Arizona republican., 1905-04-09
Entrance of Russian Fleet
 Into China Seas
ROJESTVENSKY'S RUSE
St. Petersburg Is Rejoicing Though It Realizes the Odds Against the Fleet. The Greatest Naval Fight of Modern Times Inside of Ten Days.

St. Petersburg, April S-There was great rejoicing last night at the admir- alty, war and other clubs oyer Vice Admiral Rojestvensky having success fully navigated the gateway of the China sea without encountering the Japanese. The danger of the fleet be- ing beset by the wasps of the deep in the narrow waters which divide the breastwOrks of the islands of the Ma lay archipelago and possible damage to the big ships in coming into an en- counter with Vice Admiral Togos fleet was so great that some of the naval experts actually favored a route around Australia
 Credit for the strategy by which the feat was accomplished, the Associated Press learns, belongs solely to Vice Admiral ROjestvensky. who accurately judged that as the Malacca Straits was most practicable as well as the most direct route the Japanese would calculate that he would not dare to force a passage there. Beside this, Ro- jestvensky planned a stratagem to de- ceive the Japanese with a secret with which only two men in St. Petersburg were entrusted, by directing the Rus sian admiralty to order the colIiers
 
 vous in Sunda Straits, 800 miles south ward of Singapore, feeling sure that the Japanese intelligence department would be equal as it probably was, to the task of ascertaining the supposed destination of Rojestvensky. Thereby he not only threw the Japanese off the scent but deceived his own admiralty where the news of the fleet having passed Singapore probably caused quite as much surprise as it did in the marine department in Tokio. Several cOlliers were actually dispatched to the rendezvous and many already had fall en into the hands of the Japanese but Rojestyensky deliberately sacrificed them as pawns in a bigger game. That the ruse worked is apparent from the fact that Rojestvensky did not meet a single Japanese ship in the Straits of Malacca, while dispatches from Bata- via tell of the Sunda, Lonbok, Bali, Flyoress and other straits to the south ward being crowded with Japanese tor pedo boats guarding the passages
 Although there is so ne talk of the possibility of Vice Admiral Rojestvens- ky now putting in at Saigon, Cochin China, it is now believed that no fur ther advantage of French neutrality will be taken unless he is forced to do so because of the condition of some of his ships.
 The admiralty points out the great importance and advantage to be gained by pushing on with all possible speed and meeting Vice Admiral Togos hea- " ships before he can effect a complete concentration of his scattered cruisers, scouts and torpedo boats. The belief of the admiralty is that Togo is wait ing near the Island of Formosa, 1900 miles northward of Singapore.
 At the rate the Russian squadron steamed from Madagascar, which was an average of eight knots an hour, the greatest naval battle since Nelson's victory at Trafalgar should occur in about ten days. The admiraly realizes that Rojestvensky faces great odds, owing to the immense superiority of the Japanese in cruisers and torpedo boats, and reliance in his success is based upon the seven battleships with which he can oppose Togo's four.
 u is thought unlikely that the Via divostOk squadron will attempt a june ton with the Baltic fleet, though it is quite possible it may make a diversion undeterred by fate of the Russia at the time Ot the egress of the Port Ar thur fleet last August.