Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-09
IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Battle in Manchuria Would
Be Largest Ever Fought.
TOTAL OF THE FORCES
FIGURES OF RUSSIANS HARD no
OBTAIN.
Some Statistics In the Worlds Biggest
Eights-Efect of Rainy
Season.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
PARIS, July 3, 1895.
If battle takes place in Manchuria OF
any considerable import before the final
treaty of peace between Russia and Japan
1t will be by far the greatest in the history
of the world, discarding as legendary the
wild Greek tales of Xerxes' army, millions
strong. The japanese today have six ar
mics in the field, composed Of twenty-sx
divisions and totaling force Of at least
100000 men. Five of these great armies
are understood as operating against Gen.
eral Linevitch. so that the force opposed
Immediately to him will be at least 500, GOO
strong, and 1t may be even larger. The
Japanese force OF artillery Is estimated at
1,sOO guns.
Figures even approximately correct OF the
Russian army are more difficult to get at.
1t is known that the Russian army has
been reinforced since Mukden but 1t Is be-
lieved that it does not greatly exceed $780,,
600 men. with 100 guns. If each side
should bring into the battle its full quota
of men therefore, nearly one million of men
and close to 1900 cannon will be en-
gagged. The front of the japanese armies
covers about 100 miles, extending in one
vast SeHll-ClFCle from the LlOd river TO the
mountains south of klrin, the two TANKS
being advanced toward the Russians
In no battle of the past, at least not I'M
til the outbreak of the present war, have
more than 100000 men been lined up in op-
posing armies. The following We're the to-
tails engaged in some of the past historic
battles from which the colossal scale of the
present war can be understood: Plevna,
September, 1877, 10000; Sedan, September,
1870, 244, Ot0; Gravelotte, August, 1870, 30O,
90; Sadowa, July. 1866, 435 UOU Gettysburg
July, 1868, 10000; Solferino, June 1859
2s4O00; Waterloo, June, 1915, 217 eco; Leip-
zig, October. 1919, 1000; Borodino Sep
TENDER, 1872, 251 GOO.
It will be seen that In the greatest battles
of the past sometimes not one-quarter,
often not one-half the number of men were
lined up which now confront each other on
the southwest of kirin. The present diff
Guilty of Japan is not in finding men, but
In feeding the immense force which she has
at the front. But on account of the water
transportation the problems which confront
the japanese IN this respect are not as Sc
rious as those which confront the Russians.
Indeed If the Japanese should succeed in
cutting the Siberian railroad in the rear of
Gen. Linevitch something not impossible,
since their force apparently outnumbers the
force of the Russians nearly two to one, it
would be necessary for the Russians to
surrender fight or starve Their stores on
hand would not be sufficient to feed third
of million men for many days, and their
only hope of future supplies would lie in
the Siberian railroad.
Effect of Rainy Season.
Reports to the effect that the rainy sea-
son has begun in Manchuria are watched
with greater interest by the military critics
and students of military strategy than the
reports of peace negotiations. which are
chiefly of interest to diplomatic students
and critics According to careful meteoro-
logical reports made by Consul Hosie at
Niuchwang, the date of the beginning of the
rainy season is about the second week in
July. 1t was pointed out, however, at
very early period in the campaign of 1904
that the practically invariable rule of past
history was that warlike operations were
carried in weather which disturbed the
minds of the oldest inha bitants' and led
them to say that they never remembered
such thing happening before. From this
1t is deduced that all local memories are
faulty, all tradition false, csc that the
abnormal incidents of the combat them
selves change the state of the atmosphere
and upset the best established of tradition.
Either that or else that "all signs fail in
times of dry weather., or wet weather..
as the case may.
Failing military men have the privilege
of falling back upon the theory that the
discharging of cannon at a battle has the
effect of bringing down rain from the
clouds. This latter theory may account
for many things which have happened pro-
scientific men as at the present time
The very phrase rainy season" is in It
self deceptive, because it has SO many
widely varying and widely different mean
ings in various localities. In Manchuria
the whole rainfall of the year is small,
scarcely thirteen inches, in all, and of this
not half falls practically continuously. but
in broken spells even in ordinary times
during the specially wet months of July
and August. 1t is safe to predict therefore
that during July and August of 1905 we
shall have deluges which will temporarily
check movement provided all military
movements not permanently ended by
peace, followed by fine hot weather during
which the roads will rapidly dry. The de-
lays therefore will not be serious but short.
That was the condition of affairs which
was experienced a year ago. 1t Is no
doubt. from their previous knowledge of
the climate, that the leaders of the mika-
dos army are able to say that except at
particular points and for limited period
operations will not be interrupted by the
rain.