The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1905-06-07
TOGO'S TRIUMPH.


that hell of humiliation which
marks the victory of modern YES
sells of class over vessels of infe-
riority, cannot fail to convey it's
impression of horror and gloom
to the serious reader of the hours
news; the story of perforated
and shattered hulks carrying
down to death thousands of hu-
man beings, Of men as we are,
husbands, fathers, brothers. 1t
is the human tragedy which
bears in upon us past all other
impressions. A fight at sea with
it's burning and sinking of ves-
sells presents the most terrible of
all war tragedies to the i'm
agination. The killing Of
a like number of men in land
engagement would not so affect
us.
We cannot but confess to our
selves, however, that a reversal
of the story would have been a
sadder version for this country.
Had the disaster, deaths and de-
feat been Togo's and Japan's,
America would almost have had
the blues, so generally do our
sympathies lie that way. Sorry
for the loser though we may be,
the world loves a victor as it does
lover, and Japanese victor at
present a little better than it
would love a Russian. Russia as
now constituted does not appeal
as one day it may to the worlds
sympathies /; and Russia's posi-
ton in the war, that of an ag-
gressor inspired by motives not
much better than sheer greed of
expansion, or, euphemistically,
terri to rial ACKNOWLEDGMENT, >"
has not been the popular one.
Japan's valiant defense, Japan's
littleneSs against Russia's big
ness, have moved the cheers.
One of the vast repOrtOrial and
literary activity which the big
naval engagement has inspired
has come, among others, a splen-
did phrase descriptive of the
event-"the hornets attacking
the leviathans of the Deep 1t
must have been a hornet fight
against a sluggish foe, seeing
that Togo's fleet came off almost
unscratched. 1t recalls the Chi
na-Jap engagements, the first of
modern naval warfare, and the
American victories over the Span
ish Admirals. In point of ton
mage involved, and probably as
to the volume and weight of pro-
jectiles thrown, it is the greatest
sea fight in history, and of vast
interest to naval experts.
Consideration Of the decisive
and sweeping victory leads inev-
itably to the query. Will it end
the war? Japan appears to be
left without opposition on water.
On land she has the enemy on
the defensive. Japan's control
of both situations would appear
to be nearly perfect and nothing
Russia can do inside of many
months could disturb it. Japan
has fairly earned peace at the
terms she has contended for. AS
for Russia, what can she do but
yield ? 1t remains to be seen
what effect the disaster has on
the feelings Of the discouraged
Russian people. Internal Russia
may, and probably will. be a fac
tor pressing compellingly for
peace. Russia is .'out of
business" as to this war and it's
credit is bad. Its people are not
likely to furnish the soldiers of
the nations to with the money
to prolong the Struggle. Even
the indomitableness of the Rus
sian bureaucracy and the thrones
self-love are not proof against
the arguments for capitulation
which circumstances now bring.
st. Louis Republic.
When some railroad man
frames up a time card that the
,,,,I1so nov, voo1;lx, ,,u1o,c%o,,l xr,o