The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-01-13
JAPAN GIVES WAY TO SPECIALS
Correspondents Back From War Say
Islanders Have Reformed.

I0J6uOoIS nAv0 nSUOSUb0os
SAN FRANCISCO. Jan. 13.-Japan
has let down the bars to the special
war correspondents.
Two war correspondents direct from
the front arrived from the Orient yes
terday on the liner China. Franklin
Clarken mas been with the Japanese
in Manchuria, representing the New
York Evening Post. and Alexander
Graham Simpson of the London Daily
Telegraph was with the Russians I'M
til the Japanese captured him at Lao
yang.
Clarken is the first correspondent to
come home without a grievance to
settle with the Japanese. Before ne
left to the front the bar behind which
an army Of war correspondents rusted
for SO many months were let down and
with few restrictions the men with the
pen were given the run of the fight
ing zone. Clarken witnessed the battle
Of the Shak-he and there saw the Jap
panese infantry and artillery in
full action for six days.
The Japanese would not allow the
correspondents to see their cavalry, of
which they are not particularly proud,
in, c<I,
in every other respect the newspaper
mems movements would be unre-
stricted. they must always be accom-
panied by Japanese officer The
reason for this, says Clarken, is that
many Of the Japanese troops have
never seen a white man. To them all
not Japanese are Russians and as
these untraveled Japs are in Manchu-
ria for the purpose Of Kidding the land
OF the cars subjects, none of the cor
respondents were anxious to take any
chances Of a mix-up in identity.
Clarken does not believe there will
be any winter fighting unless the Rus
slams take the aggressive. The, Japa-
nese army in Manchuria, he says. is
sadly in need of a rest and most of
the regiments are mere skeletons of
their original strength. The veterans
must rest and recruits are a necessity
as the Russians are slowly but surely
gaining in strength. =
Alexander Graham Simpson was
with the Russians, but has little praise
for the Slav. Kuropatkin, he says
is one of the worlds greatest generals,
but is handicapped by the poor mate
rial of which his army Is composed
The Russian officers are incompetent,
says the British correspondent, and
the men woefully ignorant. Few Of
the men know what they are fighting
Tor and the rest do not want to fight.
or the Russian enlisted men, only 25
per cent can read or write. Manv If
the Cossacks, he says. had expected
to find the Japanese armed with bows
and arrows and were greatly surprised
to find a foe that not only carried I'M.
to-date arms but knew a few tbinss
about their use.
Graham Simpson believes that Rus.
sian supremacy in the Orient would
be a real peril to the rest Of the world
and declares Russia the most war,,ke
nation on earth.
The London Telegraph's represant.-
tive was captured at Liao-yane As
Britisher he is leisurely in his move
ments. The Russians retired with
some haste, and before Graham-siun
Son realized that a retreat was in nroe
ress, he found himself in the midd,,
OF the Japanese army He was sent
uhoer escort back to Japan. He was
treated kindly, he says, and as his
capture came at a time when he v.s
growing very tired of Russian com.
partnership he rather enjoyed the az.
perience.