Page:Heresies of Sea Power (1906).djvu/165

Rh victory might have been his. It was always possible that he might win. Hence the risk of the sea fight upon which Japan staked everything—because of tradition.

The army of Nogi, transferred to the front after the fall of Port Arthur very probably contributed to the victory of Mukden; but Mukden was relatively a useless victory. Oyama, with half as many men as he had, entrenched anywhere in Korea, would have served to occupy Kuropatkin enough for Nogi to begin investing Vladivostok. Vladivostok is a far superior base to Port Arthur, but Japan after the fall of Port Arthur could certainly have installed a land battery capable of destroying the dockyard, and Togo's ships by long-range firing could have assisted that end. Without a base before him Rogestvensky would never have come to the Far East at all. Thus Russia would have preserved her Baltic Fleet; but that would have been immaterial to Japan. If the base be destroyed, it is immaterial whether the fleet belonging to it floats or lies under the waves—it has ceased to be a weapon. With Vladivostok taken or rendered untenable, six months of the war would have been saved, for Japan would then have been supreme upon the water and in possession of all for which she fought. By delaying the attack on Vladivostok, she left the taking of that place dependent on the chance of Russia being prepared to make peace or else upon a siege begun six months later than it need have been. And six months in a