Arizona republican., 1905-06-13
Russian lnCdpdCity in the
 Sea of JupdR
IHE BATTLEA SLAUGHTER
ROjestvenSky Was the Only Man Who
 knew His Plans, if Hs had Any. The GunneFs Were Untrained and There Was no TaCticalH1ansuverins

Nladivostok, June PA series of in-
 terviews which the correspondent Of
 the Associated Press has had with na-
 val officers who survived the battle of
 the Sea of Japan has developed a most
 sensational story of the causes of The
 Russian disaster. first of all the com
 plete decentralization which followed the
 sinking of the flagship Kniaz Souya-
 rolf and the wounding of Admiral Ro-
 jestvensky. It is explained thar not a
 single officer of the fleet Bxned the com
 mander in chiefs plans. The admiraIS in command of divisions knew no more than the sub ub-lieutenants, and had to rely on the signals of the flagship. Ad- miral Nebagatoff upon whom the com mand developed had seen Rojestvenssy
 only once after the junction of their squadrons and then only for a few minutes
 Ali the stories of extensive target practice in Madagascar it seems. were false During the entire voyage there practically was no training of gunnerv
 worth mentioning and big gun practice was confined to three shots per ves- sel. Ugly stories are told Of happen ings at Madagascar. Some Of the. crews were certainly untrained in gun nery and exhausted bv an eight months voyage under trying moral and physical conditions were no match for the veteran Japanese. whose marks manship was wonderfuL Japanese concentrated their fire on che ship un- til she was placed out of action. and then on another. thus successively sink ing the OSlayba. the Alexander III and Fniaz SouvaroT- ome of the ships de- veioped deplorable structural defects The Oslayba sank without having a single hole below the water line Heavy seas entered the vessel above the water line and the water tight compartments. which were changed several times dur ing the voyage. did not stand the strain they had been calculated to stand and burst. flooding and heeling the vessel until she turned turtle.
 Lack of homogeniety among the ships made it impossible to maneuver in har- mony. The Vladimir Monomach. the Admiral OushakOff and the Admiral had to lag behind. on this ac- court becoming easy victims Finally the ammunition was exhausted after inc first days fighting
 Even the very morning of battle. while the buzzing of the wireless in- strument on the Russian ships showed hat the Japanese SC, dts were com his dispositions to Admiral Togo, Admiral ROjestvensl1y continued lis careless maneuvering, and when the Japanese actually appeared the Rus 'ians were caught in an impossible for nation and were attacked on three rOnts. ROjestvensky's position was ,ramped and his transports were bad y placed and caused confusion.
 While the Japanese were raining pro- ectiles, even from machine guns on the Russian ships, the latter were huddled ogether, blanketing each others fire. )nly the leaders of columns could 'ring their guns to bear, and even on hose the untrained gunners fired wild y. To render matters worse. mines and oating torpedoes soyvn in the paths Of -- he Russian divisions added to the con usion. The Borodino. the. Admiral Ma imoff and the Navarin fell victims tO hese Instructions. '
 It is a heart Tending narrative that Iussia and the world should know. The aiIors and officers were not altogether o blame. The main fault lies elsewhere here were many heroes among the russians. Captain Berkh of the Os- lyba committed suicide on the ship then she sank. There were thousands f other heroes whose names the world ill never know.