THE JAPANESE ADVANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 38, 13 February 1904, Page 5

THE JAPANESE ADVANCE.

GENERAL MOVEMENT NORTHWARDS.

THE MIKADO'S PROCLAMATION.

WAR FORCED ON JAPAN

UHPREPAREDNESS OF THE RUSSIANS.

[X.Z. Press Association.—Copteight.]

(Received 9 a.m.) LONDON. February 12. Consols are at 86;. All the reports corning to Land point io the fact that Japau is concentrating at many points in Corea for an advance north.-nra.rds. The correspondents agree in stating that the Japanese objective is a general advance to meet the Russians at the Kiver Yalu, which divides Corea from Manchuria.. \ Lient.-General Baron Korcnti 1 has Ijeer. appointed tr the -oinjsiand of the First Army Corps of | *be Japanese Army. THE NIGHT ATTACK. BRER JAP USED RUSSIAN SIGNALS. (Received 5.31 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. The special correspondent of the "New York Herald," in a later despatch, tiiraws some fnrtlier light I on tie opening of tie Japanese at- j tack on Port Arthur. The Russian cruiser- Pallada, it seems, Tas on the outer, edge of the fleet, and -herefora in a better j position to observe the movements j of the enemy than, any of tl-e other | vessels. While on deck the Chief Artillery Officer suddenly observed f onr j tc edo-boats approaching the harbour. They were using Russian sigaals, but a sadden suspicion cross- i ed the —dud of the officer, and he consulted with, the Captain, whom i le informed that the boats were ! Japanese. The Captain angrily expressed Us disbelief in this view, but the j Artillery Officer nevertheless pre- i pared for action, and when the I Srst tc-rpedc was discharged the Pallida at once retaliated. UTTERLY UNPREPARED. HESSIAN OFFICERS AT THE CIRCUS. (Received 10.29 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. The Caifn correspondent of the '"Daily Mail" says that so nnex- j fleeted in Port Arthur was any i early action by tte Japanese Navy tiat on the evening of the Bth. instant (the night of the torpedo attack on the Russian fleet) a special performance of a local circus -was arranged for the benefit of the naval and military forces concentrated in readiness for the war. Tie audisnee consisted chiefly of the officers of the two services, and the performance lasted until tie early morning. In connection with the above, the following mail account of the social life oj Port Arthur on the eve of -war will be read with interest :— Tn spite of the Vhadow of war which nangs over this garrison—a shadow never blacker than at the present time —Port Arthur eats, drinks and makes Sffirry -nith a gaiety unsurpassed in any ptteeltyin the Far East. Life here continual round of festivities. The Viceroy, the Generals. Admirals, miliary c-lub. naval club and higher civil officials vie with each other in the -plenaour of their entertainments. The anmber of beautiful women who attend tanctioDs awaken; memories of * r - Petersburg and Paris. Admiral A-exieffs niece" is the leader of fashion. a e is a very handsome young woman, rumours were circulated some time f?° that the Japanese intended to LSKe advantage of' the festivities incia fnt to Russian Christmas and surprise we Warships here. Consequently a "gilaat watch is being kept night' and ™7- The whole Russian fleet is now in gating trim.' , T HE CRIPPLED WARSHIPS. WHEN WILL THEY BE READY? ADMIRAL ALEXIEFF'S REPORTI (Beec'ved 10.10 a.m.) LONDON February 12. Alexiefr, Enssian Comin the Far East, sports tfctt the battleship Czareao» if** the c ™ Pallada have aaZ. n ' into the inner ;£*W of Port Arthur. The leak tie aj battleship Retwisan, says !t» n j Bl, has been temi3O.ra.rily eace aUd tte vessel "i 1 * c at rep • in hand for permanent re P=*ring of ironclads, tlie ed tiT y OGS On to say - is c 'inplicat-fiic-f aad lt is difficult to in- *» wh en it will be completed. ae reisers Pallada and Novik

will be successively docked for repairs, and both, -will be ready for service again in about a fortnight, w&ile it is hoped that the other vessels will be ready within three days. Dealing with the casualities, Admiral Alexieff states that the majority of tlie man incapacitated in the recent engagement belonged to the Pallada, and that they were mostly poisoned ~ky melinite gases. Since the last attack, an extra vigilant watch has been kept at night, but without result. (Received 10.20 a.m.) LONDON. February 12. Those in official circles in Berlin profess their complete ignorance of any ground for the persistent reports with regard to the passage of the Russian Saltic Sea Squadron through the Kiel Canal. RUSSIA AND THE BOXERS. A SENSATIONAL REPORT. LACKS CONFIRMATION. LONDON, February 12. It is reported at Pekin that the Chinese Government is sending 200.000 of the anti-foreign organisation known as the Boxers to -Manchuria. Already the Boxers are believed to have been at work in that province, and the injury to the railway bridge on the Manchurian railway is attributed to them, and not to the Japanese. 'Received 8.31 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. The report that China is utilizing the Boxers for the r urpose of resisting the Russians in Manchuria has not been confirmed in any authoritative quarter. It is attributed by those best qualified to know. in earlier rumours of the readiness of the fanatics to rise against j the most hated of their European ene- i mies. Probably the statement received what appeared at the time like confirmation from the activity of tue Boxers on the borders of .Mongolia. THE MIKAOO'S PROCLAMATION STIHRING APPEAL TO LOYAL SUBJECTS. RUSSIAN TACTICS DENOUNCED. (Received 9.2S a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The Japanese Consul lias received the full text of the Emperor's proclamation. It is a stirring appeal to all loyal subjects of the Empire. After pointing out that Japan had afVays striven to promote the pacific progress of the Japanese Empire in civilisation, and to strengthen friendly ties with other States, while her relations with other Powers were steadily growing in cordiality, the Emperor says: "'lt was thus greatly against our expectations that we have unhappily come , to open hostilities against Russia. ••'The integrity of Corea is a matter of constant concern to this Empire, not only because of our traditional relations with that country, but because the separate existence of Corea is essential to the safety of our realm. "Nevertheless. Russia, in disregard of her solemn treaty pledges to China and her repeated assurances to other Powers, is still in occupation of Manchuria, j and has consolidated and strengthened her hold upon these provinces, and is bent upon their final annexation. '•Since the absorption of Manchuria by Russia would render it impossible to maintain the integrity of China, and would, in addition, compel the abandonment of all hope of peace in the extreme East, we determined in these circumstances to settle the questions by the conduct of negotiations, and to secure thereby a permanent peace. Russia, however, never met such proposals in a spirit of conciliation, but by her wanton delays put off the settlement of the question, and, by ostensibly advocating peace on one hand, while she I was .in the other extending her naval I and military preparations, sought to I accomplish her own selfish designs. "We cannot in the least admit that i Russia had from the first any serious ior genuine desire for peace. She has rejected our proposals for the safety of Corea. endangered the interest of our Empire, menaced guarantees for the future which we failed to secure by peaceful negotiations, and we can now only appeal to arms." JAPANESE AND WEhHAhWEI. DID NOT USE THE BRITISH PORT AS A BASE. (Received 5.31 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. It was stated that the Japanese tor- ' pedo-boats concerned in the attack on Port Arthur on the Bth inst., approached from the direction of the Bri- ; tish treaty port of Wei-hai-wei, and the inference was drawn in some .quarters ! this port was used as a base for the j operations of these vessels. This is. however, stated njt to have I been the case: and it is emphasised that I the British naval authorities in Chinese j waters ar: maintainino , the strictest neutrality.

BATTLE OF PORT ARTHUR. YET ANOTHER ACCOUNT. THREE RUSSJaFsHIPS SUNK. LONDON, February 12. Further accounts of the attack on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur have reached Tokio. These show that the Japanese tleet made the attack on Monday night under a heavy fire. The torpedo-boats crept unperceived close in shore between the Russian ships and the harbour, and when the ships began to give way and tried to re-enter the harbour, the torpedo-boats sank three at the entrance, cutting off the retreat of the others. American accounts state that three of the torpedo-boats were sunk. The Russian Naval Department assert that six of the .Japanese ships were slightly damaged during the engagement at fort Arthur. The Department also states that 50 Japanese were killed and 150 wounded. Russia is strengthening with feverish haste Mukden and Liaoyang, on the railway line nortn of Port Arthur. MR HAY'S PROPOSALS. SUPPORTED BY BRITAIN AND JAPAN. LONDON, February 12. A Washington despatcn states that Great Britain has approved of the principle of Mr HayV Note that whether Russia or Japan win the integrity of China must be maintained. Later information states that Japan also approves ot Mr. Hay's proposal to localise, the war. ACTION OFF CHEMULPO. RUSSIAN CAPTAIN EXPLODES MIS SKIP. LONDON, February 12. Accounts from Tokio of the engagement at Chemulpo stat. that the captain of the • Varyag remained on board the vessel, and exploded his ship after the crew had escaped by swimming either to the French cruiser Pascal or ashore. Two Japanese warships are waiting for the Russian gunboat Mangur at the mouth of the Yang-tse-Kiang, on the Chinese coast, north of Shanghai. Owing to the heavy fall in securities the Russian Government has warned investors against rash selling. THE FEELING IN RUSSIA. AN UNPOPULAR WAR. Japanese Cruiser Intercepted at Malta. LONDON. February 12. There is every indication that the waits decidedly unpopular in Russia, despite the efforts made to galvanise a semblance of patriotism in the people. Without this artificial aid. so far as can be seen, the people would be apathetic, if not hostile. Ten thousand tons of goods are lying at the wharves at Antwerp, ready for shipment for the East, but the shippers are afraid to despatch them, fearing that the Russian port of Neuchwang, to the north of the Gulf of Liao-tung, will be attacked. llussian cruisers prevent the Japanese steamer Ivamagagawaniaru from leaving Malta. THE NEW ADMIRAL. LONDON.. February 12. Vice-Admiral Sir Gerard Noel, the new Commander-in-Chief of the China Squadron, in succession to Vice-Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge, will sail to-day to take command of his new station. [Sir Gerard Noel has been AdmiralSuperintendent of Naval Reserves since 1900. He is 59 years of age, and has been Director of Naval Intelligence, and a Lord of the Admiralty. He i= the author of -'Gun. Ram, and Torpedo; Essays on 1876 Tactics," and is regarded as a practical tactician and a good leader.]