Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-15
INTERESTED.
Diplomatic Circles Talk of the Coming
Naval Battle.

Washington, April Little else
than the Forthcoming nattle between
tile Russian and Japanese fleets in the
China sea is now talked about in Wash
| ington. The interest ancng diplomats
and naval officers is at white heat
Everyone recognizes that perhaps the
most important naval engagement since
Trafalgar is now near at hand: and un
| less expectations are disappointed it
will he the first really great conflict on
the sea since the birth Of modern steel
fighting ships. There have been engage
nents between a few ships, as in the
present war and the war between Japan
and China. There have been one-sided
running fights amounting almost to
slaughter, as when SIMPSONS squadron
destroyed Cervera's fleet. But there
never has been such a conflict. as the
whole world is now on tiptoe over and
Iawaitirg the first news from the Asia
| tic cable stations.
| Naval officers who have given close
study to the conditions surrounding the
hostile fleets express the opinion that
Instead of one great pitched battle there
will be a long series of engagements,
with gun action at long range on the
part of the Japanese battle ships and
frequent efforts to cut out the Rus
SLAMS by means of torpedo boats. They
do not believe Admiral Togo will risk
a general engagement at close range
certainly not till after mis- first and most
obvious tactics have been carried on long
enough to reduce the strength of the
enemy materially and to place him at
the mercy of Japanese guns in final
rush.
| Surprise has been expressed that the
Japanese permitted Roiestvensky' S
fleet or the most of it. for it seems by
tonight's cables that tine whereabouts
OF several of his most important ships
is as vet unknown, to pass through the
Straits of Malacca unattached. Al ST
Petersburg the dispatches report the
| Russians rejoicing over RojestVensky
cleverness in evadinS Togo by taxing
the shortest and most Natural route.
on the supposition that Togo would not
| think his rival capable Of daring that
passage.
| American naval experts declare that
Togo undoubtedly could have made his
| cttack in the Malacca straits if he had
cared to do so. But in their opinion ne
| mllcn D1eIeTTpu W W dlt III ei'N N''~''-'
| was deployed in the open sea, where
there is plenty of room for maneuFer-
ing and where land and neutral ports
are at a considerable distance. Almost
every naval officer in Washington be
lieves Togo ultimately Will succeed III
destroying or scattering the RUSSIAN
armada. They say it may take several
| weeks to do it. but in the END thev
Rave no doubt it is to be done
| The entire Japanese fleet is believed
! to have fully twice the maximum speed
| of it's rival squadron. This means that
| the Japanese are fast enough to run all
| around the enemy. 1t means that they
NAV choose their own place. time and
method of attack. All the moral and
physical advantage that goes with the
aggressor will be in their favor. They
may make night attacks with their
speedy destroyers- a quick run in a
launching of the deadly tubes of ex-
plosives, and away again. They may
menace the enemy night and day, and
then watch their chance to cut out
struggling ships and DESTROY them.
1t is we'll known in naval and dip
lomatic circles here that the Japanese
authorities are almost sublimey con-
fident of their ability to destroy Ro-
jestvensky. 1t is also known upon what
this confidence is based. 1t rests upon
the belief of Admiral Togo that his
heavy guns and his superior power will
| enable him to stand off at a distance
and batter the Russian ships while his
own craft are out of range. The Jap
anese already have pursued this meth
cd of attack with good results. Up to
now it is said that no Japanese battle
ship has received a wound from a Rus
sian shot. With his double speed and