THE FIGHT FOR PORT ARTHUR

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 135, 7 June 1904, Page 5

THE FIGHT FOR PORT ARTHUR

OUTPOSTS TWO MILES APABT. . -■■■ f«. f..: THE CZAR AND RELIEF. 45,000 TROOPS TO BE SENT. SOME HEAVY SKIRMISHING. DEFENCE MEASURES IN EASTERN OOREA. ■ • »» [N.Z. Pbjebs AasocuiiioN.—Coptbjoht.]

! The outposts of the armies are now within two miles of each other, and the j Japanese within 12 miles of the forts of the town. The Czar, supported by the Grand Duke Vladimir, the Minister for War, and popular opinion, but opposed by a majority of the War Council, has ordered an attempt to relieve Port Arthur. The Japanese are now operating from their new base at Dalny. Several severe skirmishes have taken place at different points, the severest being near Vojen-fau, ou the Port Arthur Peninsula. The Cossacks invading EastJ era Corea are to he met with a force of 2000 Japanese, with Corean troops cooperating. The Japanese accuse the Russians of treachery under the white flag. RELIEF OF PORT ARTHUR. IMMINENT FIGHTING. | OUTPOSTS TWO MILES APART. I j JAPS TWELVE MILES FROM THE TOWN. i (Received 8.46 ami.) _ON_>ON, June 6. The Japanese lines have been extended from S_--l»_-tm__B to C_i-c_a__-ts-, a place abont twelve j miles from the onter forts of Port j Arthur. { The ontposts of the two armies are now within two miles of each i other, and developments may be early expected. TROOPS XN MOTION. ORDER BY THE CZAR. 45,000 TO MARCH SOUTH. LONDON, Jnne 6. The Tsar, it is stated, has issned an order that General Kuropatkin ia lo detach forty-five thousand men from his army to relieve Port Arthur, bnt it is not known whether the message has been yet transmitted to the general. The Daily Express states that there ere indications that General Kuropatkin has merely delivered feints so far as Pert Arthur is concerned. The Daily News says the Tsar's order is attributed to General Ku- I ropatkin'p enemies at St. Petersburg, and that many high officials are trying to persuade the Tsar to change his mind on the matter. Advices received at ToUo state that large bodies of Russians are marching south tewards Hai-ping, a place on the coast near Kia-chan. It is also reported that the Russian ' forces opposed to General Kuroki at Pcng-huan-chens are being increased. i These movements are interpreted in Tekio as meaning that strenuous > efforts are to be made by General j Kuropatkin to relieve Port Arthur. I Advices frem Niu-chwang say that a Russian army corps is ad- j vancing to the south, and that its ( flank guards have passed that; ! place. ! Advices received in Paris from St. Petersburg announce that the Grand Council of the General Staff there has resolved upon important offensive tactics in the Par East. THE CZAR'S DECISION. - * OPPOSED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL. (Received 8.46 ajn.) LONDON, June 6. St. Petersburg telegrams published in the French papers state that the Czar's decision to relieve Port Arthur is against the advice of the majority of the Council, but that it is supported by the Minister of War, by the Grand Duke Vladimir and by popular opinion. •* FIGHTING IN THE HILLS. A RUSSIAN DEFEAT. TWO HUNDRED KILLED AND WOUNDED. LONDON, Jnne 6. The Loudon Daily Telegraph's Tientsin correspondent reports that four thousand >u—iens on

May 31 attacked fifteen hundred Japanese among the hills five miles S(m t_ of Vocen-fan, and that the Russians were repulsed, with two hundred killed and four hundred wounded. The Japanese delivered a successful _tanking attack and captured several hundred rifles. One kundred Japanese were killed. TWO RUSSIAN DEFEATS. TWO THOUSAND TROOPS REPULSED. COSSACKS . RETREAT WITH HEAVY LOSSES. LONDON, June 6. The Russians at Ckankeotun and Lungwangmiao were on May 30 driven from their positions towards Telesxe. Two thousand Russian infantry, •°"*« cavalry and a battery of artillery attacked Japanese cavalry at Ckankeotun on Friday, and were repulsed and driven to Telesxe. General Knroki reports that a detachment reconnoitring towards Samaehi has had a brisk fight with six hundred Cossacks, and inflicted heavy losses upon them. The Cos■—cks t retreated. The Japanese casualties were slight. DALITS' THE BASE. Reinforcements Accompanied by Gunboats. LONDON, June 6. The base for tte troops operating against Port Arthur has been transferred from Pi-tsze-wo to Daisy and other parts of Taiienwan Bay. Troops are now being landed at Dalny, and are proceeding along both coasts towards Port Arthur. Gunboats move along the coast with them, supporting one flank in each case. On Friday the troops marching along the eastern coast fought a battle fifteen miles from Port Arthur. RUSSIAN GUNBOATDESTROYED Struck by Japanese Torpedo. LONDON, June 6. It is reported at Tokio that a Russian gunboat of the Gilyak type was struck by a Japanese torpedo on Saturday at Port Arthur and destroyed. THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION. (Received 8.46 a.m.) LONDON, June 0. A Japanese destroyer flotilla engaged in watching Port Arthur saw a gunboat of the Gilkak type blow up and sink while engaged with other war vessels in clearing mines in the roadstead. Admiral Togo believes that a torpedo caused the explosion. EXPLOSIONS AT PORT ARTHUR. Pigeon Post With Niu-chwang. LONDON, June 6. Admiral Togo reports that there were great explosions, accompanied by dense smoke, at Port Arthur on Saturday. An unofficial message attributes the explosions to blasting sites for new batteries. Pigeons are bringing to General Stoessel at Port Arthur messages from' Niuchwang. A LATER VIEW. Clearing the Fairway. (Received 8.46 ajn.) LONDON, June 6. The steamers representing the newspapers attribute the heavy explosions at Port Arthur to Admiral Witfyft's efforts to clear a fairway in readiness for a sortie when the fortress is assaulted. RUSSIANS AND THE WHITE flag: An Alleged Outrage. (Received 8.20 a.m.) LONDON, June 6. The "Daily Telegraph's"'correspondent at Nagasaki reports that a wounded Japanese officer informed him that a party, of Russians at Nanshan surrendered under the white flag. When the Japanese advanced to pass them, the enemy fired point blank, killing i_d wounding m_ny of tluir number. .