Progress of the War.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 93, 23 April 1904, Page 2

Progress of the War.

Passing Notes.

The mystery of the action outside Port Arthur has been cleared up after some days. Instead of an accident the destruction of the Russian flagship turns out to have been one of the deadliest calculations possible in war. The plan of Admiral Togo was masterly, and the courage of the torpedo captain on whom the whole plan hinged, was of the first order. This was the ninth attack planned and executed by the Japanese admiral, and it has been thought right by several newspapers to therefore at once dub him the " Nelson" of Japan. It will be time to think of that when he has succeeded in destroying utterly two whole fleets of the enemy of the first class, besides accomplishing other achievements too numerous to mention. At the same time, without any exaggeration at all, Admiral Togo's feat of arms must be accepted as uf the first rank. The combination was the remarkable feature; the laying of mines in the fairway used by the enemy; the decoy of a small squadron; the pouncing down of the whole fleet in irresistible force out of a fog after the signal of wireless telegraphy; all these make up a plan complete as it is possible for a plan to be, and taking the fullest advantage of all the best up-to date warlike inventions. By that plan of battle the Japanese commander has justified the claim of his countrymen that they have brought their familiarity with the modern science of war to the utmost possible perfection.

Had the fog not lifted when ib did the destruction o! the Russian fleet would have been complete. As it is, the fact that there will be no more oi those Russian excursions which the late admiral had been resorting to with a repetition which led to good hopes of coming achievement will not be repeated is made clear by the Viceroy's order. It is plain, of course, that the flagship and the torpedo destroyer are not the sum total of the Russian losses in the battle. The Japanese report that the disabling of the next biggest battleship, the Pobieda, is probably true, and there is room for believing that further damage has been done. The Russians got away in good order after the loss of their splendid admiral, and they took the Pobedia in with them. The Japanese account made it appear that their fire was so wild as to show great demoralisation. It tnrns out on the contrary that the fire was remarkably well directed, each ship clearing the way in front by a fire of great weight from the depressed guns into the depths below. It is, indeed, probable that in this way the fleet saved itself from further disasters. After the fight the Japanese did not forget to pay a handsome tribute to the great admiral who fell without the loss of honor. It is one of the brightest features of the war that the Japanese have from the first maintained a chivalrous attitude in this respect. After the strenuous efforts of the late Admiral the Russians had repaired most of the repairable damage, and were hoping to equalise matters at sea somewhat. The Japanese were, on their side, preparing a blow for making their command of the sea absolute before the arrival of the "Ar mada" from the Baltic. They have succeeded, as the Russians have admitted. The Baltic fleet is under orders to sail on the 15th of July, and will probably take the long route by the tropics (13,000 miles) instead of that proposed by the enterprising pilot of 6500 miles by the Northeast Passage. Till this fleet sails Admiral Togo will have to watch and account for the squadron at Port Arthur, which con-1 tarns now but two battleships undamaged—viz., the Peresviet and the Sevastopol, and one cruiser, the Bayan, which, though often disabled on paper, seems never to have been struck by either gun, or torpedo, or mine. All the rest-Poltava, Pobieda, Retvisan, Czarevitch, Askold, Diana, Pallada, Boyanu, and Novik—-are in some state of repair, but if we may judge by the precipitate retreat they made as soon as they saw the trap laid for them by the Japanese Admiral their commanders could not have regarded their condition as the best for fighting. The enterprise of Admiral Togo, which has brought off niue attacks with the above result, may be regarded as quite sure to organise a great many more to make that result worse. With the four bi« cruisers shut up under the eyes of Admiral Kamimure in Vladivostock, the Russians are not likely to be heard of again from the side of the sea, except as the repellers more or less successful of Japanese onslaughts more or less cunning. The Russian Admiral Skrydloff succeeds Makaroff—not as was first announced, Admiral Rojesvensky, the fire-eater, who declared the other day that the Russian fleet ought to have been taken out at all hazards to fight the enemy •• tooth and nail." It must now be evident to this fire-eater's superiors that if the " tooth and nail" practice had been indulged in there would not in all probability have been

a single Russian fighting ship above the water at the present moment. How many there will be when the " Armada" gets to the scene of action it ia not easy to prophecy. The result of the recent fight has been already to quicken the movements of the Japanese by land. They are moving on the Yaln, and behind the Yala is the Motienling Pass through the mountains of Manchuria, which the Russians are said to have made impregnable against frontal attack, their intention being, apparently, to retire upon the pass in case of defeat by superior force in the open with the view of stoppiDg the enemy there. The pass can, however, be turned by an army holding possession of the roads leading past Newchang, and the Russians are said to have fortified that place with heavy artillery, so as to prevent a landing of the enemy and his stores. It seems idle to talk about preventing the landing of the enemy who commands the sea more decisively than ever at any spot he chooses. That is a point on which the development of the campaign will throw some light presently. If the Japanese are as enterprising and scientific by land as they are by sea they will soon be attacking the line of the Yalu in front and striking at the same time at the best place for turning the Motienling Pass. The Russian has to determine one point before he retreats before the superior numbers of Japan. It is whether the Asiatics are entitled to the weight of their numbers in the waf calculations. If the soldiers of Great Britain had allowed the Asiatic that proportion of weight in their calculations the Sikh wars would have gone againt us, and the Mutiny also. In other words, barring a great victory in the face of great odds, the Eussian retreat on the pass will begin before long.