THE FIRST “PEARL HARBOR”
Japan bafor*
Russo'Japanata
War
Gained by
Jopon as rosufe
of war
Japanese Attacked Port Arthur Without Warning
40 Years Ago To Open War With Russia
By ALEXANDER R. GEORGE
(JP) Features Writer
WASHINGTON—On a frosty February 6, forty years ago, U. S.
newspaper readers were agog over a hot news bulletin from far-off
Manchuria. . . . Tiny Japan had suddenly opened war on gigantic
Russia. To most American and Europeans it seemed almost incredible
that “the little brown men” would dare to tangle with the mighty
FARES
FROM NOME
On* Way Round Trip
TO SEATTLE_$ 200 $ 360
KETCHIKAN_ 145 261
JUNEAU_ 120 216
WHITEHORSE_105 189
FAIRBANKS_ 60 108
GALENA_ 42 75
Tax not Indudod
Mii^^^^^WALLAcffBoTE^^^Phon^fain
Muscovite bear. Even more sur
prising were dispatches a few
days later that the Japanese were
walloping the Russians on land
and sea.
Japan was stepping into the cir
cle of world powers but that that
time, nobody, except perhaps a
few Nipponese military leaders,
realized it.
The big bear had prowled too
deeply into Far Eastern territory |
for Japanese comfort. As they
saw it, Russia’s Gibraltar of the
East at Port Arthur in Chinese i
Manchuria and the Czar’s war- [
ships stationed in the harbor \
there were “claws stretching to-!
ward the throat of Nippon.”
Britain, which then had a “pro
tect China” alliance with Japan,
also frowned on Russian military
penetration. Russia rejected Ja- j
pan’s demands that she wihtdraw j
her troops from Manchuria and
before the Czaristic government
knew what was happening, Jap
anese torpedo boats had destroyed
part of the fleet at Port Arthur.
The Russians later rallied a bit
with reinforcements from home
and put up a brave but usually
unsuccessful struggle. The Japan
ese dealt them three heavy blows:
Impregnable Port Arthur fell af
ter a seven-months siege; the
Japs won a decisive land battle at
Mukden and a tremenduos naval
victory in the Sea of Japan.
Admiral Togo’s “mosquito” flo
tilla annihilated the Russian’s
proud Baltic fleet, which had
steamed half way around the
world to avenge earlier Russian
naval reverses.
Togo, Marshal Oyama and Gen
eral Nogi were military heroes in
this country. They shared the
headlines with President Teddy
Roosevelt taking jiu-jitsu lessons
and Auto Speed King Barney
Oldfield doing a mile a minute in
his Green Dragon.
The war dragged on with the
Russians steadily losing ground
until President Roosevelt, in the
summer of 1905, persuaded the
two governments to start peace
negotiations at Portsmouth, N. H.
Under the treaty signed in Sep
tember, Russia abandoned her
claims to Manchuria and China
resumed control of that country.
Russia also surrendered the
lease of strategic Port Arthur,
ceded half of the island of Sakha
lin to Japan and recognized Jap
an’s sphere of influence in Korea.
Little Nippon had become a big
league nation.
NIGHT RATE WILL
APPLY ON SUNDAYS
Lt. Stanley R. Morgan, Officer
in Charge of the Nome office of
the ACS, today announced that
in addition to the telephone rates
previously published, the Sunday
rate will be the same as the night
rate, namely $7.50 for the first
three minutes, and $2.50 for each
additional minute to Seattle.
NEW AIRMAIL SERVICE
TO BE ADDED
L. M. Nelson of the Railway
Mail Service, is in Nome on a sur
vey of transportation of U. S.
mails.
Mr. Nelson stated that there is
the possibility of through Airmail
service via Anchorage between
I Nome and Seattle, giving Nome
| one-day service to Seattle.
Army Huts To Go
On Sale Here
The Alaskan Department an
nounced today that a number of
surplus army buildings are soon
to be offered for sale to the resi
dents of Nome and vicinity. It is
understood that the buildnigs will
be mostly of quonset and port
able-frame type construction, and
that the sale will be accomplished
through the usual “sealed bid”
method.
The exact buildings, type of
construction and conditions of
sale will be annuonced through
advertisements appearing in fol
lowing editions of this paper.
BETTY EKREN IN NOME
ON THREE-DAY VISIT
Miss Betty Ekren, of the An
chorage Maintenance Department
of the Alaska Airlines is in Nome
on a three-day pass, visiting with
friends.
ALVIN POLET VISITING
WITH PARENTS
Alvin Polet, Fairbanks manager
for the Alaska Airlines, arrived
in Nome yesterday afternoon
board a Wien Alaska Airlines
•
plane to pay Nome a short visit.
While here Mr. tAl) Polet will
stay at the home of his parents
Mr. and Mrs. Antonio Polet. Mrs.
Alvin Polet is now in the States
on vacation.
The NEVADA FOUNTAIN
AND SANDWICH SHOP
Open Daily from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 A.M.
SOFT DRINKS, SANDWICHES
AND LIGHT LUNCHES
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BACK THEM UP WITH YOUR DOLLARS
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