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From the Yalu to Port Arthur cover

From the Yalu to Port Arthur

Chapter 2: PREFATORY NOTE.
By Sir William Maxwell
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About This Book

The author records a correspondent’s eyewitness account of a major early-20th-century campaign in East Asia, tracing diplomatic origins, troop movements, and sieges from the river crossing to the capture of a fortified port. He combines operational narrative—landings, bridging rivers, advances, battles and the final assaults—with profiles of commanders, assessments of opposing armies, and detailed engineering and logistical episodes. The narrative is supplemented by maps, illustrations, and appendices offering confidential evaluations of force composition and performance, emphasizing soldierly endurance, tactical challenges, and the practical work of staff and engineers during a setbacks-and-victories campaign.

PRINTED BY
A. CHRIS. FOWLER,
MOORFIELDS AND SHOREDITCH,
LONDON, E.C.

PREFATORY NOTE.

So many accounts have been written of the War between Russia and Japan that apology may be demanded for adding another to these records. My excuse is that a very limited number of European and American correspondents accompanied the Japanese Army, and that I may claim to be the only correspondent who was with General Kuroki from the Yalu to the Sha-ho; and, with my interpreter, Mr. Ito, the only observer, European, American or Japanese, present at these engagements, and at the last assaults upon and surrender of Port Arthur.

To General Kuroki and the Officers of his Staff I am under many obligations. Especially am I indebted to General Fujii, Chief of the Staff, who showed me many favours and gave me much valuable information which now appears for the first time.

In the opening chapter will be found a short summary of the events that led to the War. It contains matter that may throw a little new light upon some phases of the diplomatic struggle. In the appendix are studies of the Russian and Japanese Armies which were issued as confidential papers before the War. I commend them to the close attention of all who have a professional interest in military science.

WILLIAM MAXWELL.