The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30

|
in all weli-informed quarters. came as a
! lightning bolt from a cIoudless sky to
most when on the morning of Febru-
airy 9. 1904, they read that the Japanese
| fleet of war vessels, under Admiral Togo,
which had left Sasebo three days before,
| had appeared off the Russian stronghold
at Port Arthur and given deadly blow
| to the naval power there gathered
! Japan for ten years had been prepar-
ing for the contest and was in posi-
ton to make the most OF the best
opportunity that presented. itself when
| the time came.
| When in the spring of 1895, after
few months of war with China, with cher
armies victorious on every field and her
navy riding free, as far as China
was concerned, Japan had gained we'll
wrought concessions from Ii Hung
Chang at Shimonoseki. only ito see them
| taken from her by. Russia, backed by
| France and GeImany. she felt humiliated
| but was DQwerlesS, to prevent. 81 49, .
The years brought about concessions
| from China to- I-ussia for certain privi-
leges of railroad construction through
Manchuria TO Vladiyostok, and then
| from the newly. created city Of Hardin
I a branch line down TO Port Arthur, al
the extremity of the Regents Sword"
! the SouthernmoSt part of the Liaotung
| Peninsula, and the control of Talienwan
Bay, where a. new commercial city,
| Dalny, was built at the cost of hundreds
| of millions. Then came the actual, If
not the nominal, assertion of sovereignty
on the part of Russia over all Man
churia. and aggressive movements to-
/ ward, and even into, the much disputed
Hermit Kingdom''-Korea-
Japan protested and asked for explana-
! tions and declarations of. intentions
These not coming in due time, she drop
J ped wording of diplomatic notes and took
| to more costly. but. more decisive,
| measures. On sea and on land she has
! had. though at fearful cost of life and
| treasure. an unprecedented array of sue
cesses- T
! Clearing the sea. by her first bold
! strokes at Port Arthur and Chemulpo for
| the movement of her weeks waiting
| troop-laden transports. she landed her
| forces in Korea and soon drove the Rus
SLAMS to the Yalu River. the northern
/ boundary. Then. landing two other
armies: one at Takushan, ip Southeast
| Manchuria. and the other at Pitsewo,
! near the upper end of the Liaotung Pen
! insula. she took quick action and in few
/ short weeks Kuroki was holding Kuro-
! patkin above tNewchwang. while Nogi
| fought the great. battle of Nanshan and
( prdcDcaUy began lne Investment OF EOTL
| Arthur (May 26-2O. Seven months OF
| siege followed and the gallant Stoessel,
on january s. 1905. surrendered his rem
nant of heroic defenders. What was left
! of the Port Arthur fleet, so proudly
boasted by. Vieeroy Admiral Alexieff.
went with the rest to Japan.
In the meantime Marshal Oyama. the
Japanese commander in chief, had with
the armies of Kuroki. Nodzu and Oku
| frustrated Kuropatkins attempts TO re-
/ Here. Port Arthur. by land, and pushed
| him back northward to Liaoyang. There.
on September Is, 1904, they defeated him
J in pitched battle whose lines extended
over a distance of thirty miles, and sent
him farther on to Mukden. seventyfour
miles distant
Following closely on his heels, the Japa-
nase kept the Russians on the move till
the vicinity Of Mukden was reached
Again facing and fighting each other
through the winter, on March 10, 19O5
over 500 600 men engaged in widespread
and desperate battle for several days.
| with the result that the Russians were
again put to rout and hurried toward
, Harbn Hating and fortifying Anshu
J Pass below Hardin, they awaited the
approach of the enemy, kuropatkin in
the meantime having been superseded by
binevitch as commander in chief.
Oyanla followed and began strategic
.
slams farther on, and at the same time
threatening vladivostok, their only re-
naming stronghold on the Pacific.
Toward this latter port a great Russian
fleet. her remaining available sea
strength under Admiral Rojestvensky.
was making it's way. The Japanese adj
niral, Togo, entrapped it in the Korean
Straits on May "a and rs and virtually an
initiated Russia's power ON the Far East
! ern seas.
The world now began to protest against
continuance of the war and looked to the
United States to speak, first for peace.
On June 10. following the line Of pre-
vious attitude, President Roosevelt ap-
pealed to-the Czar and the Mikado. with
the result that on June rs he was mott
fed that each power had appointed pleni-
potentiaries who would meet in the
United States to discuss a settlement OF
the war.
In the meantime. on July s, the Japa-
nese captured and occupied the island OF
Saghaien. owned UP to 1880 by Japan,
later ceded to Russia and occupied by the
latter principally as a penal settlements.
This move developed an important ques-