RUSSIA-JAPAN WAR

Southland Times, Issue 19552, 5 May 1905, Page 2

RUSSIA-JAPAN WAR

ENFORCING NEUTRALITY

FORECASTING GREAT DAPPLES

PREPONDERATING JAP ANESE.

For Unit'ed,.Press Association. By Electric Telegraph. — Copyright,

LONDON, May 3..

The United States Government, at Japan’s instance, iirgod China to enforce neutrality. Pekin ment immediately,replied that it Lad used, and would use, every effort to prevent Russian cruisers and destroyers leaving Shanghai. It is understood in Washington that Japan is asking _ Britain to make similar represensations io Pekin.

According to Russian forecasts the next great battles will be fought at Changkuii or Kirin, and at the 1 umen river. Gen/eral Lrinevitch’s position is . pronounced practically hopeless since he has only .’T.’G.OOO men against Oyama’s 600,0001

FRANCE AND RUSSIA. LONDON, ?Ja.v 3,

The steamer Woodford reports that thousands of tons of coal are stacked on the Saigon river f >r the Russians. Twelve transports ate lying off the river. There is a strong feeling in Tokio that, although it is stated Rozhdestvensky is cruising outside territorial limits, he is utilising the anchorages-. The' French at Saigon are censuring news relating to tiio Russians. LATEST 1 INTELLIGENCE CLOSE SAILING LONDON, May 4Received 4th, 9.42 p.m. There are persistent reports in St. Petersburg that Schwab and Flint (Americans) have effected . sales of the Argentine and Chilian navies to Russia and it is reported that transports arc leaving Kronstadt with crews for these warships. RUMOURS Received 4th, 10.36 p m.

It is rumoured in Tokio that the Baltic fleet’s destination is Petropavlovsk, where the Russian's are collecting cOal.; JAPAN’S ACQUISITIONS Japan has purchased since the beginning of the year, in Britain, Germany and elsewhere, 1 30 . merchant steamers, presumably for transports. LAYING UP STORES The Times’ Paris correspondent states that Rozhdestvensky is off the; island of Hanlon, near Whatrun, ai d is believed to be obtaining supplies from tlie shore.

TIRING RfciTERATION Received sth, 12.48 h. . It is understood that Admiral Jonquieres has again left Saigon to renew the formal injunction that Rozhdestvensky must respect French neutrality. THE IMPENDING SEA 11-’HIT. AN EMPIRE AT H I'A KE. THE RIVAL FLEETS. An expert writer in the Argus writes as follows i —The fate of an Empire depends upon the coming soa light in the China Sea where, if the Russians are successful, all that Japan has gained by her splendid victories on land will be minimised, if not imperilled. The whole of the circumstances leading' up t;> this great sea fight arc unusual tnd have helped to fix the eyes of the v. hole world upon a struggle of wnlch we may have news at any hour. Russia, paralysed by the suddenness of a single l-.tw, has already frittered away < no p.wciful fleet in -the East th'.'> >yii qri ting' the principles of naval warfare that have ruled since the days of Nelson. While tactics have altered, the old strategy holds good, and its first rule was that the duty of the commander of an efficient fleet is to seek out his enemy and bring him to battle. That is what Admiral Rozhdestvensky is doing, and it is tlio one thing which tlio great majority thought ho would not do. His recent courso shows that his intention is to engage the Japanese navy under tr.e most favourable conditions lie con obtain, and, realising all the disadvantages under which this enterprise is undertaken, only a blind partisan cun fe.il to appreciate its valour. That the coming fight will be the greatest naval battle of modern times is a safe assumption. This battle .means so much to Japan that with what ive know now of their national character and the capacity of their ships we may be sure that no 'sacrifice tijill be too’ great if it ensures victory. On the Russian side, the last chance Is given to retrieve an almost hopeless position. It is said that, even should the Russians succeed, the quantity of Japanese stoics ndw in Manchuria is so great that for a year the prospects of their huge army will not be imperilled, But it must mean necessarily a variation of their whole plan, and the reduction of Vladivostock by siege from, land becomes as vital a feature of the campaign as was the winning of Bort Arthur at the outset. The time and place of the coming light vest entirely with Admiral Togp. It will be fought when and wheie he wishes it.

The composition and gunnery of the two fleets has been otten compared, and the Idlest information upon that point is as follows

Japan.—Five battleships with an aggregate displacement of 60,890 tons ; eight armoured cruisers with an aggregate displacement of 73,686 tons. The primary flatteries of these ships are : Twentyt 12m guns, one loin gun, tttirty Sin guns.

Russia.—Seven battleships with an aggregate displacement of 87,314 tons ; two armoured cruisers with an. aggregate displacement of 14,724 tons ; primary batteries : twenty-four 12in guns, four lOin guns, and eight Sin guns. Russia lias the preponderance in heavy metal- Japan’s great superiority in Sin guns is due to her anmoui'ed cruisers. The junction of ■ Diebogatoff with Rozhdestvensky adds to the Russian strength two 12in, three loin. twelve 9in, and five Bin guns, and as these ships have been so lately refitted tliey carry, we may be sure, the best guns that Russia could provide. Assuming holti sides to have their full strength, c| comparison in the strength of armoured vessels alone •vould be as follows :—

Tn uniformity of strength and all that counts for sea power the Japanese are superior. All told, Russia will have, apart from torpedoers, 32 slips against 22, but many of the ships are of a yet unproved value in a sea fight. The Japanese movements have been shrouded in complete mystery, and as the strength of the enemy was revealed Togo may have increased his strength since his squadron left Tokio. Japan’s resources are known, hut her strength for this great battle can only be conjectured.

RUSSIA. JAPAN. Battleships. Tons. Battleships. Tons Kniaz Suwaroff 13.53 d Jlikasa .. 15,200 Borodino 13,51(5 Asahi 15,200 Ore] 13,576 Shikishima 14,850 Imp. Alexander Yashinia 12,300 III 13 57(9/ • Fuji 12,300 Oslayhaya 12 67i l r Cruisers. Sissoi Veliki 9 700.. Asama .. 9,750 Navarin 9,50lJ f Tokiwa .. 9,750 Imp. Nicholas I 9/172 Idzumo .. 9,800 Coast Defence. Iwata 9.800 Ad’ Oushakoff .. 4; 126 "Yakunin O.S-'o Ad. Seniavin .. .4,126 Adzumo 9,456 Gen. Ad. ApraNishin .. 7,583 xine .» U-200 Kasuga .. 7,583 Cruisers. Ad. Nakhinoff .. 8,500 Dimitri Donskoi 5‘893 Vladimir Hone* mach .. 6,061