The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-05-31
PROGRESS OF THE WAR.
World Has Been AnxiousIy Expecting
Naval Combat

Naval Combat.
With ROjestvensky's fleet finally at
sea and a naval combat within the
possibilities at any day, and the Jap
anese armies north of Mukden advanc-
ing on the Russian positions, the war
in the far East again assumed mo-
mentous interest.
ROjestvensky's feet left the friendly
shelter of the bays along the French
Indo-China coast On May IA or 10.
The fact was officially reported to the
French admiralty. The Russian vice
admiral left siXty-three transports and
Golfers behind him, and these have as
sembled near Saigon. All this seemed
to indicate that the Russian vice ad-
miral had started on the final stage of
the voyage that would end either with
battle and disaster with Togo or at
Vladivostok.
The Russian fleet was last sighted
on May 16. 1t was then 80 miles
from the Indo-China coast and 100
miles south of the island Of Formosa,
steaming northward slowly. From
where the feet was sighted it had the
easy choice Of three routes: Either
north OF LuZon into the Pacific, or
through the Bashee channel and
thence northward east of Formosa, Or
between Formosa and the China coast.
Or, as suggested by French naval Off
GERS, Rojestvensky may divide his
fleet, thus making Togo's problem
doubly difficult.
Togo still continues to battle the
scrutiny Of the merchant shipping of
the far East. His whereabouts have
not been discovered. From Toxic
comes word that the Japanese fleet
ultimately will be REINFORCED by four
battleships and two cruisers from
among the Russian ships sunk at Port
Arthur. 1t is asserted that the battle
ships Retvizan, Poltava, Peresviet and
Pobieda and the cruisers Bayan and
Pallada can be put in fighting shape
by an expenditure Of 100000 each
$4,2OO,OOO for the siX-or less than the
cost of one irst-clas battleship. If
this report be true, Russia's task Of
regaining control of the sea in the far
East will be made increasingly diff
cult. ....... ..
The land campaign has developed to
the point where a battle is imminent.
Field Marshal Oyama has spent two
months in reshaping his campaign
plans. He has brought up $4,000 fresh
troops and is now said by Russian Off
GERS to have more than 100000 men
ready for the advance, which is to cap
ture Kirin and Hardin, isolate Vlad-
ivostok, and perhaps drive the Rus
slams west of Tsitsihar.
The war may be said to be entering
its most dramatic stage. Both Russia
and Japan seem about to stake their
military and naval resources in de-
cisive combats. If ROjestvensky's ar
NADIA is scattered and sunk and Line
vitch's army defeated and cut off from
the railroad, Russia's cause will be
lost, for the Cars naval resources for
the present decade are exhausted, and
without command of the sea he is
helpless against japan. If, on the other
hand, Rojestyensky is victorious and
regains command of the sea, Japan's
unbroken series Of victories from Port
Arthur to Mukden will be Of little
value to her in the final settlement.
Oyama or Linevitch, R~Ojestvensky |
O. Togo-upon their fortunes on land
and sea depends the fate of the war
and that fate may be decided within
ansuino few weeks.