The Daily News. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1903. THE FAR EAST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLV, Issue 263, 22 December 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1903. THE FAR EAST.

Japan and Russia—Will they fig;hjt ? This is a question exciting nvuclv interest anil (speculation jlist now, and certai'niy the situation glrmvs grave. With each day's cable arrives some fresh news wbic-h .seein.s to point to the impassibility 01' a peaceable settlement of the differences lVetwee.ll the two countries. Evidently the I'eelinip at Home is much the same as lucre, for a small army of war corrospeiv Vuts even now prepares to leaav foi Lhe scene of the expected 'hostilities. Koi-ea isi the bone of eonUsithMi, Japiui objecting to -Russia's claims, the granti'ng of which would mean that Russian influence wouilld scon become preponderant in rthe Ooreani Peninsula, which was responsible 'but a short time ago for the stini'gigilu between the little Jap and her iwjige and cumbersome neigih'borur, Ohi-ma. H«r success in that war seems to- have inaide Japan feel her self-importance, arid, having demonstrated the ability and pluck of hor officers and men in thv conflict

with one grant nation, she is now quite ready and almost eager 'to try conclusions with the subjects of the oolasisial realm of the Czar. At present the countries have definitely stated wtat they walnt, aiUd what they intend to 'have. Far Russia to rel'i'iWiish her ainKtions with . regain! to Coreii would moan that Japa/nese diplomacy would circumvent the machi nations' of the "Czar 01 all the Kussiae," aired Japan is not likely to sturramder her rights or submit to interference with her Cort'an interests without a struggle—mid idefeiat. It seems prolb|ti|ble thci-efore, that there will be fighting ami thus a comparison of the ■strength of the two countries will a't this juncture prove interesting reading. Japan being being separated from the mainland Iby tihe 'Eastern Sea arid the Straits 01 Koraa, the first part of the conflict will be on the liiiglh seas. A caUliogiram received On Thursday g-ava the statement of the Japanese Mi'iiis'ter at Parisi that the Japanese fleet, as a fighting unit, was unqUestionaibly superior to Kussia's, Japan' having; 500,000 men, whikit Russia's troops in the East _ a;moni|ntod to 75,000, capalble of reinforcement to i 50,000 or 200,000. The Russian fleet now in Chinese waters, ' with .vessels proceeding eastwtaito, consists of eight brittle- | ships l , with a displacement of 96,'i'l2 tons. They are the Oeslarewitch, Retvizan, Oslatoya, Po<bieda, Pcresviet, Poltava, Sevastopol, and Petropaivlovsk, the first named having' a displacement of 13,110 toins, aai'd the remainder gradually tapering off to the Petropaivlovsk of 10,960 tons. Die total armament comprises 125 guns, up to 12-inch caii'bre, as follows :—Twenty 12in, twelve lOin, titty-seven 6in, and twenty-six 5.9 in guns. The average speed of the battleships is slightly under eighteen k/aots, and thie slcjuaidron speed sixteen knots for the eight ships or sevemireen for six ships. Russia has also four armoured cruisers and 80vet) protected cruisers, and four toi'p(j(Jo J hoa.t3. Jia(pain, on t'lie other hand, has but six battleships, of

a total displacement of 84,490 ions. They are, however, better protected thaai tho Russian vessels, amid capable of carrying much larger crews. The battleships are the Asaihi 'and Mikafia, o>f 15,200 tons each ; Hatsuse 15,000, Skilcisbima 14,850, and Fuji am<l Yashima 12,320 tons. Thus it will be seen that they are a much heavier type thorn those of Russia, the disparity between the bigigest bbittlesih'ips of tlhe two nations beimg 1090 tons and between tile two smallest, 1360, in favour of the "little brown inafl." Ttf e an>i#ment of the Japanese ships comprises twentyfour 1-2 in. ja#d sevontj'Hsix 6Sn gjunsj and the sqjuadron speed is eighteen knots, whilst the' average is a little over that. Japan has in commission seven armoured cruisers and twelve protgpjpd ships and 39 torpedo vessels. The ftgiirps given above are compiled ,St. Jump's Bwlgjet and go to show that Japan's great superiority in cruisers more than makes up for any possible (but not qgrtain) inferiority in battleships. The battle of Yalu, between Japanese and Chinese fleets, was noted for the perfect handling of the cruisers of the Joi-pier power and this must also be taken into consideration. Once'hostilities are commenced it will be difficult for Russia to reinforce her fleet. Britain's treaty with Japjam, concluded in 1902, p.ctup.ted solely by a desire to maintain the status '{jluo and general peace in the extreme Bast, the contracting Powers lxing moreover specially interested ii. maintaining the independence amci territorial integrity of the Empire of China and the Empire of Corea, provides that in the event of Japan being engaged in hostilities Britain will remain neutral aiwj. try to persuade the other nations to adopt the same attitude ; tout Britain will assist Japan if other countstes take a hand in the conflict, and vice versa. The international code provides that a beilignent ship may only take in sufficient coal to carry her to the nearest port of her own country, and jpay not coal at another port belonging to the same country for three months, Between the Russian naval bases in Europe and the now disquieted 'East there are only French and English coaling stations available for Russjian warships en route to the scene of strife. If Britain closes her ports against Russia, and France is unable to grant facilities for coaling it will bo Almost impossible for Russia to send more ships castward. Thus the neutrality of Britain may place a trump card in the hajl of Japan. Further developments will be watched with interest;