The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-09-19

THE COST.
Russians and Japanese
Estimate Their
Losses.

TOXIC, September BIN connection
with the peace negotiations. the esti-
mates of Japanese and Russian losses
during the war just compiled here are
interesting in the extreme. But the
task of compilation has not been easy.
With regard to casualties on the Jap
anese side, to1erably accurate statistics
were published throughout 1904, al
though even in that period there were
quite number of skirmishes Which
remained without exact returns. But
from the beginning of the current year
the Japanese would seem to have con-
Guided that in these matters secrecy
is the wiser policy Possibly in view
of the fact that the Russians observed
reticence, the Japanese decided not to
be needlessly frank AT all events they
have never made an official statement
of the total casualties during the siege
of Mukden. In these cases, therefore,
recourse must be had to private intel
ligence, supplemented by a somewhat
la borious calcula ton of ratios between
aggregate losses and losses in commits
stoned rank.
One very salient landmark offers it
self Last May a religious celebration
was held in Toxic in memory of the
officers and man who had persisted in
battle or died of wounds between Feb.
8, 1904. and Jan. 81, 1905, exclusive of
the battle of Heikautai. The peculiarly
solemn character of these rites which
are bound up with everything that the
Japanese hold most sacred, precludes
the possibility of any omission from
the national death roll. Prayers were
offered up for 2S999 military men and
1857 naval men of all ranks; and it can
be taken as certain that these figures
the total of both services
up to the fall of Port Arthur. Assum-
ing, as experience indicates, that four
men are wounded for every one killed,
and assuming further that ten per cent.
of the wounded die, we at once obtain
the aggregate of about 100000 casual
ties in all ranks of the Japanese army
from the beginning of the war until
Jan. 81, 1905 If to this we add 5000 for
$500 for Mukden and 500 |
on account of skirmishes to the end
of July, we obtain a grand aggregate
DE 1855, 600 in round numbers, represent
ing casualties, killed and wounded dur
N, To
June. 1905, inclusive. This tallies al
most exactly with the total obtained by
setting down the figures unofficially re- |
ported after the ending of each fight. |
But when the Russian figures are |
considered it is difficult if not impos- |
,ible at times to obtain details. In a |
arge number of instances there is |
10 guide except the dead bodies aban- |
Toned on the field, and these must al |
ways nave peen considerably below the |
Lctual total of killed, while official re-
urns. seldom published. were generally |
proved to err greatly on the side of
,nder statement Therefore the figures
ct down in the Russian column must
,e considered merely in the minimum.
Following are the best obtainable
statistics of casualties, the japanese
icing given first, the Russians second:
Yalu: japanese. 1899; Russian, 1898.
Shisanlitai: Japanese, 146; Russian,
90.
Nanshan: japanese, 4207; Russian,
370
Telisz: Japanese, 1853; Russian, s270.
Fenshwiling: japanese, III; Russian,
90
Kaiping: japanese, 1873; Russian. 25o.
Metienling: Japanese, 299; Russian,
30O
Kinetao: japanese. 1923; Russian, 1000. "
Tashichiao: japanese, 1077; Russian. q
100. 8
Tomuching: Japanese, 500; Russian.
80. ;
Yushulingtzs and Yangtszling: Jap
nese, 946: Russian, 1000. II
LAO yang: Japanese, 1858; Russian. /,
ZOO. +.
Shaho: Japanese, 1879; Russian, 60,