'THERE seems to be no reason to disbelieve the statement that the Russians have been almost stupefied by the suddenness with which Japan has acted. Our French contemporary here, taking, as he has a perfect right to do, the side of the Russians, has not hesitated to publicly characterise the Japanese attack on the Russian fleet outside Port Arthur as "cowardly and treacherous." As to the cowardice shown by the little Tapanese torpedo-boats in attacking a big, Russian fleet protected by innumerable search-lights and, we presume, by torpedo-nets, that is a matter of opinion; but we cannot recall that the gallant French called cowardly when their torpedo-boat went into Shihpoo Roads and tried to torpedo a Chinese vessel at anchor there; or when Admiral Courbet went peaceably up the Min with his squadron, and destroyed the Chinese fleet at anchor in that river. In fact, both charges, of cowardice' and of treachery, are ridiculous. '294 There was no treachery in any sense. Japan's announcement that she could wait no longer for Russia's reply and that she was going to take'independent action was, in itself, a declaration of war. bat took place on the 6th of February, and Japan committed no act of hostility until the 8tb, giving the Russians two days to prepare. The object of the formal declaration of war, which Japan made on the 10th, was to acquaint other Powers officially of the fact, so that they might issue their Neutrality proclamations, but it was not required to justify Japan in commencing operations by any operative International Law.
The fact is that the Ruesians have been living in a Fool's Paradise; up to the last they seem to have really believed that the Japanese were not in earnest; that their opponents were only haggling as they were. themselves, and that the end of this haggling would be an agreement at last. They have only themselves to blame for being found unready; if the officers of their fleet. at Port Arthur were at the Opera on Monday night when they ought to have been watching for the Japanese torpedo-boats. They have had intelligence officers enough in China, Corea, and Japan to tell them that the Japanese organisation was perfect and every reparation made; it certainly was no fault: of the Japanese that the Russians left two ships in Chemulpo to be picked up by Admiral Uriu and his convoying squadron, We dare not, with the report of the Boer, War Commission before us, criticise Russia's unreadiness; we only wish to show that there is no ground for criticising unfavourably the promptitude of Japan.
It is only four days since operations began, and in that brief time the Japanese have put out of action eight of Russia's large warships, the ironclads Poltava, Retvizan, and Tsarevitch, and the cruisers Askold, Diana, Novik, Pullada, and Varyag, as well as the gun vessel Coreetz, or a total of over 67,000-tons. According to the Russian reports, these have only been temporarily disabled according to the Japanese reports, they have been sunk, or destroyed; at any rate, they are out of action for the time, and their repairs will be a heavy strain on the resources of Port Arthur. It will be noted that while the Russians acknowledge their losses, the Japanese do not admit a single Joss... In his official report, Admiral Togo, the Japanese commander at Port Arthur, admits that he had
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