Show RUSSIANS I S ARE f Arc Fighting Japanese at a Great Gre Disadvantage Owing to Conditions JAPANS POINTS OF VANTAGE I I II Some of or the tue Difficulties Which lbs Has to Contend With WHit In the Present Struggle Special Correspondence San Ban Francisco l Feb 27 Tho progress of ot the lImo war between Hussla and antI Japan Is viewed with special Interest at this tim point as os San Francisco Is III in closer dos ouch euch with the orient titan than any an oth other American city Sentiment here ns liS i elsewhere In the tho United States Is largely with the Japanese there thore Is a n feeling that Hussla will ulti uil ultima ma win If I Ille powers permit tho t fight to go on to n a finish there hero Is amo among those well welt Informed on oriental mat juat matters ama tees a B general recognition of the tho tact fact a that tho the czar has on ott his hands no eat easy task The Time Japs are aro In many ways bet better better be beter ter prepared for tor war var than the tho Russian ns as Indicated by the tho decisive victories victori In opening hostilities at mat lort Port Arthur and These have given Riven the 1 Japanese an all au advantage which the Ru flaM wilt will find Ond difficult to overcome Tho The war Is IB peculiar In that neither r of ot the tho belligerents Is I nt at present operating o on Its own territory In this respect t the tho have a 0 distinct advantage over oyer their more powerful log Ins nearer their base bose of or supplies und and rim possessing for tor mote more rapidly rapid mobilizing their forces If It nil lilt the tho ti Muscovite strength were massed massell on Urn the 1 Asiatic const coast It would be a different mutter matter Hut But It tl Is n a 1 tar far cry front from St S Petersburg to Vladivostok and nd Port Ar Al Arthur Arthur thur and with but a single track rail mil railroad road to carry nil alt the troops and provi provisions and no very large amount mount of ot rollag roll rol rollIng rollIng Ing lag stock on that railroad tho the mobilization lion tion and maintenance of ot a 11 largo large army arm armat at nt the tho scene of at hostilities Is a slow ami an arduous process To add to 10 this dim dill culty cully Is la tho the fact that for tor considerable distances between Harbin and Port Ar Am Arthur Arthur thur the railroad Is ts In a ii very exposed expose position In some lome pIn places cell running Cc for miles along the seacoast where It U lies lIe open to either cither land or naval attach Moreover there thero are large numbers of ot c Japanese disguised as coolies either em employed on tho thu road rond or In Its vicinity whose sworn duty It Is sold ald Is to de destroy destroy stroy the time track wherever possible Jo Thuy Thull Thuya Thulla Thua a largo large force will be bo required to guard guam lard the Limo track and keep the tho line open IM lIe tides III des the Siberian anti and Id lines Unell are very Insecurely laid the rails rail are light and there Is 19 constant danger dango r rat of at f breakdowns 1 under tho pressure ot of o enormous military traffic Time The transference of troops Is hmo how however however ever ver not time the most difficult task which the ho czars government encounters In Ii conducting a war so BO far tar remote from rOn rOna Its a base of ot supplies The Tho armies must bo bit o fed ted Siberia Is la little more than a n avast I vast fast barren barrett waste and cannot furnish h LilY any considerable portion of ot the sup supplies plies lies necessary to provision and feed a amass amoss I Inasa nasa moss of ot soldiers such as WIlt will be re me required reo in tn A 1 war sync of or this Any ny ono one at all nil familiar with tho the com coin end each of ot a military campaign will viii realize the welt well nigh n Bh Insurmountable i able obstacle that Russia faces Time The Russians ore are fortunate In biting In a possession of ot Manchuria which Is II a n a fertile agricultural country capable of at oi furnishing some portion of the supplies necessary nry to sustain the army Har liar Harbin Harbin bin tin the tho chief town of Manchuria Is In Ir tho Ito center of at a rich wheat producing territory and thero ar nr are mummy many Immense touring flouring mills milts there There Thero people In the town arid lI a Russia Is III said to 0 hare havo fully tully troops In and anc round around tho the place As long as CUI tho time Rus nus Russians lane stans hold Harbin and amid keep In tn communication with It they will be able to tc teed feed their army and amid net t aggressively In H 11 the tho judgment of well wall informed ob observers obi i servers of ot the situation in the far cast easi the he possession of ot Harbin Is most Im Important to Russia Hussla A thank Hank movement b ty Japan which should cut oft off or r result In Iii Its tt capture would woul cally ally stop the subsistence of tho the Hus nu elan sian Ian army in that section While the Russians will wilt doubtless be bo able ble to hold Manchuria their advance In n II Korea J oreo wilt will ba be stoutly contested ii If not ot wholly checked hIer the Japan esO so possess strategic advantages which wilt will tax to the tho utmost military skill and In III tho the topography of ot t tho the country which is rough and mountainous the Japanese have an nn ad all advantage vantage outage Tho The Russians are aro used to great grent rOat plains while tho the soldiers of ot the mikado are hero In iii their native natle ole ele element ment ent Like the time Greeks at Thermopylae lae Ine Sc or Ot to take tako a Il case caRo more In point like ke the In lit the time Transvaal this will lii prove a 1 powerful factor In their favor aver Korea l orel has but a small population bout about nil told To this com coin comparatively amatively sparsely settled territory Japan has haa been looking ns tin an nn outlet apan She Increasing population for tor or her over aver has fl about of ot Inhabitants and ande the e rate rato of ot Increase Is Iii very great greatt It 11 t Is natural that thal time the Japanese should on mm account of ot Its proximity consider ler Korea orea a suitable land for tor tho the creation of ot f colonies Since 1691 1101 there have been heen Japanese colonies In Korea loren There nt at present train from to Japanese ma established there with their families Camilles are prepared tomake to tomako tomAke That the tho Japanese mAke mako a I vigorous tight light for tor om the mastery sold said to tobe tobe toC bo be of C Korea which may 1111 almost of oC for tor or tho the maintenance be C necessary r their heir national Integrity In itt apparent from the time swiftness and amid potency of ot In mi mial Hal al movements On tho the other hand It ItIs Itla ItI Is la I apparent that tho the Russians were al nl almost most mORt most wholly unprepared for tor tho attack nIl are ale likely to suffer stiffer still further disastrous blows before they th y get Ret fairly Into Ito fighting trim Titus Thus the Japs have havo hoat havet nt at t the outset secured strategic positions Otis particularly particular In Korea Jorca which wilt will prove rove of or immense advantage In III tho the fu Cu future futuro Cuire ture turo ire conduct conti net of tho he ho war Such a point of at r vantage In is on the thO south Bouth southeastern eastern astern coast con l of ot Korea which has haa been ono no of ot time tho th chief bones bonen of ot contention be boo tween Japan and ancl Russia for or tho the last lastor two or three years and during tho time ne negotiations of ot tho the past six Alx months It ItIs ItI Is II I nn Island lying at nt the mouth of ot tho limo river the time chief Inlet Into tho time southern province of Korea lorea It Is close by hy tho ha port which h for tor r centuries has Ims been b en time the gateway for tot foro tho o Japanese o crossing over front from time tho const coast of ot Japan which at cit this point Is nearest caLmest t to Korea Russia sll to prevent Japan from closing the Korea strait against her ships military or trading to establish herself nt at this thin spot for tor this thin purpose obtained tim the con comm of n a tease lease from rain Korea J oren of at Mn Mo ns os a it coaling station which I should 1 bo ho n it 1 place Ithaca of ot call for tor ships pass passIng Ing In mg from rota Vladivostok which Is u a 1000 tiles miles to the tho northward In tn tho the sea sra of or I Japan round rouM to 10 Port lort Arthur or oth other othI er I r In tn the Yellow sea a rippled Crippled by b tho the naval engagements that have hAVO already taken piece which demonstrate Japans superiority and a 1111 the he th Russians ero placed nt at a n stilt still kill further disadvantage by hy their timely r rt re from root a II substantial naval base bur To Tu go 0 from the time Baltic to the Yellow rca requires a n trip halfway round the Iho world Besides the ships must be 00 coaled tho the sailors must be fed t d and the guild guim must be furnished with ammunition tion While lot Pott Arthur Is strongly forti fotti fortified fled fied Daumy D ln the large arge commercial town which the Russians have hR been ben building a 11 few tew mitts miles distant at bay bayIs ba bais Is III wholly defenseless except as an this the navy na cnn cart protect I It and In view of It what has hall so 80 lately happened In iii Inthe the Yellow sea B It may well doubted If It the Russian navy Is adequate to this t ti lil task A |