RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIV, Issue 2837, 8 January 1904, Page 3

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

_he " Daily Mai.'s" Sl.ai ghai correspondent Btates that the Chinese Foreign Office -t has definite information Ir m St. Petersburg that Russia intends to retain Marchuii-. Prince Ching and h'.s Minieters, after four hours' conference, presented a report on the situation to the Empress Dowager, copies of which -were alao tent to the provincial authorities. Three Chxcse cruisers at Woisung have ••"ibeen ordered to coal, and it is believed they wiU iob th*! Japanese in the event of war. The "Standard's" Tokio correspondent - -t%tes Ihit the TI rone has secretly ordered -j-jfe Chi_ese to assist the Japarese in tie .vent of hostilities. It is proposed to serd forby thousand Chinese under J->p-an**se rfficerr, to Liaolung. The '*Standard" says that the feeling _t Tokio i» that the war parly dominates the RuFsian Governmm'. There has been a g-fat Ml <f Japanese * Stocks at Tokio, a-d several br. kers. h.ve b en ruinfd. The "Timts' siys that the profpfcla ot peace are not yet Vesper te, though there is __ no real sign of improvement. Prince AlexehH'e journey to St. Metersburg has been p:s'.poned to Fel ruary. There is a Blight decrease in the tention. It is semiofficially stated at Sb. Petersburg that the Russian leply ie neither yes nor no, but -ontnirs reason-d propoaals. •Jjhe Japanese declare that Ku si-., recently preposrd a neutral zone on the Korean fromier as far as Geneau and Phtugysng. This is wholly unacceptable to Japan. ; Mr Balfour has conferred with the Mars&fs of Lansdowne, Lord Selbourne and others of the Defence Committee. The Czar is conferring with Count; Mura vieff, which is interpreted at Vienna aB a sign. M. Delcaßße, who is at present at the Riviera, is optimistic with regard to the situation in the Far East. The Russian cruisers at Vladivostock are m proceeding to Port Arthur. Mr W. B. Taft, American Governor of the Philippines, has been welcomed and entertained at Tokio, Cossacks are occupying Hsimintun railway, on the Newchwang line. It is generally believed that Russia's reply i. designedly dilatory, to enable her to bring up further reinforcements. -The "Daily Express" faya that King Howard is usirg Htrong influence with the Cz.r to secure peace, and aho amelioration of the condition of the Jew* l , . The latest adviceß received from St. _*_f£rsburg state th-t seme of the Japanese proposals have been accepted. Others arc the subject of exterded observations and counter proposals. The conces-ions are regaded as very considerable, and it is hoped will be satisfactory to Japan, and that peace will be announced at the Russian Christmas. . . .

• The " Novoe Vremya," in a pessimistic article, says that, despite the effort of the Russian ai d Japenese Governments to avert war, the former deeirirg peace and the latter wishiog_to .vert bankruptcy, war is ffpproaching nearer and nearer. The paper holds that the Japanese newspapers and people are responsible for the eituation.