| Show BALTIC FLEET TO SAIL BETTER TO ENCOUNTER JAPS NOW THAN LATER even if port arthur squadron should be annihilated first announcement is made that em geror nicholas will visit reval on tuesday to bid farewell to the baltic squadron after months of tion and several false starts it Is be lieveld that the squadron Is at last on the eve of its departure upon its long journey A division in the admiralty has ex isted throughout the period of atlon regarding the advisability of sending out the squadron but with the decision to double the size of the manchurian Manc hurlan army and press the war with vigor the logic of those who tor for months have insisted that every avail able ship should be dispatched to the far east has finally pre prevailed vaile A the argument that n no 0 complete vie tory over the japanese is possible un less the command of the sea Is wrest ed ad from them could not be overcome and though much valuable time has been lost and the moment seems in auspicious it is officially intimated that an irrevocable decision has been taken to dispatch the baltic fleet even it the port arthur squadron should be annihilated before its arrival there it Is realized that the squadron which on paper Is about equal in fighting strength to the jai japanese fleet will be much better able to en an counter the foe now than next spring after the japanese ships have had all w winter inter to clean benair and refit while hopes are still entertained that port arthur may be able to hold out until the appearance of the baltic fleet the question of the tall fall of that stronghold does not apparently ent C greatly into the calculations of the ad miralta the on thing expected of the port arthur squadron adron is to break out of the harbor and inflict as much dam damage age as possible upon admiral togo s r leet such ships as escape are ex petel 1 to make their way to vladivostok heie the repairs on the cruiser bogatyr are understood to have been practically completed and those on the cossia and Grom are nearing comp ebion the question of the war in the I 1 far ar east will depend upon the issue of a sea fight after the arrival ot of the bal tic fleet vladivostok although ice bound in winter for commercial ships can easily be kept open for a fleet of war vessels by mea means ns of ice fee breakers |
