The N.Z. Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1905. TOGO’S GREAT VICTORY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5603, 1 June 1905, Page 4

The N.Z. Times

(PUBLISHED DAILY). THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1905. TOGO’S GREAT VICTORY

enras wman is imoortoratkd tub "welukoscs XKiuepsaDXXT.” established 1815.

Almost every hour brings further news of the decisive naval battle in the Korean Straits, and every succeeding message emphasises the mighty and unqualified victory of Admiral Togo. is certain that the name of the Mikado’s naval commander will go down on the pages of history, generations hence, bracketed, as it has indeed been already, with that of England's hero of 1 no sea, lioratio Nelson. This morning wo have authoritative nows that tho unhapnjr Russian commander, Admiral Rozhdestvensky, is not dead (as was previously stated), but has boon taken prisoner, together with his second in command. Admiral Foelkersahm, as well as Admiral Diobogatoff, who followed his chief from St. Petersburg with a supplementary squadron. Not only this, but all the battleships "of tho Russians have been sent to tho bottom of tho sea except two, and these two are now safo in Japanese ports. Tho extraordinary feature of this stupendous battle is not that tile Russians have been defeated—that has happened in every engagement on land and sea since the war began—but that an apparently noble and formidable fleet has been scattered within a few hours, practically, without offering any resistance. To show the- reasonableness of expecting that Rozhdestvensky would at least have been able to mako some stand against his adversary, wo may give the comparative strengths of the two navies:— RUSSIA. Eight battleships. Three coast defence vessels (nominally battleships). Nino cruisers. Two auxiliary cruisers. Two volunteer cruisers. Fifteen torpedo craft. JAPAN. Five battleships. Eight armoured cruisers. Seventeen protected cruisers. Two torpedo gunboats. About 100 torpedo craft. Tho Czar’s fleet, it will bo seen at once, was of such strength that its utter defeat, almost the moment tho enemy caught sight of it, is sufficient to surprise tho whole world, as it undoubtedly has done. To see a mass of expensive and more or less modern fighting vessels (several of the battleships were absolutely new), aggregating over a hundred and fifty thousand tons register, manned by brave Europeans, suddenly paralysed on meeting on Asiatic opponent, and as suddenly swept out of existence, is surely enough to set all the rulers of all the nations of the world thinking very seriously. But what will take a lot of explaining is the fact that JRozhdestT.ensjty, was pn-

able to inflict any injury on Togo’s ships. Tho battle could hardly have boon more one-sided if tho Russian ships had left thoir guns behind them in Russia. Is there a very largo modicum of truth in a statement made by Mr Carl Joubcrt, an agent of tho Russian Revolutionary party, a few weeks ago, that half the crows of Rozhdestvenskies ships were revolutionaries ? Mr Joubert added that tho same state of affairs ruled in Manchuria—that scores of thousands among tho Czar’s soldiers aud sailors wore pledged to make no Japanese widows, and that was tlie real secret of Russia’s defeat in every fight.

However, whatever the causes of Russia’s defeat, sho is beaten—hopelessly and irretrievably. Sho can hardly carry tho campaign on much longer, in spito of tho Czar’s reported rcsolvo to do so. Already wo read that the people of Lodz, tho gneat manufacturing centre of Poland, aro in such a state of revolt that tho situation is critical; it may well be that ere long the Emperor Nicholas will need his soldiers to fight their own people in Europe. In another and a wider cense, Admiral Togo’s groat victory must havo far-reaching effects. For a hundred years Russia has boon tho “bogey” of tho Powers. Sho has-spread herself south and east, till sho covers oucsoveuth of tho earth’s surface. She has dominated tho politics of all tho nations. Germany, France, Turkey, Rritain, Italy, Austria —all havo been kept constantly on tho “qui vive,” watching every movement of tho “Northern Colossus,” and some, at any rate, of theso Powers havo felt a sense of insecurity or alarm from time to time, lest the displeasure of the Czar or his bureaucratic advisers should bo incurred. Last Saturday night tho great Bogey of tho North was killed—tho terror of a century vanished ia an hour. But if one Great Power has ■ ceased to ho Great, a new aud a Greater Power has arisen, and in such a geographical position that in future it will have to bo taken into account by the rulers of all peoples.