The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-08-05

of the. Japanese military and naval or
CARNATIONS and does not believe any
! other European nation would have been
able to resist Japan as Russia had done,
IL must be taken into consideration saiu
J M. Witte, that the Japanese had been
| preparing for war for about ten years
while Russia was entirely unprepa1Tre,u REQ
wishing for and trusting in peace Ihe
| Japanese fought in their own netghbor-
! hood under all favorable conditions,
while the Russians had to be sent Soo
railway entirely insufficient to their needs
j and TO fight colonial war with all CO
efficients against them. There IS not J.. III
history another example of similar as
proportion between enemies.
| Nevertheless, all the foreign OFFICERS OF
the European armies who followed the
war are unanimous in affirming that the
| Russian troops both soldiers and officers
| fought with bravery but they had to
| withdraw on account of a combination
! of circumstances with which their per
sonal. valor could not contend. On the
sea the Russians found themselves con-
stantly in inferior conditions. The squad
ron of Rojestvensky was sent against
Japan. not because the Russians had
| cause they could renounce from
military and moral point of view any
chance, no matter how uncertain, of OBJ
tanning even a partial victory.
Suppose for moment that the war
instead of having taken place in Korea
or Manchuria, had been fought at the
| true Russian frontier. Then the Japan
,ese would not have been able to face
the Russian forces for more than SIX
months. However. even as things stand,
the Japanese have not made Such pro
gress as is generally believed in fact
they would have to advance four times
as much. as they have done in the last
year and half to reach Russia proper,
in which case they might consider them F.H11.-
selves in position to impose conoltlons
OF peace. But they are very far from
this and the more they advance north
the more the respective conditions of
the Russians and the Japanese will be
reversed
According to the Russian plenipoten-
tiary. those who do know Russia will
oppose to these reasons the spectre OF
the internal conditions of the empire,
imagining all kinds of cataclysms, but
even about this they are mistaken. M.
Wttte did not wish to discuss at TINS
time the events in Russia; affirming,
however. that they have not the character
nor the gravity attributed to them, moi
can they bring about the consequences
which have been supposed, particularly
is going on in the Muscovite empire. he
said: cannot have any influence on her
foreign policy, and even less on the con-
tinuation or cessation of the war.
War Not important.
The great majority of the Russian peo-
ple, said NJ Wftte. do not attach to
the conflict in the far east the import
ance %nlcn is given to 1t IN Europe ana
America. 1t is considered as very dis
tant colonial war. but the whole Russian
people would rise as single man the
day in which they should think that it
is no more the question of a colonial
war, which is not dangerous. but con-
flict threatening the security of the
country
NJ WHITE Indicated notwithstanding
these views. that he does not eman
to say that he will make every possible
effort towards the conclusion of peace.
adding that he is favorable to peace as
a Russian and a man having always
worked to prevent war and undes landing
that at present nearly the entire world
desires the end of the conflict How
ever, he feeels that to REACH this object
At is necessary that the japanese should
be animated by the same feelings: that
thy should be convinced that peace for
Russia is desirable but is not at all in
and consequently she will
never accept any condition which may
offend her amour propre. NJ White
repeated that he will honestly do all
that his conscience may suggest to bring
about if possible. an agreement which
may be equally satisfactory to the in
terests of Russia and Japan. After hav
ing done this, no matter what the re-
suits may be. NJ. Witte feels that he
will have accomplished his duty.