The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-10
FIRST BLOOD FOR THE JAPANESE.

FIRST BLOOD FOR THE JAPANESE.
At last the fighting spirit of Japan and
the patriotism of the people have found
vent in a fierce attack on the Russian ships
at Port Arthur This is Russias base of
operations in the East and has been con-
verted by her into an important naval post
and virtually the seat of government for
Manchuria. The japanese opened the fight
with what seems TO have been very ef-
fective blow.
Almost every war of recent times has
developed new discovery or emphasized
some new feature in warfare. The Spanish
American war demonstrated the Importance
of naval gun practice and craftsmanship,
and the British-Boer war the folly Of
moving troops in masses to attack impreg-
nable positions. All recent wars have dem
onstrated the superiority of the Ameri-
can practice Of open order fighting and in
dividual initiative over the old idea of
hurting masses of soldiers against other
masses.
1t looks as if the present war between
Russia and Japan might furnish an instruc-
tive lesson in the effectiveness of torpedoes
in naval warfare. Although the dispatches
regarding the first naval conflict are still
somewhat vague they show that the Japan
csc delivered heavy attack on the Russian
fleet at Port Arthur and that it was prac-
tically an attack by torpedo boats against
battleships. One dispatch said the Russian
ships were damaged by mines. This was
impossible. because the harbor at Port Ar
thur was under the control of the Russians,
and If there were any mines there they were
| for Russian defense. The attack on the
Russian ships was doubtless by torpedo
boats. though they might possibly have
| used submarine torpedoes. The Japanese
navy is strong in this modern line of Of
| fensive warfare and 1t looks as If Japan
| had determined to make effective use of
| 1t at the very beginning of hostilities. That
the attack was effective is shown by the
| statement of Admiral and viceroy Alexieff
| that two Russian battleships and one
cruiser were injured. He does not say how
| badly they were injured but British naval
experts think they have probably been put
hopelessly out Of action for a considerable
/ time. Ie this is so the result of the first
naval engagement is distinct victory for
Japan.
| The Japanese are at home on the water,
| and good sailors as well as good fighters
The Russians know very little about salt
water. To the Chinese the sea is little
more than 1.-The end of the land" but to
the japanese it has been an incentive to
enterprise. The japanese are a maritime
| people. They have not only bought mod
| ern ships, but have built them, and know
| how to use them. In the war with China
in 1894 a fleet of eleven Japanese men-of-
war, with torpedo boats, attacked a Chi
| nese squadron of fourteen ironclads and
cruisers. and after five hours fighting sue
ceeded without the loss of a single ship
| in sinking four of the Chinese men-of-war,
burning three others and putting the rest
to flight. True, the Chinese are not good
sailors. but they probably as good as
the Russians. In the battle referred to they
| showed bravery enough, but were outma-
| neuvered and outfought by the Japanese
4 AhO naval ldCllSS VI the Japanese con-
sist in assuming the defensive delivering a
| swift and heavy attack, and fighting to
a finish. These tactics were successful in
the war with China, and they may be in
| the present one. If Japan should succeed
in capturing Port Arthur, as she did from
the Chinese in 1894 she would be in a po-
| sition to threaten the Russian lines of COM
munication and make the holding of Man.
| churia difficult. AT all events, it is evident
she has demonstrated the effectiveness of
| torpedoes in naval warfare and inflicted a
severe blow on the Russian navy.
In all naval operations in the Yellow sea
or the Sea of Japan the Japanese have
the advantage of knowing the lay of the
land and every inch OF the coast. This
is particularly true Of Korean waters OF
which they have perfect chart and the
only one in existence. The Korean archi-
pelago embraces a great number of islands
and inlets with safe channels for those who
know them, but full of traps for those
who do not. The Japanese will be per-
fectly at home in these waters, while the
Russians would be helpless. 1t is evident
however. that the japanese do not intend
that the Russian warships shall ever reach
Korean waters if they can help it.