necessary for
q great turning movement. But Stoes-
sells resistance has prevented this, and
every day that Port Arthur can hold ,out
means the addition of so many thousand
d men. and so many scores of guns to the
Russian forces, and tho moro complete
8 development of q successive system of
Entertainments to which the Russians
can retire, should 1t become necessary
Il TO fight a series of rear guard actions.
The Baltic fleet Is now on It's way to
Chinese waters. although 1t will be yet
some time in arriving. The Russian
ships at Port ArthGf were recently dam
aged when they.at tempted to break out
and 1t Is supposed that necessary repairs
were recently made The Scientific Amer
lean reasons that when the fall of the
fortress itself Is imminent and these bat
angle fire. they will make another dcs-
pcrate effort to break through Admiral
Togo's fleet and reach the sheltering
port OF Vladivostok Every day that
6toessel- can hold out" 1t proceeds, is
smother day gained for putting these
ships in condition for 4 running fight:
and it is scarcely possible. even II the
A Russian fleet should be scattered or sunk.
J fhat Togo's battleships will come through
the fight without more or less, serious
INJURY. II the dash for Vladivostok can
lbe delayed for a few weeks longer, 1t
will take place when tho Baltic fleet
as within less than months steaming Of
81 Port Arthur--al too short time for the
Z Japanese navy, worn as II Is with the
stress Of a long blockade and just emerg-
ing from fight against n superior num-
a Der Of battleships. to enter tho dry dock
IN Japan and get In shape TO meet n
z fleet of seven battleships most of which
are fresh from the builders hands in the
baltic yards"
III June last the Yashima. one of The
off Port Dalny, and the J'oltahna. an
other one Of the ships, has since been
sunk. This ief' the japanese with but
three available battleships to oppose The
five batilcships IN Port Arthur and the
seycn 1hat are included in the Baltic
fleet; and The longer that stoessel can
hold out at Port Arthur. the more viii
these three ships stand in need Of re.
pair. III, on the other hand" tile Sclen-
3 tiiic American concludes, Port Arthur
should fall Tomorrow. Nogis troops
would be rushed to Mukden and the H,s
sian Manchurian army would In all prob
ability be driven back beyond Mukden Il
H not into Hardin itself in succession OF
Thanking movements. Port Arthur woull
be closed 10 the Baltic fleet ana the ship.
that sought SHELTER scattered or SUM
while the Baltic reinforcemehts, shout
they determine 10 continue on their ltis
+ sion. would find Admiral Togo's and AID
4niral Kamimura's combined fleets. fresi
from thorough operhaullng al the Jap
nnsse dock yards. settle down TO III
\ BLOCKADE ot yladiyosto k-the only port il