p. 7 | Note and Comment

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Apr 28, 1904

Note and Comment

THE present struggle between Russia and Japan will, if we may judge from the record of events thus far, greatly modify the policies of the world powers as regards naval programs. It is a remarkable feature of the fighting on the sea that while a large number of ships have been sunk or disabled, there has been no pitched battle between the hostile fleets, but the casualties, which have amounted to the practical disabling of an entire Russian fleet numbering six battle-ships and as many cruisers, besides torpedo-boats, have almost wholly been the result of the use of torpedoes and mines. Heretofore there has been little opportunity to judge with accuracy of the relative efficiency of torpedo-boats and mines, battle-ships, and cruisers, and the faith of the naval authorities has been pinned to the heavy battle-ships. But the results accomplished by the Japanese against the battle-ships of the Russian squadron at Port Arthur raises a serious question whether these expensive and ponderous war machines may not prove in the near future to represent little more than useless junk and a huge waste of money. The world is certain to be considerably wiser on the subject at the conclusion of this war than it was when the present struggle began.