The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-09-27
RUSSIA MUST WIN


possible that Japan may Doe able tot
carry on the war for a year longer but
even then she will be exhaustlng her
life's ] ood The second reserves are
now being called out and when these
are once I'm the field the only remaining
force that Japan will have will be the
result of the 'levee en- masse' when
every person able to bear arms will be
called on. Unles- one has been in
Japan at this time one can hardly ina
CINE the sacrifice that the people OF
every class are making for the carrying
on of he war. Their soldiers are
courageous to a degree and their peo-
pie are patriotic 30 fault but 1t must
be remembered that even If the Russian
armies at present in the field were wiped
out, Russia would be able to replace
them with others"
Fisher has with him one of the Mu-
rata rifles, the weapon with which the
second reserves now being modified,
are armed. 1t is a rough looking wea-
pom of japanese manufacture, sighted
up to 200O yards Its principal fault
lies i'm the disposition of the magazine
which lies in a cylinder running the
length of the barrel after the fashion
of the old style of Winchesters. This
of course changes the point of balance
as each shot is fired and renders it less
reliable in point of accuracy, though as
matter of fact the percentage of aim
ed fire in a general action is so small
that it is doubtful if the difference will
be appreciate.
Fisher was in Toxic during the opera
tons about Liaoyang and he describes
the anxiety there for five days as being
soul racklng. Contrary to general be-
! lief based on cable dispatches that
Kuropatkin got out of Liaoyang only
by the skin of his teeth Fisher says that
/ the Russian general made a mastery
! eva uation taking away all of his guns
and losing comparatively few men in
| the movement. The material captured
| by the Japanese was not at Liaoyang
/ proper but was at or near the railroad
which lies several miles to the east OF
! Liaoyang. The loss of this was en-
tirely due to the bad work of the Rus
sian general Orloff who displayed mark
ed incapacity. The blame for the loss
of Liaoyang is properly placed on his
shoulders. He had command Of the
Russian right but his vacillation en-.
abled the japanese to turn his flank
and he was forced to retire beyond the
railroad line leaving his stores to the
enemy. Kuropatkin saw at once thai
with his right crushed i'm he could moi
hope to hold Liaoyang and he made his
arrangements to retreat accordingly
The Russian left and center did splen
did work and at one time Kuroki was
in a bad place. He was making an at.
tempt to cut the railroad behind Lao
yang when he was nipped between tn,
forces of Kuropatkin going north anC
those of a relieving army coming soutl
from Yentai. For five days Tokt
heard nothing whatever from Kurok
and the widest rumors were current 81
that the relief felt when it was know
that he was safe was beyond descrip
ton.
1t is stories of this nature, for the ac
curacy of which the Times correspond
ent vouches that the japanese censors
Will not permit the correspondents t.
send out in any shape and he is alsC
convinced that losses have been fai
greater than official reports show them
On the other hand the japanese hav,
taken such remarkable steps for fighting
the diseases incidental to campaignIu
that where they lose one man by lines,
or through exposure the Russians los,
ten
"Japan's commissariat medical ser
vice and transportation facilities ar,
the best in the world" said Fisher "ant
to this they owe very much of thei
success"
He thinks that people are apt to un
derestimate the Importance of Port Ar
thurs gallant defence. The place is
Veritable thorn in Japans side as I
keeps a huge army and the entire nav,
busy with comparatively few men OF
the Russian side employed and certain
ly without any bother to Kuropatkin.
Every day that Port Arthur hold
out Is distinct loss to Japan" he sal
With that fortress once out of the wa
the campaign may be said to have be
b gun"