Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1905-05-25
ON LAND AND SEA
What the ContendinG Russo japanese
Forces Have Been Doing.

come through Saigon RojeStvensky
must still be close to the 1ndo-Ch1na
shore. From St Petersburg we are
told that Rojestvensky's fleet will now
be divided into three squadTons, with
Voelkersam in command of the bat
tie ships, Enquist In command Of the
cruisers and NebogatOff in command
of a scouting force.
At last, one would think, Rojestven-
sky must be ready to start on the final
stage Of his adventure, whether his In
tention be to seek out Togo directly or
to endeavor to make Vladivostok af-
ter evading a battle. And yet an i'm
mediate sea fight has been so often
predicted, even in quarters where the
Russian plans are presumably best
known, that again chance for delay
may be found.
1t is close to a thousand miles from
the Indo-China coast to Formosa. 1t is
another thousand miles from there to
the Straits of Korea. To Vladivostok
is, say, 800 miles further. A round
about course to the east Of Japan
would increase the distance to Vladivo-
stock by probably 1,5OO miles. From
Formosa northward Japan possesses
q continuous series Of small islands,
from which torpedo boats could carry
On raids should Rojestvensky pass that
way. Unless Rojestyensky steers out
to the open sea pitched battle may be
fought in the Straits of Korea.
The neutrality discussion has occu-
pied the leading place in the war
news Of the week. 1t has been vol
uble, but not satisfying. France has
had the last word by declaring that her
neutrality is different from any other
neutrality in the world-a statement
which no one will feel disposed to dis
pute.
The rest Of the world, however, may
have difficulty in compromising the
n1ceies Of French neutrality. One fact
is apparent. The Russian fleet, under
friendly shelter of the French harbors,
has been enabled to prepare itself for
battle with Togo or to prey upon Japa-
nese commerce Without the friendly
assistance of France the Russian feet
could not have rounded the Cape Of
Good Hope or reached the Island Of
Madagascar. 1t could not have crossed
the Indian Ocean. 1t would not have
waited four weeks for the arrival Of
reinforcements.
The raid" Of the Vladivostok squad
ron, which week ago promised some
diversion, came to naught. The Rus
sian torpedo boats sunk several small
japanese merchant steamers and
scurried back to Vladivostok. The adj
venture was hardly worth the coal 1t
cost. Two larger Russian ships are re-
ported to have been sighted near the
Tsugari Straits, but the surmise of
naval officers that they are cruisers
sent from Vladivostok to scout the Pa
cifc along the eastern coast Of Japan
is yet to be realized.
The land campaign in Manchuria ap-
parently is developing rapidly, and
about to begin his turning movement
to the eastward in order to drive the
Russians out Of Kirin and isolate Via
divostok.
The military situation is similar in
its conditions to that just preceding
the battle of Mukden. The two armies
are face to face along a front of near
ly 100 miles, both astride the railroad.
mountains to the east, while the left
stretches across the railroad to the
plains Of the west.
Since May the armies in Manchuria
have INDUCED in a number Of Skin
mishes, but there is no indication that
japanese advance in force has be-
gun. Apparently the Russians retreat
ed further than was necessary after
the battle Of Mukden. Oyama's adj
vance lines are from 80 to 80 miles
north of Telling, with his main force
probably at Telling or south Of it. The
extreme extension Of the lines is about
100 miles east and west.
Oyama has been following his old
plans, building roads, constructing de-
lenses and repairing the railroad, so
that he will have full facilities Of trans
port and will be assured of a safe po-
sition for resistance in the contingency
Of a reverse. No sign of land move
ment against VladivostOk has yet de-
veloped, and the reported movements
Of Russian troops in northern Korea
have no material significance
Oyama's strategy is not of the kind
that can be fathomed. The tactics Of
Mukden were not those Of Liaoyang,
although Kouropatkin thought they
were.