New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-18
DIGGING Il VICTORY.
Frederic VILiers's Story of the
Siege of Port arthur.

PORT ARTHUR; THREE MONTHS WITH TIL IN
BESIEGERs. A Diurnal of occurents;; ~ ~
FredeI1c xianers s Ms1 lions IT. from sketches by
Longmans Green & Co.
This IS the second time that Mr.. vilners has
taken part as an observer with the Japanese,
IA a siege of Port Arthur. In the Chino-Jap-
anese war The work was quicker done. and the
correspondent was able to enter the city with
the victorious army AT that time he beat a
hasty retreat with James Creelrnan Of the New
York World, both gentlemen feeling that their
continued presence would not be agreeable to
their hosts, In view OF the reports they had sent
10 their respective newspapers of the "atroci-
ties' which they stated had been committed on
the conquered Cinnamon Mr. Villierss frank
ness Of utterance that occasion does not seem
10 have been remembered against him in the
present campaign. or perhaps his Japanese
friends, many Of whom he now met for the SEQ
Ond time on the same ground were glad to have
him see how much better they do such things
now; under how much better control are their
troops how much more humane IS their treat
ment Of the captured. and how much more
chivalrous is their attitude toward brave and
gallant foe At all events. he and his brothers
Of the press were treated with the utmost po-
likeness and consideration by General Nogi and
his officers. end enjoyed facilities for watching
The operations far superior 10 those afforded
correspondents with the other Japanese armies.
In fact, MIR. yilIiers appears to have been al
lowed TO 30 pretty much where he chose and to
see whatever there was to be seen; the only
restrictions placed upon him being that he was
not allowed 20 leave during the early part of
the siege. and that his dispatches were strictly
censored
Not only had the Japanese progressed re-
ularkably IN warfare IN the years intervening
between the two investments Of Port Arthur
but they showed great capacity for further ad-
Fancement from the lessons of the later siege.
Splendid are the records Of the heroic attacks
made the Russian defences in the early part
Of the authors period OF observation when the
Japanese infantry threw themselves boldly
against the Notifications only TO be moved down
an Eickentng windows by the machine guns Of
The enemy. Or gained their objective at fright
1ul sacrtlce But less splendid were their
achievements When-realiztng that their present
foes were no undisciplined horde Of Chinese to
be thrown into panic by sudden dash and
bold show OF front-they took to pick and shovel
and burrowed their way by trench and parallel
close up 70 the coveted position Then they
could deliver an attack in force which. no less
daring, also far likely to be effective.
Experience is g dear teacher. and the lesson,
though we'll. seems to have been somewhat
tardny learned. and from their opponents. Mr..
Villiers quotes from an interview he had with
General Nogi:
II the pick and shovel that are the weapons
who are rather behind in sapping and mining
know there is q general feeling among the men Of
vance tomorrow; but the Russians are masters at
the game. and We must follow their example.
worn pick leaning against the wall there's very
little but the stump Of It left I have had this
shown to the men. and have ordered them to use
their picks as probably"
It seems strange that the immense value, the
absolute necessity. Of intrenchments under such
conditions, should not have been forced upon
such thorough students Of warfare as the
Japanese officers. from the actions of our own
troops far back as the Civil War Still
theory is thing and practice another, and
the japanese showed themselves in the end
ready enough to avail themselves Of every aid
suggested by history and to devise new methods
Of their own. When the great eleven-inch guns
had been dragged with infinite labor into po-
sition, their 500-poUnd projectiles were utilized
not only for battering down the forts and bonn
harding the city and the shipping. but for blow
ing huge holes in the escarpments to afford
shelter for assaulting parties. Wire entangle-
ments were destroyed by means of portable
bombs borne on the ends of long bamboo poles
and wooden mortars carried and worked by two
men formed an important adjunct In storming
position From these were fred at close range,
with small charges Of powder, bombs Of gun
cotton which fell inside the works and ex-
ploded, binding and dernoralizing the Russians
while the final rush was made
The volume Is full Of incidents Of dauntless
heroisu In the attack on East Ban-u-San fort
fifty unwounded men, all that were left OF the
entire ouichi regiment trapped In a deep
trench, at the foot OF the glacis, which was al
most filed with water and the dead bodies of
their comrades. All night they stood up to their
hips in the bloody mess, and all day under the
scorching August sun. without food caring for
the wounded as best they could. Then Captain
Sugiyama, who in command, was suddenly
possessed OF new ideal He proposed TO Cap
tain Kabayana that a final assault must be
made on the fort above. Hand grenades with
fuses attached, were hastily made and given to
volunteers who crept slowly. their backs, up
the steep slope, that they might be taken
for dead wounded. should they be seen by
the Russians All reached the top in safety and
actually succeeded In putting the machine
guns out OF commission Then the brave fifty
reinforced by twenty Of the wounded rushed
the position Their astounding work was SEEN
reinforcements were sent forward on the Jump
TO find thirty Of the seventy still alive and
fighting. The fort was captured. but only
seventeen survivors Of the Ouichi regiment re-
turned, and were attached temporarily" to