PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 48, 25 August 1904, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The Japanese havo captured three additional forte nnd destroyed two, in their treine-ndowt fight for possession of Port Arthur. At Wolf Hill, north-cast of the town (sco plan of yesterday), there are mounted four 12iu out of twenty Kiege guns, and an arerugu of 800 sheila aro daily poured into the town. What) an inferno tho plaoo must bo! There is scarcely an undamaged building left, the Town Hull and ono magazine have- been destroyed, and four largo waiwhips in the harbour have boon damaged. At one point the besiegers linvo captured a position within a mile, of Port Arthur, and though we cannot locato ml tho positions occupied, it seems certain that they aro now ab!o to pour a converging fire upon the doomed city. Rus»iau accounts allege that their enemies aro immolating themselves by thousands, but since there are tons of thousands wiiiting to <«%ko their places, aJid the attack manifestly quins ground, wo ought not to wait much longer for the fall of tho curtain upon ono of the bloodiest dramas of modern times. 'J'ho naval sortie from Port Arthur on the 9th iust. has resulted in the practical loss to Russia of at least fecven vessels The gallant littlo Novik, the fleetest ship in the f.quadron,CMii no more show a clean pair of hcclft to a stronger adversary. J lie Askold, Diana, and Gro»ovoi, we learn today, aro to bo dismantled, and call figlit no more during the present war. 'J lie Pailada has joined nutny another gallant ship at the bottom of tho sea. The greatest battleship of tho fleet — the Tsarevitch —is neutralised in Kiaochau, and at loaftt two lorpedoers hare been wrecked. Now comes word that the battleship Sevastopol ou Tuesday, while leaving Port Arthur, struck a submarine mine, and was towed back disabled, while in tho harbour i,self tho remaining battleships are within range of tho sieg'i guns of the Japanese. Surely these last surviving ships, if seaworthy, will make an effort to deal a final blow at tho redoubtable Togo. Information received at Shanghai from Germtwi sources .stales that Kuropatkin is now retiring on Mukden. This was put in a different way yesterday, when we wore told from St. Petersburg that, in consequence of the detachment of 30,00U of Oko'B army to reinforco Nogi before Port Arthur, Ut» Russian Commander- in - Chief would probably tako tho offensive. It is quite likely that ie the way in which it will be put to tho Russian people. Taken together, the' two statements point to likelihood that Kuroki has manoeuvred his opponent out of Liaoyang, nnd will presently take possession of the richest priae of the war without striking a single blow. It remains to be seen what will happen to Kuropatkin if he retire North, but we venture the opinion that if he is on the move that fact will hasten the fall of Port Arthur. The critical position of affaire 'twixt Britain and Russia in regard to British shipping wo deal with in a separate article.