New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-26
THE FLEETS.

The keenness Of expectancy increases in the
Asian seas, and must surely soon be gradfed,
for postponement and delay cannot mean total
avoidance Of a battle but must instead make
surely for the inevitable. Dispatches tell US the
Russian authorities consider meeting OF the
fleets likely az any hour. Beyond question
something must happen soon. Meantime, we
may take a last survey of the rival fleets as they
are now constituted and as they are pretty ac-
curately known.
Omitttng the two-possibly three-crulsers at
Vladivostok, the combined fleets of Rojestvensky
and Nebogatoff comprise eight battleships, three
coast defence vessels, three armOred cruisers,
six protected cruisers, six auxiliary cruisers,
thirteen destroyers five volunteer vessels, ten
transports, one tank ship one repair ship and
two hospital ships. The Japanese feet, assum-
ing the N1ikasa to be in commission, contains
five battIeships one coast defence ship, eight
armored cruisers, twelve protected cruisers,
four smaller cruisers, twenty destroyers, twelve
large and 6fty-five small torpedo boats, thirteen
submarine boats and between thirty-fve and
forty auxiliary cruisers tank ships, repair ships,
hospital ships etc. Japan has two battleshlpS
superior to any in the Russian feet, and Russia
has two inferior to any Of Japans. Any one OF
Japan's eight armored cruisers IS superior TO
any one of Russla's three, and the average OF
Japan's twelve protected cruisers IS superior TO
that Of Russia's six The Russian SHIPS are
practically all slower than the Japanese, with
the exception of three Of their protected cruls-
ers, which are very fast The guns carried are
as follows: 12-inch, Russian 26, Japanese %;
lO-inch Russian Z, Japanese 3; 9-inch Russian
L. Japanese 4; S-inch, Russian Ii, japanese "a;
G-inch Russian 147, Japanese 1876. Russia has
thus superiority in heavy guns and Japan in
and inch guns OF course, 12-inch pro-
iectile is far more destructive than one OF s or
inches. but then the smaller guns can be
worked much more rapidly than the large ones,
and experience has indicated that rapid hail
of s or even inch bolts is highly demoralizing
and destructive 1t should be added that in
quality the Russian guns, especially the larger
ones are probably superior to the japanese,
while the Japanese guns are likely to be better
aimed and worked. THE crews of the Russian
ships aggregate about 10000 men, and of the
Japanese about 1880. In coal endurance the
Russian battleships and the Japanese cruisers
are superior.
Such are the rival fleets. Their fighting ground
now seems likely to be near the southern coast
of japan. There could be none better for Togos
PURPOSES On either Jne east or the west coast
he would have close behind him cOmmodious
and splendidly equipped shipyards for supplies
and repairs. There IS however, one not untm-
portant factor in the problem which has not al
ways hitherto received due consideration. That
is the fog The smoky Seas" is a name appli-
cable to the waters at the south we'll as at
the north Of Japan. In the region Of Nagasaki
the season Of fogs will not be past for a week
or two yet. while at the Tsugaru Strait it will
last for two months more The possibilities of
fog are manifold, ranging from the surprising OF
one fleet by the other to the complete avoid
ance of one by the other Under such blanket
a single torpedo boat may send the biggest bat
tleship TO the bottom. or the whole Russian fleet
NAV glide past the watchful Japanese and gain
Vladivostok without a shot. The use of wire
less telegraphy however, lessons the facility
with which such trick as the latter could be
played. On the whole. we may consider the
game to be one of almost limitless uncertainties
and the players to be pretty evenly matched.