RUSSIA AND JAPAN

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 28, 2 February 1904, Page 5

RUSSIA AND JAPAN

DISQUIETING MESSAGES. Russia's Ueply Unfavourable. Japanese Leaders in Close Conferferssce. LONDON, February 1. Messages received from St. Petersburg. Tokiu and I'urt Arthur all indicate that ' the Russian reply will be unsatisfactory I to Japan. 'the new-papers at St. IViersbur;; are delimit and contentious, and seek to throw the responsibility of the ultimate upshot on Japan. j Marquis l:o and other leading ,/apan- I ese statesmen held an eight-hours' conference on Saturday. Russia purchased 20.000 tons of Taiping cojil on Saturday, mid is nogotiat- i ing for 30.000 tons additional, with iin- i mediate delivery at Port Arthur. Yuanslnkai's Chinese troops, ou the ! boruer oi Manchuria, in the event of ' war. would, it is stated, number 40.000. I I A CLEVER STORY. | Japan and Compensation. j Immense Orders of Mess Food. ("Received 9.3 a.m.) i LONDON', February 1. ; Altogether Japan has ordered seven ' million pounds' weight of American mess corned beef, and Russia six million ; pound-;. ] The Russian newspapers declare that Japan demands seventy-two million i roubles' compensation for war expense. ! and ridicule "the childish simplicity ot j a savage nation." j Sir Robert Mart has appointed .Mr. Gilehrisi to the control of the Customs | at the Manchurian port of Niuclvwang. A JUVENILE FIGHT. BOY CRAKGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER. (P.y Telegraph.—Tress Association.) INYERCARGILL, Monday.

Patrick Gardiner, aged 15. was to-day committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter of George Kofi'. ](>, at Clifton, during a fight to which Ron* challenged him. The medical evidence was io the effect that there was no mark of a blow on the body, that the organs were sound, and that t he probabilities were that the lad died from shock. The weight of evidence was (hat Gardiner struck one body blow and that was on the shoulder. The lads were chums, and the fight seemed to have originated from a brag that Uoff could light Gardiner with one hand.