The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1905-05-25
ON LAND AND SEA
What the ContendinG RussO-Japanese
Fcrces Have Been Doing.

What the COntending RussO-J apanese
Fcrces Have Been Doing.
An official French message from
Saigon last week announced that Ne
bogatoff's squadron had joined Rojest-
vensky. No locality is named, but in
order that definite information should
come through Saigon Rojestvensky
must still be close TO the lndo-China
shore. From st. Petersburg we are
told that Rojestvensky's fleet will now
be divided into three squadrcnS, with
yoelkersam in command of the bat
tie ships, Enquist in command of the
cruisers and Nebogatoff i'll command
of scouting force.
At last, one would think, Rojestven-
sky must be ready to start on the final
stage of his adventure, whether his in
tention be to seek out Togo directly or
to endeavor to make Nladivostok af-
ter evading battle. And yet an i'm
mediate sea fight has been SO often
predicted, even in quarters where the
Russian plans are presumably best
known, that again a chance for delay
may be found.
1t is close to thousand miles from
the Indo- China coast to Formosa. 1t is
another thousand miles from there to
the Straits of Korea. To VladivoStOk
is, say, 500 miles further. A round
about course to the east of Japan
would increase the distance to VladivO-
stock by probably 1,5OO miles. From
FormoSa northward Japan possesses
continuous series of small islands,
from which torpedo boats could carry
on raids should Rojestvensky pass that
way. Unless ROjestyensky steers out
to the open sea pitched battle may be
fought in the Straits of Korea.
Che neutrality discussion has Occu-
pied the leading place in the "war
news" of the week. 1t has been vol
uble, but not satisfying. France has
had the last word by declaring that her
neutrality is different from any other
neutrality in the world-a statement
which no one will feel disposed to dis
pute.
The rest of the world, however, may
have difficulty in cOmprehending the
niceties of French neutrality. One fact
is apparent. The Russian fleet, under
friendly shelter of the French harbors,
has been enabled to prepare itself for
battle with Togo or to prey upon Japa.
nese commerce. Without the friendly
of hn prrsSian foot
could not have rounded the Cape OF
Good Hope or reached the Island OF
Madagascar 1t could not have crossed
| the Indian Ocean. 1t would not have
waited four weeks for the arrival of
| reinforcements.
The raid of the Vladivostok squad
ron, which week ago promised some
| diversion, came to naught. The Rus
sian torpedo boats sunk several small
Japanese merchant steamers and
scurried back to VladivoStOk. The ad
venture was hardly worth the coal il
cost. Two larger Russian ships are re
ported to have been sighted near the
| Tsugari Straits, but the Surmise OF
naval officers that they are cruisers
sent from VladivoSt0k to scout the Pa
cific along the eastern coast of Japan
is yet to be realized.
The land campaign in Manchuria ap
parently is developing rapidly, and
there are indications that Oyama is
about 10 begin his turning movement
to the eastward in order to drive the
Russians out of Kirin and isolate Via
divostok.
The military situation is similar in
its conditions TO that just preceding
the battle of Mukden. The two armies
are face to face along a front of near
ly 100 miles, both astride the railroad
The extreme japanese right is in the
mountains to the east, while the left
stretches across the railroad to the
plains of the west.
Since May the armies in Manchuria
have indulged in number of Skin
! mishes, but there is no indication that
a japanese advance in force has be
gun. Apparently the Russians retreat
ed further than was necessary after
| the battle of Mukden. Oyama's ad
vance lines are from so to so miles
north of Tieling, with his main force
| probably at TELLING or south Of it. The
extreme extension of the lines is about
100 miles east and west.
Oyama has been following his old
| plans, building roads, constructing de
fenses and repairing the railroad, SC
that he will have full facilities of trans
port and will be assured of safe po
sition for resistance in the contingency
of a reverse. No sign of a land move
ment against Vladivostok has yet de
veloped, and the reported movements
of Russian troops in northern Korea
have no material significance.
Oyama's strategy is not of the kind
that can be fathomed. The tactics OF
Mukden We're not those of Liaovang
although Kouropatkin thought they
were.
Strawberries tione to Waste.
Last week there was n scarcity Of
Strawberries in northern markets ant
consequently enhanced prices; at the same
time at ChadbourDe, y. c. more thar