The San Francisco call., 1905-05-29

CALL BUREAU, POST BUILDING,
WASHINGTON, May 2s.-The greatest
naval engagement OF modern times was
that commenced on Saturday morning be-
tween the powerful Russian feet under
the command of Vice Admiral Rojest-
vcnsky and the japanese fleet COM
manded by Admiral Togo.
The first official information Of the battle
came from Minister Griscom at Toxic
who cabled the Department Of State
that the japanese Government had off,
cially annQunced that its feet had en-
gagged the Baltic squadron in the Straits
of Tsushima and that the japanese had
held the straits. The American Min
ister gave no details Of the battle and
nothing was contained in his cable
gram regarding the outcome, the losses
sustained by the contending fleets or
as TO whether the battle was still in
progress.
Later in the day the American Con-
SUI at Nagasaki advised the Department
Of State that it was rumored there that
an engagement had been fought, that
the Russian battleship Borodino and
four other Russian warships and one
repair ship had been sunk by the jap
anese IN the Straits of Korea. 1t was
said that the battle was still in prog
ress.
SINKING OF AMERICAN SHIP.
Still another cablegram was re-
ceived by the department, but it related
TO what may become a controversy be-
tween Russia and the United States, as
the Baltic feet fired upon an American
merchantmen and sank ii. No details
Of this occurrence were cabled. but En-
bassador Meyer in ST. Petersburg has
been instructed TO institute an investi-
cation.
The fact that the japanese held the
Straits against odds, when the strength of
the two fleets is compared, is an indica-
ton that the Mikado's ironclads have
again inflicted another crushing blow
upon the Russian navy, and has wiped
of the sea a large portion of the last
remnants Of the Cars naval force, and
equalized the strength Of the two fleets
which have been seeking the destruction
Of each other for some months.
II the advices from Nagasaki regard
ing the Russian losses are confirmed, Ad-
mirsl Togo is now In d better position
than ever before TO cope with his enemy.
Naval experts are somewhat surprised
at the tactics Of Togo, for they believed,
IN view Of the fact that his feet was less
formidable than Rojestvensky' that the
little japanese would not make a standup
fight. but would choose his own time and
place and pick of the Russian warships
one by one until he had so reduced the
Russian strength that the fleets would be
nearly equal These experts believed
Togo would pursue this course because
there were two reasons why he should be
extremely cautious. One was that the
Russian feet was much stronger than the
japanese, and the other that the success
or failure OF the war, so Tar as Japan is
concerned, depended on the outcome of
the naval engagement
TOGO SURPRISES THE WORLD.
But the japanese, by their masterful
tactics and daring, have surprised the
Western civilization & number of times
since the outbreak Of hostilities and Togo
has again demonstrated that his people
are the peer of any in the world in the
arts Of war. He decided TO make a stand
up fight and 10 cripple the Russians at the
outset and not prolong the anxiety of his
government.
For months naval and army experts
have been speculating on the effects of
the outcome of the naval battle Admiral
Dewey and other members of the naval
board and General Davis, General Weston
and other leading army officers have de-
clared that If the battle should result in
the annihilation Of the japanese feet ii
would mean that all the costly victories
Of Japan on land and sea would count for
nothing. as, with the japanese navy swept
from II sea. Russia would then be mis-
tress Of the situation. She could prevent
rcsnforcements being sent into Manchuria
and cut of the supplies of the Japanese in
that province and force them to live off
the country. This the japanese could not
do for any length of time, even when their
frugality is taken into consideration. for
the country is now devastated and a crow
could not l;ye off it for a great length of
time.
With the Japanese feet disposed OF,
the Russians could get supplies to the
front by way OF Vladivostok and use
the trans Siberian road exclusively
for the transportation Of troops Hun
oreds or thousands could be rushed to
the front and the Japanese in Man
churia could have been overwhelmed
and driven into the sea. In fact. the
life OF Japan depended on winning the
naval battle. as its loss would not