The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-04-12
NAVAL BATTLE
NOW EMINENT.
Russian Admiral Out Wits
the Japanese.
PEACE PROSPECTS.
Much Speculation as to the Probable
Outcome of ROiestvensky's
Brilliant Move.

Within the last few days the war sit
uation in the Far East has become
more interesting. Just when the world
was speculating as to how the Russian
Fleet would ever reach Eastern waters
and trying to pick route for Admiral
Rojestvensky, that gentleman much to
the surprise of everybody and more
particularly to the Japanese, slips
through the Straits Of Malacca and is
into the China Sea.
This was the shortest and most di-
rect route to take but for that very
reason the japanese failed to guard the
Strait.
There is reason to believe that Vice
Admiral Rojestyensky's entrance into
the China Sea has been followed by or
ders for the cruisers Gromoboi, Rossia
and Bogatyr, which have been ready
for some time at Vladivostok, to put to
sea. Whether it is the intention to send
them south Immediately or to hold them
in the vicinity of Vladvostok is not
known. Their appearance outside the
roadstead of Vladivostok would consti-
tute potential threat against Admiral
Togo's rear, which will compel the re-
tention in or despatch of number of
heavy fighting ships to japanese wa
ters. Thus Admiral Toga seems to be
virtually placed between two fires.
The peace influences in the Govern
ment urge that this favorable strategic
position presents the psychological mo-
ment for offering officially the olive
branch to Japan, reasoning that 10
matter how confident the japanese
Government may be of Admiral Toga's
victory, it will not overlook the posi-,
bility of defeat or fail to appreciate the
complete disaster which would follow
the transfer of the mastery of the sea
to Russia. With so much depending
upon the issue, they argue, both coun-
tries have mutual interests in avoiding
an actual test, and it is not impossible,
therefore, that a new movement in the
direction of peace may come, just as
the world expects to hear the call to
quarters for the greatest naval battle
of modern times. Certainly the spirits
of the war party have been greatly
raised by Rojestvensky's success in
penetrating to the China Sea: and the
prospects of naval battle, even with
the odds against Russian victory
which would change the entire com
pleXion of the situation, has aroused
something like a flash of enthusiasm in
many Russian breasts.
Some naval officers express the opin-
ion that Rojestvcnsky, having now
safely navigated the straits, instead of
sailing north to meet the japanese can
afford to calmly await Vice Admiral
Nebogatotr with his division of the
squadron, who could arrive there in
three weeks. Ei
Tne Russian admiralty on Sunday re-
ceivcd long dispatch from Singapore.
but no intimation as to its contents has
been given to the newspapers. The pa
pers on Sunday morning printed Singa-
pore dispatches without comment, the
Sviet being the only exception. THIS
paper views the news from Rojestven-
sky as an suspicious prelude to de-
cisive battle, which may show that
over Roiestvensky still shines the hap
py star which helped him, when a lieu
tenant, to save the fragile Vesta in an
unequal conflict with Turkish battle
ship.
The Svict expresses the hope that
ROjestvensky is destined to turn the
tables, and that even in case of defeat
some of his vessels will be able to
break through and reach the japanese
sea"
It's the little colds that grow into
big colds; the big colds that end in con-