The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-09-30
JAP FIGHTING IS
NOT SPECTACULAR
Mikado's Generals Do Not Ex-
pose Themselves Much
in Their Battles.
GIVE BY WIRE
Telephone and Telegraph Wires Cover
Backgrounds and Form the Basis
of the Scheme of Commune
cation on Field.

Tex constantly before the eyes OF the
military observers with this army.
They have made no revolutionary dis
coNeries thus far: indeed the chief les
sen has been the ov~ershadowing inn
p%ortance of that complete preparation
which has made every cog of every
wheel of lhe great machine slide quiet
ly into its groove at the proper minute,
ana to details, for the lack of which
the servants of the car are wasting
so much brave food for powder.
Nhe work of Russian artillery early
on the Slst of July commanded the
highest praise from every one. 1t was
a strong contrast with the showing
respect a credit to that army of Rus
sian service. Their gun positions We're
selected by engineers who appreciated
the possibilities of the country as they
had failed to do at the Yalu. The
contour of the hills which push for
Tao Wan afforded a line of defense
which. speaking roughly, extended
nearly in "a semicircle. Most of the
Russian guns looked down into the
valley and also commanded the lower
nge of the hill beyond it, where the
seven Japanese batteries must find
cover, lille they presented to the en-
envy only skyline targets difficult to
gauge. Consequently they gave the
Japanese artillery a hard day of it, and
compelled the batteries With the Jap
enese left division attempting to flank
the Russian right TO shift their ground
repeatedly to avoid the fierce and ac-
curate fire poured upon them. More
over, the bravery of the Russian gun
ners was beyond all praise.
Russians Have Better Guns.
Many statements have appeared in
European newspapers about the SUI
1eriority of Japanese guns. but their
work so far has illustrated the western
Rphorism that Success is not in hold
Ing a good hand. but in playing a poor
hand Well 1t is conceded by the eX-
perts who have seen their work in the
field that the Russian guns are better
chan the Japanese, and that the ratio
to insure equality should be about six
Japanese guns against four Russian.
But the showing made by the Rus
Sian infantry leaves much to be OK
planned. If their trenches had been
held by marksmen like the Beers there
would have been no question of the
Japanese reaching them without heavy
loss, ii at all.
ably weak, or only a demonstration,
because the Japanese of the central di-
vision hit by their fire umbere only
q score or two. AT Henling, where
1000 We're cut to pieces and where, as
at Hamatan. they had a brass band
that left it's instruments on the field.
they gave one of the finest exhibitions
Of futile bravery witnessed during the
war. They were marching in close col
umn of fours under a destructive fire,
and although men were cut down by
squads they never broke ranks nor re-
treated.
The number of casualties among the
Russian of1rarc a md oyttp,,1,, " ~ fhnir
generals, while no Japanese generals
have been hit. is due largely to the
different theories of generalship fol-
lowed IN the armies. The generals of
the Japanese are directors While the
Russians cling to the old Skobeloff
OF his men leading the fighting. From
the japanese lines we can see the white
coated Russian officers riding conspic-
iously before their troops, while from
the Russian side it must be lard to
discover the Japanese officers, because
their uniforms are so like those of the
ranks. and because General Kuroki and
the lesser generals are usually some
what behind the fighting line. manag-
ing their battles by telegraph and tele-
phone.
Electricity a Japanese Staple.
Probably electricity has never played
so great a part in warfare as it does
"Ahhh NAAC i.NSl vi
brigade in the field Is. like a modern
ambassador, at the end of a Wire
which his divisional commander con-
trols, and the generals of division are
In touch by telegraph or telephone with
the corps commander. No evidences
has been seen as the army advanced
into the neemy's country that the Rus
mans employ the telegraph extensively.
The Russian generalship is more
spectacular, and perhaps inspires the
soldiers with greater courage. but the
Japanese is more businesslike. The
censorship which the generals enforce
tends to deprive them of their just dues
In reputation. General Ottawa gath
cred his troops in the fog of Early
morning OH the Fourth of July and
prevented the Russians from seizing
the Motienlihg. He turned Kellar's al
most successful attack of the 18th into
q disaster, and his soldiers from the
rocks above the Yoshiling shot down
1000 Russians without any compensat-
ing damage to themselves. He is a
strategist n a fighter. In England or
America he would be a popular hero,
but the newspapers which come TO the
amp fail TO mention him.
General kuroki is a quiet and unas-
suming gentleman. rather of the Moltke
tyre than the theatrical genera! who
rides about eXhorting and cursing his
men. His type is apparently the pre-
vailing n in the Japanese service.
Sometimes it appears that he has
worked out his plan of BATTLE so per
fectly before the event that he can
sit down confident of it's f%ulfilment. and
takes little further interest in he pro-
ceedings. During the critical hours of
July 81. when his infantry was advance
ing across the valley to charge the
Russian entertainments on the heights.
he sat in the our yard of d Chinese
temple. chatting casually with mem
bers of his staff. A court painter could
v made no battle picture there.
kuroki's Silent Army.
General kuroki's force partakes of
his character. 1t might b. described as
the silent army. The Russians have
their regimental bands, which play at
sunset hours and on the march and
during the battle, and their soldiers ad-
vance to the sound of the drum. But in
this campaign, although the infantry
carry bugles by whose notes they
march In peace, 1 have never heard the
sound Of a trumpet near the front. No
war songs are sung. But music has no
part III the soldiers daily life. Their
enthusiasm is shown only in moments
OF victory with that weird and stirring