Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-04-25
A WEEK OF THE WAR.
WORLD HAS AWAITED A oaEAT
SEA BATTLE
Russian Armada Has Been Threading
Its Way Northward-Little known az
to whereabouts of Admiral Toxe's
Fieet-Minor Land Operations.

The week ended as it began, with
the attention of the world fixed on the
China sea, through which the Russian
armada had been threading its way
Borthward, doubtless in hourly expec-
tation of sighting the grim ships of
Togos feet.
The Russian fleet, after passing
through the Strait of Malacca, steamed
past Singapore in well-ordered battle
formation, and boldly entered the
China sea, certainly making no effort
to escape observation. 1t was an
nounced that Rear Admiral Dewa.
with a feet of twenty-five japanese
cruisers, was in waiting at Horstburgh
light, twenty miles east of Singapore,
but not a Japanese ship was sighted
in the China sea-
When Admiral Rojestyensky sailed
past Singapore his full feet was re-
ported with him. The next day posi-
tive assertions were made that his
four strongest battleships were not
with the fleet. 1t needed much inge-
nuity of the strategists on land to ex-
plain why he had divided his fleet at
the critical moment If the simple ex-
PLANTATION had been accepted that the
reports merely meant that the Russian
consul at Singapore was trying to drag
herring across the trail much Of the
hard thinking would have been saved,
We have now the positive assurance
from Lloyds and from the Associated
Press representatives that the full Rus
sian fleet, battleships and all, is acting
as unit.
After passing Singapore, Rojestven-
sky spent day or two at anchor near
the Anambas Islands. and then sent
a hospital ship to Saigon, where it re-
NAMED thirty-six hours before depart
ing to rejoin the fleet From the An
ambas Islands the admiral sailed to
the north, but whether he is attempt
ing to make his way through some pas
sage among the Philippine Islands and
so gain the open sea, whence he can
sail straight for the Tsugaru straits
and Vladivostok, as one rumor has it,
or whether he is continuing north
along the Asiatic coast we do not
know.
Admiral Togo is supposed to be in
the neighborhood of Formosa. The
Japanese have closed two ports-Ke-
lung, on the north end of Formosa.
and Making, on one of the Pescadores
Islands, between Formosa and the
mainland. If Rojestvensky takes the
latter of the two routes mentioned
above, the big sea fight of the war
should soon come. If he takes the for
mer route, it is a question whether
Togo will intercept him till he ap-
proacheS Japanese shores. However
vague our knowledge of Rojestven-
sky's movements may be, it is prob
able that Togo, through his swift
cruiser scouts, has continuous infor-
nation.
1t seems reasonable to assume that a
decisive naval engagement will not
take place until Togo can attack with
his battleships and heavy armored
cruisers supporting his great feet of
destroyers. He cannot operate his de-
stroyer fiotilla at any great distance
from coaling base. Therefore, if this
assumption be correct, the battle will
take place as soon as Rojestvensky
comes within striking distance of For
mosa. If he can get past Formosa
without battle, the combat must take
place at some point near the coast Of
Japan.