The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-06-06
OLE Messen9er.
THE BATTLE OF SEA OF JAPAN.

In A<A ~ IAS-A VI
Had The Messenger announced on
April 22nd that a battle would occur
between the Goth and 2Sth of May be-
tween the fleets of Rojestvensky and
Togo somewhere in the neighborhood
of the Japan sea and that the Russian
feet would be almost entirely ami
hilated many people would have
laughed at us and have said that we
were hard pushed for matter with
which to fill our columns. We might
have made such statement, though, for
the prediction was made TO us by a
friend on April Dist that such would
be the case. The fact hat the pre-
dictiOn has been fulfilled in the main
particulars is quite peculiar. On the
day mentioned this friend in an idle
moment wrote out what purported to
be a wireless telegram from Manila
and gave it to us. We nave the Origi-
nal copy before us as this is written.
1t is as follows:
May 9th I905-By wireless teles-
raphy taken at Wilmington. N. c.
"A part of Russian fleet arrived at
Manila bay at 1890 o'clock o. m. yes
terday and put itself under protection
of the American government. Are
directed to jisarm ships Six ships
and two transports have come i'll n
report battle near (name of place UNI
interpreted). Balance Of fleet unaC-
COurted for"
This is not a case of Il told you
So The supposed dispatch was really
written on April 21st and the original
copy is still in our possession. Had
the battle not occurred so near the
date mentioned we would never have
was a mere accident that the paper
was not destroyed, but here it is to
show for itself-a mere coincidence,
but a peculiar n and one that would
not happen often in a life time. The
battle occurred the day after the time
mentioned, but not very far from the
predicted location, and the news up to
this time indicates that the results are
fully as disastrous to the Russians as
u friend indicated they would be.
In this connection we will say that
the Russian fleet is greater than the
first dispatches indicated. Instead of
their having been exaggerated at first
it seems hat all was not told. The
Russian fleet has been almost annihi-
lated. The Japanese seem to have
been masters of the situation from the
beginning, Togo knew what he was
about and where was the best place to
meet the enemy. He chose his own
fighting ground. The Russians were
at sea in more senses than one. Their
course for his progress to Vladivos-
tOk. He pretended that he was anx-
ious to meet the Japanese fleet any
where. He met them, but when he did
so he was totally unprepared for the
meeting. His fleet seems to have been
thrown into confusion from the begin
ming of the fight. His men and officers
were as ratified as when they ran
afoul of the British fishing fleet in the
German ocean. The only reason they
were not defeated then and there is
that the fishing boats were unarmed.
Had they been mounted with a few
blunderbusses it is probable the Rus
sian feet would have surrendered to
them.
A more signal and ignoimnious naval
defeat has not occurred since the time
the Spanish armada was destroyed by
the British navy in the sixteenth CEN
fury.
We Americans were mighty proud of
what Dewey did in Manila bay and of
the defeat of the Spanish fleet at San
tiago, but they were child's play to
this affair in the Japan sea. In the
latter battle warships Of equal power
were pitted against each other. That
battle was won by superior seaman
ship, cunning and bravery. The odds
should have been in favor of the Rus
slams and were but for the above men,
toned qualities in the Japanese. In
our two naval battles all the advan-
tages were on our side. While we are
proud Of what Dewey and Sampson
and Schley did, their victories are not
to be compared with that of Togo.
This is a fact which cannot be denied
and no American should try to take
TogO'S laurels from him.
Can any one tell us what has become
of President Castro. His invading
arIaI- has not Lot landed of tho mouth