The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-03
JAPAN and RUSSIA.
SAVOY ARD '.''''''ln Washington
POST.

When Russia dispatched Rojest-
vensky and his fleet to the Far East
it was her forlorn hope, and when
Togo beat the Russians in the Sea of
Japan it was the end of the war. The
only question that remained was the
terms of peace, and that was a game
of diplomacy and not of war. At Ports
mouth Japan got all. she had a right
to expect, and Russia surrendered no
more than she was bound to--no more
than Japan already had. 1t was no
victory for Russian diplomacy and no
defeat for japanese diplomacy. 1t
was a natural settlement, a settlement
by the sword and ratified by the diplO
mats.
Japan dominates Korean diplo-
matte language it is expressed that
Japan may give advice" to Korea
which means that she will give orders
to Korea. One of the things Russia
was fighting for was to give orders
to Korea herself Russia withdraws
from the Korean business. Both bel
ligerents withdraw from Manchuria
Russia entirely, Japan only physically.
No doubt China will take Japan's ''ad-
vice" as to Manchuria. The Island
of Sakhalin is divided-this is a spoil
of war that accrues to Japan. Port
Arthur and Dalny and some islands
along the coast remain with Japan
these are additional spoil. Russia
CedeS certain railroads to China, and
there are hints that Japan viii charge
China big lawyers fee for inducing
Russia to 'cede" what Japan already
had in her clutch. In addition, Japan
gets certain valuable fishing rights
from VladivoStok north to Bering Sea
Thus Japan got what she already
had possession of. She would have got
l.. y l. q
had Russia by the throat, but Rus
Sia's throa was way off yonder some
thousands of miles to the westward. 1t
is a long journey to it and the road
IS beset with difficulties and dangers
and so Japan did the part of wisdom
and concluded to hold what she had
and not fly at the throat. Another year
of war, no doubt, would have given
her VladiVOStOk and Hardin and Rus
sian territory on Boring Sea, but the
game was not worth the candle, and
Japan was wary in coming to terms.
Besides. war is tickle old devil, and
that splendid player 1T the game, Ma
poleon BOnaparte, asserted that there
was big element of chance in it.
But in the concrete the war has
been of immense material advantage
to Japan. There is no finer army on
the planet than hers, and man for
man had gun for gun her navy is
equal to any other. She understands
the art of war and plays the game
with more economy of human life and
treasure than any other snation ever
dreamed of. Perhaps hers is the only
army of history that lost more men on
the field of battle than in the hospital.
Her army was not inspired by the
fanaticism of Cromwell's Ironsides; it
does not exhibit the reSiStless enthu
siaSm of the soldiers OF revolutionary
France. The Japanese soldier is more
like the Spartan than anything else
in history, and has even a greater
contempt of death than the Spartan.
His capacity for marching is equal
to his capacity for fighting, and his
most bountiful ration would mean
deprivation to the Caucasian warrior
The war has shown that to whip a
Japanese army you must destroy it,
and to lick a Japanese fleet you must
sink it. Port Arthur was practically
taken by assault, and there is not a
commander of Europe or America who
would have attempted to reduce it
except by blockade.