The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-08-09
THE NAvAk BATTLE
THE REASON WHY THE JAP.
| ANESE WERE VICTORI-
GUS.
Double Column Formation and At
tempt to Aid Each Other Made
Vessels an Easy Prey in
Japan Sea-Other News.

Japan S2a-Other News.
Toxic, Japan, July 9.-(Corres-
pondence of the Associated Press.
Commander Akyama, who partici-
pated in the battle of the Sea of ia.
pan, had prepared for publication
an extended statement relating to
the great conflict, and its weight is
OF the side of gunnery, the battle
ships and tactics, as against the de
stroyer aud the torpedo. He pre-
faces his statement by declaring
that good gunnery depends
mainly upon the division officers,
and assarts that the Russian officers
were lamentably lacking in train.
ing.
In the early part Of the battle the
Russians scored but one hit, to three
landed by the japanese. Under
those circumstances it may be said
that the japanese had three or four
guns In action to every one of the
Russians, and there was nothing
remarkable about the disparity of
losses.
The commander says that Ad-
miral Rojestvensky had been criti-
cised for electing to take his chan.
ces at the Tsushima. On the con-
trary, it was the wisest course open
to him. Tsugaru Straight is long
and narrow, the season was foggy,
and there were mechanical obstruc-
tions. Distance and coal were
against Soya, and ihe time consum-
ed in reaching that entrance would
have betrayed the design, and his
plight on emerging from Soya would
have been much worse than he
might reasonably hope for at Tsu-
shima.
The commander insists that the
great mistake of the Russians was
in marshaling their vessels in
double column line ahead. From
the moment of going into action in
this formation, the Japanese regard
ed victory as assured. Apart from
the impossibility Of maintaining an
orderly formation when pursuing
such tactics for defensive purposes,
there was the fact that only a few
or the ships could bring their guns
into effective action against the Jap
anese h-et. The latter ships were
able to concentrate theil whole fire
upon the leading Russian ships,
and in return received only a linn.
tied fire.
Had the Russians adopted the
strategy of imposing the brunt of
the action upon the battleships,
while the re-t of the fleet broke
through and st4ered direct for Vlad-
ivostok. the commander believes
they would have achieved partial
success. Instead of doing that, they
followed the plan of mutually aid
ing one another, and thus, when
the head of the batlleship column
got into trouble, the others steamed
up and thrust their heads into the
lions mouth without being able to
accomplishing anything compensa-
tory.
/ Regarding the question of sink
ling armored cruisers and battle
ships by gunfre, the commander
Expresses the opinion that the fact
the Russian chips were exceptional
ly low in the water contributed u =
terially to the result. The Rus
slams carried large quantities Of
coal, stores and ammunition, and
thus weighted down and In rough
sea suffered badly from hits near
the water line that dinarily would
not have beeu fatal.
Gervais, Or, Aug. 5.-With
handkerchiefs hiding their faces,
three highwaymen entered Joe
Becker's saloon this evening at IL;
| 20 o'clock, robbed and beat men In
the place, secured several hundred
dollars and escaped.
There were three men in the bar
room when the desperadoes entered
A gruff word of command, empha.
!. sized by disploy of revolvers
caused quick elevation of hands
and the victims turned with theil
| faces TO the wall. First the till
was riaed and $3.50 secured from
this source, Then the pockets and