Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-16
Death Knell of Reforms.

Death Knell of Reforms.
The other view I have heard expressed In
more than one quarter is that the con-
clusion of peace is practically the DEATH
knell of the reform movement In Russia
If 1t were not for the terrible bloodshed
1t would have entailed I could have wished
for the sake Of the Russian people. that
the war had gone on" fairly expresses
the views of those who look at the matter
from this standpoint. On the other hand
II Is pointed out that the return Of the army
from Manchuria will add q new element to
the discomfort which already causes the
Russian bureaucracy such vivid alarm; and
the contention IS strongly advanced that
the reform movement has reached a point
IN its development where It can no longer
be crushed into silence by the customary
methods of the autocracy
Now that peace has been ARA nged the
question OF the future, so far as warship
building Is concerned. naturally presents
itself, and have been ma king inquiries on
this subject of authorities entitled to speak
with some certainty about prospects. 1t Is
now believed that no new ships of large
size will be ordered abroad by Japan In the
| near future There is a strong party in
Japan anxious to develop the naval ar
senals. and already two large cruisers have
been laid down and It Is in contemplation
to build a 19,0O0-ton battle ship: but how
far this vessel is advanced at Yokosuka.
the principal dockyard, l have no definite
have been ordered from Japanese yards in
| dicates that the authorities are anxious to
retain the work in the island kingdom,
and to this result the students who have
passed through the universities here and In
the states have contributed It Is prob
able. however. that some of the ordnance
may be ordered from this country and
America, as the time required to organize
a gun-mountfng department is too long to
suit the Japanese program.
Replenishing Navy.
The prospect in connection with armor
Sate Is more uncertain. Recently there
has been laid down at Kure the beginning
Of an extensive armor plate factory. and
the rolling mill and rolling mill engine-the
latter Of the vertical type, and a splendid
job completed by a Sheffield f1rm-were
actually dispatched during the progress Of
the war. The presses and furnaces and
other details of the plant were provided
by Manchester firm: but the two things
needful in armor plate manufacture are
experience and skillful management, and
even among the Japanese officials doubt IL
entertained whether reliance should be
placed ON this new staff and new factory
for the production of armor for the Jap
anese ships now under order. The posses
sion of Russian ships will have some in
iuence the Japanese building program.
but 1t will not be great. Much will depend
rather on the Russian plan OF new con-
structon. and on the time laid down in the
program for the vessels to be finished
There has been no war since Waterloo so
full of lessons for both naval and military
experts as that which has just ended. Mod
ern theories Of war and the effectiveness of
modern appliances have all been put to the
rigid test of actual conflict. and while 1t Is
yet too soon to speak as If all that was dis
ruted and doubtful had been determined.
there are certain outstanding features of
the campaign that are generally accepted
as having had an immense effect on its is
sue. While acknowledging the courage and
extraordinary self-sacrifice of the Japanese
troops, the cold precision of their organiza-
ton is, perhaps, more remarkab BILE still.
1t is the penetrating foresight. the compre-
hensive grasp of every possible exigency,
the calm. unerring estimate of the necessi-
ties of each case, the resolute determination
with which every resolve was carried
through that impress most deeply those who
are ganging the causes of the Japanese trf-
umph. They were not content to "muddle
through" living hand to mouth, the prey of
every INSCRIPTIONS adventurer, with an i'm
perfect commissaIiat an inadequate med
ical service and general lack of organiza-
ton. The japanese foresaw everything and
provided for everything Their medical
service was so excellent that they have
practically had no losses from disease,
whereas In the South African war disease
carried off many more men than the bullets
of the Beers.
One word more before I leave this topic.
There are already many significant signs
that the rise of Japan to a place among the
great powers Is awakening CHINA 10 u
knowledge Of her own possibilities. A Jap
anese gentleman who has just arrived in
England gave me some interesting facts to-
| day that bear upon this subject. When my
informant left Toxic there Were 1880 Chi
nese students attending the schools there.
and there were nearly 6.0G0 other applicants
| for the same privilege who during the Pc
riod OF waiting were learning the Japanese
language. Chinese students were pouring
into Japan at the rate of 30 a week. and
new schools were being started in Toxic to
enable the education authorities to cope
with the arrivals.