JAPAN'S SUCCESSES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11877, 26 April 1904, Page 7

JAPAN'S SUCCESSES.

THE REWARD OP BEING PREPARED. Japan is winning for several reasons, writes Mr Fred T. Jane iv the "Daily Mail." One of these i.s the same as mat by which the Boers at first prevailed over us, Greece over Turkey, Serviaagainst Bulgaria. In all these wans initial tsuceesf.es were secured by the sido which was most prepared. Though Uuy failed later, they scored heavily on the first blow. Japan has prepared for this war ever since the Russians turned her out of Pint Arthur; she has lived for - it ever since then. From the day that -the battlethiji Mika.sa arrived in the Far Ivist she has been in a position to commence hostilities at a moment's notice. Full dress rehearsals of the attack on Port Arthur nave been frequent, and almost daily surveys have been made of the Ivittlefields of Ciiemulpho. This was done by gunboats, which went there continually in turn. It was obvious to everybody except the Russians. A year ago it was said in the far East that the Japanese expected to have a battle at Chemulpho. FROM THE CONNING TOWER, At the time of the Boxer rising, the Germans and one or two other Powers were only able to land their troops by aid of the flat-bottomed bouts specially constructed by Japan for. the invasion of the mainland, and all this while, ignoring the handwriting on the wall, Russia did nothing save increase -her fleet and army sufficiently to leave Japan with only a slight numerical preponderance. Whatever may be said now, there is not the* slightest doubt but that history will decide that Russia never expected war, never dreamed that Japan, having invested heavily in war material, intended to use that material. The Japanese fleet has been brought to the maximum degree of efficiency. It is not in every way ideal efficiency; there are, for instance, some mmgs that might be better dune: but all are done as well as ever Japan can do them. Officers and men were most carefully inculcated with the idea tliat war might be expected, that every drill had that war in view. .The months before the torpedo attack on Port Arthur, a well-known Japanese staff officer wrote to me:—"Daily ?we hope to glimpse the Polar Bear from our conning towers, but as yet he has not comet out." And many are the Japanese cdnning towers inside which I have stood, and heard officers, pointing to the slits ia them say: —"Through "this one day shall we see the Polar Bear." JAPAN'S DRESS-REHEARSALS. Four times every year lias every Japanese torpedo-boat and destroyer fired Jive torpedoes at rocks, so as to use men to handling the real thing. This immense expense was not undertaken for nothing. No other navy has attempted such a full dress rehearsal, the nearest approach to it being our own. Quite recently we. as a wonderful novelty, have fired two or three live torpedoes; but each event lias been a red letter day. To Japan it was ordinary drill. *-My, sympathies are frankly: with the Russian fleet, but my admiration is chiefly with the navy of Japan. I have.so'manyintimate friends in both fleets that I am in the predicament of having wished success to individual vessels on opposite sides, but one's sympathies naturally go to the weaker combatant. And the Russian fleet ia the weaker. It lacks the Japanese preparedness. Hew. and there individual oflioere havo laboured hard;* for efficiency, but of general efficiency equal to that of Japan there is none. And my heart goes out to friends at Port Arthur and the anguish that too well I know must be theirs, arid above all to one who beyond nil others laboured after his pet ideal: ''To make ray ship better than the bent ship in the British Navy." BRAVE, STUPID MEN, So far as in him lay he not only attempted this, but came within measurable distance of achievement. $ut " two or three swallows do not make a summer," and the Russian fleet-is hampered by tho dead weight of inefficient wen, like Admiral Stark, Throve, stupid men, who will die fighting to the last, content: that in dj-ing they have done all for Rflwuaignoring.the fact that to live for Russia would be greater, service to her. - s Japan ia winning because she alone was rejidy, How long she will go on winning is another matter.- She has never yettasted defeat, and till she has experienced a repulse it is not possible to calculate her exact worth. Her soldiers, too, have tiot the stamina of the Russian ones; while both by sea and by land the Japanese "fight by book.'' They havo fought strictly ''by book" so far, and tiiey have succeeded because the* book has been right. Text books and the doctrines of Mohan carried them triumphantly through tho waa- with China, and Mahan is their god in this war also. Mohan does not go for much in Russia, except as the historian of Nelson. A life of Nelson ia in every Rutsian officer's library, and most Rutsiian officers axe diligent students of him. Farragut, too, they study. And the best cf tliem study him. and Nelson for one particular characteristio of both, his magnetic power over his officers and men. The secret of eea victory is, they think, there. And I know one Russian captain who has found it; one whose men would follow him into action against ao entire fleet, confident of victory so long as life remained in one of them. If this man get* to the top and lives, the question of the day will be: "Why ia Japa» not winning?" For there is no man like him in their fleet. But, failing this, Japan will go on, for she has neglected nothing in her preparations, and in all the accessories of war she is far ahead of her rival. And her fleet is the bigger. ' ALEXEIEFFS WARNING TO > CHINESE. A Renter message from Yingkau to the London papers, dated February 24th, said: —Admiral Alexeieff has issued a proclamation throughout Manchuria catling on the Chinese to observe the following conditions:—(l) To prevent any encroachment by the Chinese on Russian territory: (2) Russian and Chinese interests are identical, but China declares that she desires to maintain neutrality; therefore, all officials in Manchuria, instead of iindering, -mat assist the Russian Army ; (3) the people shall continue to pursue their occupation, treating tho Russian troops* with confidence; (4) the railway and telegraph lines are left to the protection of the people, who will be held resuonsiblo in the event of either being injured; (5) people are warned, not to heed the threat* of the Chunchuses, -who are the curse of Manchuria, but to assist the Russian troops to exterminate them, and if they do not so assist they will also be treated as robbers; <6) if the people display antagonism to the Russian troops or give evidence of hatred they shall be exterminated without mercy, the Government taking all necessary steps in any event to protect its interests. The proclamation concludes with an earnest

appeal for the sympathy of the people in the pre*ent- crisis, when "Russia must put her back to the wail."