New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-11
MOUKDEN.

Another name is added to the world S AT
mageddon roll. Another companion Is gwen ~
Marathon and Arbela TO Chalons ana 1ouns ~
IutZen and Blenhein, TO Lelpslc anu Ndteil0o'
to Gettysburg and Sadowa, to Sedan anu fleNhd'
Henceforth when men think of those mighty
conflicts they will think also OF MouKueil, uie
latest and not the least of them all; for, what
ever may become of Kuropatkin and OF some
remnant of his once gigantic army, the record
of AToukdan Yesterday passed into perpetual
history. The greatest army the great RUSSIAN
Fmpire has ever marshalled securely estao-
nshed in its own chosen citadel and stronghold
has been attacked by a force desplsed as us III
measurable inferior, and has been storlheu ue-
fested crushed demOralized and scattered far
and wide 1t is what our Gallo cousins cih d
debacle Whoever may escape the FURIOUS puI-
suit Of Nogi and Kuroh and hawamura anu
NAV straggle back across the hills to hirin or
to Hardin, this is plain: The Russian army OF
Manchuria as an effective force, has ceased to
exist.
Nor is It only in its physical magnitude-sur-
passing that of any other recorded conflict OF
modern or ancient times-that Moukden gives
the worlds attention pause. We nave recalleu
ArbeIa But Moukden In a suggestive sense is
Arbela reversed. Let that not be overlooked.
Here is a purely Asiatic nation, in some re-
spects the most Oriental of all the ORIENT
Within the memory of men now living ana
scarcely yet grown old it was as secluded as
Tibet, and as much apart from modern ciVillza-
ton. In the course Of a single generation 1T
has thrown of the lethargy of centuries and
come to the front with an irresistible rush. Its
first hostile impact has been upon that European
nation which is OF all most populous and which
has for years vaunted itself upon being most
powerful in war. At the first touch the white
European power has crumbled into run and
the yellow AsiGtic power stands essentially I'M
injured and triumphant. Truly, there is food
in that fact for some Of the most serious thought
our proud white peoples have ever known.
There is the more food for thought in that the
japanese have beaten the Russians with their
own weapons. 1t was not an overwhelming of
a small civilized force by an innumerable sea
of savages, as at Isandhlwana. Rather was 1t
the victory Of a more perfect over a less per-
feet civilization. The japanese have won all
through this last thirteen months of marvels
by virtue of superior science. They have given
to the world an exhibition of scientific warfare
such as has never been seen before Not even
Moltke in 1866 and in 1870 rivalled these sons
of the Samurai in organization and in pre-
cision Of execution. The simple fact is that
Europe and America have never yet got away
from a certain empircism in warfare. But the
Japanese. when they were made to realize ten
years ago the necessity OF a war with a great
European power, set themselves down to study
out the campaign with mathematical precision,
as though they were solving some problem In
Euclid. They worked the whole thing out
scientifically -sTategy, tactics, equipment trans
portation commissariat, sanitation, surgery and
what not Now they have been applying In
practice all that they mastered in theory How
well their theories have worked in practice may
be read all the way from Port Arthur to MONK
den.
Upon what will come next we may speculate
at will. If we have the patience for it. we may
even consider, as one Of the grim humors Of the
stupendous tragedy, the statement attributed to
Russian diplomats in Paris-that Kuropatkin
has retired from Mcukden in accordance with a
prearranged plan, and is simply Turing the Jap
anese on to their ruin. With what emerald
envy the shade of John Phoenix must regard
that output! But serious men will see in this
epoch making event q lesson of mighty import
to the world For Russia, it should surely
mean a making of peace on the best terms she
can get, and a prompt setting in order of her
own house at home. For the rest Of the world
we need not hesitate to say it is a reminder that
the day Of Caucasian arrogance toward and OPP
preston of the yellow race is past Russia de-
spised the Japanese, and the result is-Moukden!
Germany and France abetted her in opDressiur
them, but they will scarcely offer to avenge her
upon them in Manchuria. We have no Thought
that Great Britain will feel Inundated at hav
ing contracted en- alliance with the victors nj
Port Arthur and Moukden, or that the United
States will regret having opened JapaD IN tba
world and having been her next friend" for
half century. Upon the death field of Monk
den there rises the puissant figure of a new great
power, the peer of any, and it will be the worlds
part OF wisdom to recognize it as such. and TO
regard it not with contempt as of old, nor vet
with fear, as some have affected to do but with
the frank spirit of equal brotherhood in friendly
r-yalry in the progress of civilization