The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-03
T. PETERSBURG, Oct. 3. , a. M
Ar,r,L.,,r,..-.-,,l.,,t l. ~ tlat LIN :

4 4
peror Nicholas will visit Reval on
/ Tuesday to bid farewell TO the Baltic
squadron. After months OF preparation
and several false starts, il is believed
that the squadron is at last on the eve
, of its departure upon it's long journey
y division in the admiralty has eX-
| listed throughout the period of prepar-
alton regarding the ACCESSIBILITY OF
sending out the squadron. but with tie
! decision to double the size of the Man
chuTian army and press the war with
vigor the logic Of those who for
months have insisted that every avail
/ able ship should be dispatched to the
far cas- has finally prevailed. The ar
( gUment that no complete victory over
the japanese is possible unless the
command of the sea is wrested from
| them could not be overcome. and
! though much valuable time has been
I lost and the moment seems inaus-
picious. il is officially minated that
( an irrevocabie decision las been taken
to dispatch the Baltic fleet even if the
/ Port Arthur squadron should be an
initiated before its arrival there.
Fleets About Equal
II is realized that the squadron.
I which on paper is about equal in fight
ing strength TO the japanese fleet. Will
| be much better able to encounter the
+; foe now than next spriHg. after Inc
/ japanese ships have had all winter TO
I clean. repair and reft
: While hopes are still entertained that
( Port Arthur may be able to hold out
I until the appearance of the Baltic feet.
! the question OF the fall of ttat strong
/ hold does not, apparently. enter great
/ ly into the calculations of the ad-
miralty. The only thing expected OF
/ tho Port Art hur- SQUAD IL IN brpg X
/ out of the harbor and infiict as much
damage as possible upon Admiral
Togo's fleet. such ships as escape are
Z expected to make their way to Nladi-
/ VostOk. where the repairs ON the CTUiS-
er Bogatyr are understood TO have been
t practically completed and those on the
Rossia and Gromoboi are nearing COM
I Dletion.
1 The question of the war i'm the far
! e2st will deuend uDOn the issue Of A
/ sea fight after the arrival Of the Bal
/ tic feet. VladivOStOk. although ice
+ bound in winter for commercial ships,
! can easily be kept open for a fleet of
war vessels by means Of ice-bTeakeTs.
! If the japanese feet is caught in suck
/ a weakened condition that the Baltic
fleet is able TO win victory. officials
/ here hold that other problems will
solve themselves. and with Japanese
army on the main land w III be at the
I mercy of Russia.
Issue Staked Upon Sea Fight.
! This boldly announced programme
seems to stake the whole issue upon
i sea lighting. The japanese ships. it
must be remembered. have been i'm ac-
tive service seven months No matter
how greatly the efficiency Of the guns
and the speed Of the vessels have been
impaired. the crews of Admiral Togo 5
ships have enjoyed the prestige of con-
tinuous victories. while opposed TO them
! viii be a fleet of brand new ships, more
+ or less. untried. and none Of which
have fired a shot in actual warfare,
| and whose crews have never yet been
under fire.
The Associated Press hears, however
that important conditions are attached
to the programme outlif, - above. Ac-
cordnS - This information the Baltic
feet will be started for the far east
but the continuation of the voyage 20
its, destination will depend primarily
upon how the ships themselves stand
the test of actual sailing. and, second
ly. upon developments in the far east
Should all go well with the squadron
on the voyage and Rear Admiral Wir-
I en- be able 70 strike a telling blow al
Admiral Togo, even if half his ships 80
to the bottom. the Baltic squadron will
be hurried on with an speed possible
If defects develop in the vessels or if
Wren falls utterly the squadron can al
wors. return and await the completion
of other ships now building. Nothing
it is argued Will be lost and. much
may be gained by the mere departure
of the squadron: and the fact that il
J may have to be reckOned with later
may make Admiral Togo wary about
risking his ships when the time comes
for Rear Admiral Wiren's sortie. and
thus give the latter a better oppOrtun-
ity to escape.
No official dispatches from the front
were published on Sunday. The mill
! tary situation. so far as the public is
concerned, remains unchanged. Mum
| berless stories are afOat regarding i'm
portant commands with the new army
and the disposition of various promi-
| nent officers whose names have beer
mentioned in connection Herewith
but nothing conclusive has yet beer
given out. 1t is merely evident thai
preparation for the dispatch of fresl
troops is being pushed as rapidly a:
possible. 1t is understood that the Sec
ond division of the guard regiments i:
already under orders 10 SO to the front