Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-09
RUSSIANS REJOICING
OVER RoJEsTvENsKY,s SUCCESS
IN REACHING CHINA SEA.
Without Encountering the japanese
Credit for the Stratagem-Ruse
That Was Worked.

ST. PETERSBURG, April 8, $40 am
There was great rejoicing last night at the
admiralty. yacht and other naval clubs
over Vice Admiral 7Rojestvensky having
successfully navigated the gateway OF the
China sea without encounterfng the Japa-
nese. The danger of the fleet being beset
by the wasps of the deep In the narrow wa
tiers which divide the breastwork Of islands
of the Malay archipelago and the possible
damage to the big ships, SO precious in the
coming encounter with Vice Admiral Togo 8
fleet, was so great that some of the naval
experts actually favored a route around
Australia
The credit for the strategem by which the
feat was accomplished, the Associated
Press learns. belongs solely to Vice Adj
miral Rojestvensky, who accurately judged
that as the Malacca straits route was the
most practicable, as well as most direct,
the Japanese would calculate that he would
not dare try to force passage there.
Besides this, Rojestvensky planned a
strategem to deceive the Japanese, with the
secret of which only two men in st. Peters,
burg were intrusted, by directing the Rus
sian admiralty to order the golfers which
We're to follow him to rendezvous In Sunda
straits. 500 miles southwark of Singapore.
feeling sure that the japanese intelligence
was, to the task of ascertaining the desti-
nation OF Rojestvensky, and thereby not
only threw the Japanese off the scent but
officially deceived his own admiralty,
where the news of the fleet having passed
singapore probably created quite as much
surprise as 1t did in the marine department
at Tokyo.
Golfers Were Sacrificed.
Several golfers Were actually dispatched
to the rendezvous and many already had
fallen into the hands of the Japanese, but
RoJestvensky deliberately sacrificed them
as pawns in a bigger game.
That the ruse worked Is apparent from
the fact that Rojestyensky did not meet a
single japanese ship in the passage of the
Straits of Malacca. while dispatches from
Batavia tell of Sunda, Bali Lonbok Flores
and other straits to the southwark being
crowded with Japanese torpedo boats
guarding the passages.
Although there Is some talk of a posi-
bility of Vice Admiral Rojestyensky now
putting in at Saigon. Cochin China. it is
not believed that further advantage of
French neutrality will be taken until he is
forced to do so because of the condition Of
some of his ships.
Fight Expected in Ten Days.
The admiralty points out the great i'm
portance and advantages to be gained by
pushing with all possible speed and
meeting Vice Admiral Togo's heavy ships
before he can effect a complete concentra-
ton of his scattered cruisers and torpedo
boats. The belief of the admiralty is that
Togo Is waiting near the Island of Formosa.
1,S00 miles northward of Singapore.
AT the rate the Russian squadron steamed
from Madagascar, which averaged eight
knots an hour the greatest naval battle
since Nelson's victory at Trafalgar should
occur in about ten days.
The admiralty realizes that Rojestvensky
faces great odds owing to the immense SUI
periority of the japanese in cruisers and
torpedo boats, and reliance in his success
is based upon the seven battleships with
which he can oppose Togo's four.
1t is thought unlikely that the Vladivos-
tok squadron will attempt a junction with
the Baltic fleet though it is quite possible
it may make diversion, undeterred by the
fate of the Rossia atsthe time of the egress
of the Port Arthur feet, last August.