Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-31
Cassini's Reasoning.

Count CasSiniS declaration tlat the "''1
must go on is not TO be regarded as neces-
sarily rejecting the purpose of the russian
government. The retiring Russian empas-
sador at this capital has no special warrant
for declaring the intent of his superior
officers at this crisis, so far as the case Is
known and he is to be understood as
merely maintaining the characteristic Rus
sian attitude for so-called diplomatic ends.
1t would indeed be indiscreet If he were to
Indicate by any word that Russia is at the
end of the rope. Nevertheless, he was un-
der no special compulsion to state his case
as emphatically as the reports Indicate He
is made to say.
Perhaps after Liaoyang there was pos
sibilty of peace. | will not say there was
not an idea of peace at that time in certain
quarters but now, after this crushing de-
feat? Never. The Japanese talk of IN
demnity. Russia can better use this money
in the building of another feet. Certainly
this is not the time when Russia can afford
to take up the question of peace
The world has progressed too far on the
line of general intelligence to permit it to
accept this sort of talk seriously. There was
never a time in the past year and quarter
when the war outlook was as black for
Russia. Comparison with the situation
which followed the battle of Liaoyang is
ridiculous. Then Port Arthur still with
stood the Japanese assaults, the Port Ar
thur fleet was in being, Kuropatkin had not
reached the maximum of his strength and
above all, the Russians still had the Baltic
sea fleet In reserve.
Today Port Arthur lies in Japan's hands.
together with a part of the fleet there
taken: Field Marshal Oyama has beaten the
Russian armies in a battle at Mukden,
which has demonstrated the superiority of
the Japanese soldier, man for man; the
present situation holds no element to cast
a doubt upon Japans ability to drive the
Russians farther northward. and. finally.
the Baltic sea fleet has been crushed TO a
ptiful remnant and it's commander cap
tured and Japan reigns supreme on the
eastern waters.
Russia had chance in five to win out
after the battle of Liaoyang. Today she
has apparently not one chance in a hun
dred. Wherefore the change of attitude re-
garding peace since last September? Count
Cassini hints at two reasons: The possible
demand for an indemnity and the impossi-
bility of Russas seeking peace in the face
of a crushing defeat. Neither suggestion
is weighty. That Japan will ask an in
demnity is reasonably assured, and in this
nations Count Cassini indicates that Rus
STA would prefer TO spend this money in
building a new navy. That would take
time, two, three perhaps five years, at
an enormous expenditure. And even if
Japan remained inactive in that respect
which is unlikely, what assurance would
there be of Russias ability so to man and
fight her new ships as to defeat the hereto
fore uniformly victorious Japanese? Japan
could. overmatch any navy Russia could
possibly build in the next ten years and
hold the cost down to a small percentage
of the Russian expenditure. 1t is idle to
talk of the rebuilding of the Russian navy
in the hour of the greatest defeat a modern
nation has ever known, with it's credit al
ready strained to the breaking point and
It's people on the verge OF revolt.
The argument about the impossbility of
suing for peace in the hour of defeat is a
bit of diplomatic fallacy, which is evidently
meant only for gallery consumption 1t is
only the defeated who ever sue for peace;
and the worse the defeat the quicker the
suggestion of peace on the part of the van
pushed.