Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-13
All Reduced Since the Russian
Disaster.
Captain Schroeder Makes n Statement
showing Number of Wnrships of
All Nations Now ON the Asistic
statiUn-Japan Has More
Vessels in Service Now
Than ON Jan. 70.

In times of war the disposition of the
fleets of the great navies Of the world
have broad significance to watchful
governments, says the Washington CORE
spondcnce of the Boston Transcript. Th,
cunings and goings OF warships In tn"
far East have not been the least intercs-
ing. Of the developments on the other side
Of the world since the conflict between
Russia and Japan began. The overcom-
ing of the great Spanish Armada has
been tho most often quoted parallel to
the destruction of the Baltic fleet and
the ensuing tactical movements and dis
position Of the fleets of the powers. When
tho conflict began between Japan and
Russia there was a formidable fleet OF
war vessels in far eastern waters. Since
the ships of the car have been sunk or
destroyed. and the great empire has be-
come II negligible quantity on the scas
some of the other Powers have begun t.
Withdraw their heavier vessels.
Captain Schroeder, chief of the naval
intelligence Office has furnished the
Transcript correspondent with Il com
pnrativc chart showing the number Of
British, Japanese Russian, French and
cormnn warships on station in the far
East at the beginning Of tho new year
ard ~ tho present time ON Jan. %
Great Britain had in far eastern waters.
including her China. East Indies and
Australian squadrons. five battleships-
the Vengeance, Ocean, Glory, Albion and
Ccnturior-ranging in tonnage from L.
go to $500. This hattleship squadron is
now making passage to the Meditcrran-
can station rhrne armorcd cruiscrs--,h,
fIoeu.. Sutl"j and Euryllus each OF r.
600 tors. remain OF the ten protected
cruisers in eastern waters the Thcts and
Pylid,s have been withdrawn and the
Porpoisp is held in reserve at Bombay.
Tire" unprotected cruiscrs-the Algcr-
inc, Phoenix and Rosario-remain. as il,
J1nnarv. in reserve at Hong Kong. OF
min" Sunboats that were with the far
eastern fleets in the winter, two-the
es,dmus and Clio--have been sent TO the
China station. The Pegasus has relieved
| the Mutine and the Bramable has been
| added tn tho Britomart and Tweed in re-
served mt Hong Kong. Another river gun
boat has been added to the eight in ser.
vic" at the beginning Of the year. \ new
depot ship-'he Hecla--of Goo tons has
| been sent out tn join the three vessels OF
the same tyre already in commission. OF
Z
tho fleets in January\last. one has been
sent to Hong Kong, where it is held in
ro."rvo. and six more have been added
/ Captain : 'hroederS chart shows that
Japan has got today, after her sea fights.
more vessels in service than she had on
IAN 20. At that time she was credited
with five battlcships. the Mikasa, Asahi.
Sh.kishr,a. Full and Chin Yen. ranging,
in tonnage from 15il3 to 1886. Since t,.at
time she has captured the Orel. i3 5lo
TONS and the Nicolai l., 9.720 tons, from
the Russians. The former is now at
Maidzurcs and the latter at the naval
station at Sasobo.' Japan's list of eight
armorcd cruisers. |, protected cruisers
and seven unprotected cruisers remains
as in January. OF her six coast defence
vessels. two ave at SaSobr repairing. She
is credited With Il loss of two gunhonts
| the cshima GO tors. and the Ataeo, g.,
| tons. Five gunboats remain In service,
Two ships rating as torpedo gun vessels
one river g,inboat and one torpedo demo,
ship remain unchanged.
The naval Intelligence Office credit.
Japan with having ten submarines, hut
does not attomnt a list Of them. The
! list of her notlla of torpoGo-hoat dos
| troyorS - confessed to Lee incomplete hy
the insertion of an Interrogation point
above the known vessels The numhor
| 1T t"rucj" boat, is also uncertain ae 10
| list is given and the entry on the chart
| is put this way, IS" GOV torpedo boats
or the unknown list of ~ torpodo-b boa,
| destrovcrs ut tho beginning of tho yoaf
| two haze been scratched off. presumably
meaning lost in action. and six have
been added, two of whiol. were captured
| from tho Russirrs.
Rnss'a's rcvcrS"s and almost unprc, >
dcr'"d Losses make. as shown on the
| naval office records, an appalling record
| Opposite the namc of almost every ship
Of every class that she had in service. in
January is The entry sunk" or "captur-
| ed az marked as intenCd at so ne ,1ru.
| trial port. Ct her fleet of eight battle
| SLIPS. the Alexander Ill. BuroLinu.
s'varof. Osiahia. Sissoi Nclliy and In,
| Navarin have boon sunk. the Or,l cap
ttrcd ana tn" Tzarevtch intcrncd at
| kiau Chau. OF her tiva armor.d cruisers.
two. the Gromoboi and tho RGssa. are
| held EAST at Nladvostock. anI the Nak-
hlm"h,' pm.trl ponskoi and Mona ma III
have been sunk. But one Of h.r protect
ed cruisers. tn" Almnz. is in service. ANA
she is held rowcross at Vla,livostock.
| ~ i''S''NT Is repairing AT the same
| port. The Svctana was sunk and In,
l"umrul was blown up in Vladimir BAY.
TIL" Ol"g. Aurora and the Zhomo hug
arc nt"rnod at Manila the Diant at
Saigon, in French Cochin-China, AID
| tho Askod at Shanghai
or the six converted merchantmcn
viii III Russia classcd as unprotected
cruisers the T'ral has been sunk and tho
Lena is int'rn"d at San Francisco. All
| three OF her coast defence vessels have
'c"n sunk or captured. and her ono gun
boat, the Mandiur is informed at Shary-
hal y balloon ship, n coal stores vessel
| Hospital ship, mining vessel and two
| Golfers wcro added later to the Russian
| transport force. Of these late arrivals
one was sunk, one captured. and three
| are at Shanghai
| Russia is supposed to have SIN sui
| marines at NlldiVostock. The number Is
| not definitely known. hut there is reason
| tn believe that she has al least thai
many The naval intelligence ofi'Cc fcl-
lows tho statement with an intoiroe tion
poirt. She is supposed 10 have in COM
| mission seven torpedo boats. OF the -
| torpodo-boats destroyers that she had in
January last, hve were informed at Kiau
| Chau. four at che Foo and ono at Shunc-
| hal This loft IL destroyers to fight .hc