MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,000 Copies Daily. SATURDAY, SEPT. 24, 1904. THE WAR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7917, 24 September 1904, Page 4

MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,000 Copies Daily. SATURDAY, SEPT. 24, 1904. THE WAR.

One of the most famous of the Russian war correspondents, M.' Nemirovitch Danchenko, is at present in the Far East and he has contributed to the " Busskoye; Slavo" some remarkably. f rani articles regarding the relative merits of the Russian and Japanese troops. He practically admits that his country has failed in its war with Japan, and, unlike many of his colleagues, points out the why and the wherefore instead of talking of betrayal by Russian leaders or of the extraordinary luck of Japanese commanders. "How difficult," he writes, " is it for our soldiers and officers to fight under existing conditions. Every step which they take proves the enemy to be better prepiared than ourselves, and their arms to be more perfect. I have spoken already of their artillery. It is ex-, emplary, and its operations are conducted according to a general plan.. Each battery is connected by telegraph with others and with the general hi command. The direction of the battle is changed in a moment, and there is no disorder or confusion.' We have very little mountain' artillery; theirs is brought forward in every battle in large quantities, and they conceal it so well that we cannot find out where the fire comes from. The cavalry, which we thought so sraall in number: and so bad, wanders all about the country, .stealing into corners, of whioh we had' no idea. What particu- : larly; enhances . the; Japanese soldiers' enthusiasm is the close connection of each one with everybody else, while, then.* responsibility is the same. Each man is answerable to everybody, and everybody to each." M., Danchenko considers that effieiencv and enthusiasm are the. factors against which General Kuropatkin is impotent. Better weapons, better training and greater numerical strength have again proved, irresistible, as they have .through all the bloodstained annals, of war. He does not attempt to forecast the end of the struggle, but he points out that with the fall of Port Arthur and the occupation of Mukden, the ancient capital of Manchuria, Japan may claim to have effected the object for which she went to war. She has but to seal up Vladivostok, and Russian dominion in the Far East, for the time being, will be at an,end. Although he ; does; not say so, it is fairly clear that the Russian war correspondent holds the opinion that the Czar would be well advised to. retire from Manchuria with the' best grace possible and to enter into negotiations foi* peace.