PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 50, 27 August 1904, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Port Arthur etill holds out, though news of its fall may como almost at any hour, for tho European quarter of tho city is in flames, and Tokio is being docoratcd' in preparation for celebration of tho capture. A raking sh*ll fire is being maintained preparatory to the infantry rush, and everything points to the certainty that wh«n that time arrives th« littlo brown men will not be denied, and with them numbers do not count. Tokio officially reports that ths total of their casualties b»foro the place only number 7500, and if the price bo doubled it will b« willingly paid. It is dreadful to road of boys being in the Russian firing lint, v it in a fiifln of tho determined nature of the dtfencc. There arc indication* that when driven out General Stocasol will mak« a final stand at Lnotishan, t>ho extreme point of the peninsula, south of tv« harbour. There, with his back to th« mountain of that n*nw, aud behind the WWt« Wolf HiH, he may hold out with th« remnant of hi* force for a little longer, but it looks (\a though it must b» bnt a tuwkas prolongation of the struggle. B* sides, if tha be#iegers can secure Golden Hill, the forte on tho Tiger's Tail («eo map) must fall, and then White Wolf Hill wouH apparently become untenable, lnt«rvi«w«d at Brisbane on tho 15th inst., Dr. Akisu, of fcho e.g. Yawatamaru, ju&t arrived from Yokohama, eaid that "Japan was no* in a hurr- to reduce Port Arthur. It was known in Japan Ynonths ago that when Port Arthur fails informa-

tion may bo received of a big Russian defeat at Liuoyang. These events would practically finish the fighting for this year, unless the Japanese squadron made a dash for Vladivcmtock, as in the event of General Kuropatkin being defeated he would retire lo Kharbin for the winter." Is Hewn of that "big Russian defeat" at Liaoyung" near at bund? It is probable, for a inetKMige juwt arrived states that the Japanese are attacking Liantinsan, and tlio whole Russian fronb from the Taitse River southwards is ■engaged. We cannot locate this place, and tn© cablo correspondent is so careful of his costly words that he rarely gives distance or bearing to help ns out. However, it would seem thut Kuropatkin's left wing is resting on tho Taibse River, north of Liaoyang, and fthafc hia fronh extends southwards for a distance not givon, but short of Haicheng. The RuNsians, then, have not commenced their retirement on Mukden, and it would appear that Kuroki has decided that .- c time has como to take the offensive. It may bo that Liantinsan in on tho Russian right, nnd a big turning movement v afoot, but since the whole Russian front is engaged, thero must be big developments. The British Government maintains its attitude of determined protest toward St. Petersburg, and all tne indications now point to a peaceful settlement of the matter*, in dwpute.

We did not need the reminder which 6overal members of Insfc Thursday's deputation to the Premier on tfee Bible-in-Schools question have supplied to us, that we did them nn injustice in saying there were no schoolmasters among them. We should have said that there were no State school-teachers among their spokesmen, and this was all that our argument required. Our contentior waa that the teachers' conscience clause is essentially a matter on which the voice of the teacher should be henrd, nnd though hia voice wns not heard on the deputation, we are glad to know that ho was there, nevertheless. Wo are also c'^id to learu that he will be heard, and effectively heard, before long, for the promoters of tho deputation are proposing to organise in a manner that will givo all professions and classes a better opportunity for public discussion than is afforded by a deputation to the Premier.