The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-12-12
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Japanese Old Hands at Naval Strategy
Twas q Fast One They Pulled on Russia
Moy Have Many More Tricks in the Bag
The Problem OF Two Roosevehs

4 ne frOOieH OF 4 WO
7 EST We forget. there is taken
IL from the files Of The Times
Of as years ago q few facts
about the then relations Of Japan
and Russia and some instances
Of the fighting calibre Of the
Japanese.
IL began in 1904 when Jap
anese and Russian land forces
were skirmishing and the rest
of the world was feeling sorry
for Japan. 1t did not seem pos
sible that the little nation could
survive the attacks Of the Rus
sian bear.
Evidently the Russians thought
so, too, and in what was in
tended to be a quick finish, a
large Russian fleet was sent TO
attack Japan from the sea while
the land forces were harassing
the nation on the other side. To
most people that was going to
be the end of Japan except as
Russia decreed.
For days the read ines
screamed about the naval battle
that was going TO change the
map in the Orient. Japan, II
seemed. must be eaten by the
bear.
Then came the shock Of the
century. In two battles, May Is
and IS, 1908, the great Russian
fleet under Admiral Rojestven-
sky, one Of the worlds greatest
naval commanders, had been
destroyed.
AS the United Press told the
story, there had been the Battle
of Chemulpo" when two Russian
battleships had been damaged
and were blown up to prevent
them from falling into the hands
Of the Japanese. Russians with
drew for a few hours and came
back to meet the Japanese fleet
with the full power of its ORR
entail strength.
The Japanese fleet came out.
There was lot of shooting and
then the Japanese seemed to
be retreating. The Russians
came in closer and the Japan
fleet started at full speed for
the shelter of the Strait of
Korea.
Exultingly the Russians fol-
lowed. and just r. they came
around a high point, there was
the entire Japanese fleet lined
up In battle formation. Before
the Russians could fire a shot
the japanese were sending hun
dreds of shells into the fleet
with terrible effect.
AS the story was told later,
japanese gunners had been
training for just such a situa-
ton. From the locations taken
by the fleet they were able to
train the guns on the point
where the Russian fleet would
appear. Fifteen Russian vessels,
including twelve major battle
ships, were wrecked and others
were so badly damaged that
they were abandoned. Altogether
% vessels were sunk or cap
tured. Four escaped; two, one
carrying the badly injured Adj
miral Rojestvensky, to Vladivos-
tok, and two to Manila.
Russians were astounded over
the defeat. The land forces re-
volted and the Russian attempt
10 take Japan into the fold rs
Hitler has taken most Of Eu-
rope, had failed. Japan was
established as the sea power of
the Pacific.
There still was, however, some
important questions TO he set
tied. Should Japan follow up
the sea victory with an agrees
sive land attack on the democrat
lied Russian army at at the
border? Should Russia reor-
ganize her sea forces and beat
Japan into submission
At this stage Of the conflict
there came into the picture.
the first President Roosevelt, a
fighting man when there was
fighting TO be done but primari-
ly a lover of peace.
He proposed that each coun-
try withdraw its land forces
of living and. though young,