PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 132, 1 December 1904, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Once more the fury of assault upon Port Arthur has died away, and Stoessel and the poor remains of his heroic garrison will have time to draw breath and make ready for the next ugly rush. The /besiegers have gained some distinct coigns of vamagc, but at apparently enormous cost in men, and that the attack could not be driven right home is made plain by the announcement of to-day that Nogi has stopped the general assault, and the sappers have resumed their slow but certain operations. What the net gains to the besiegers have been it is difficult to determine. It will be noted that the official report of General Nogi makes no mention of the capture of 203 Metre Hill fort, the position then being that he had captured the shelter trenches near the summit, and was "endeavouring to capture the whole fort." According to a despatch to hand this morning, it is unofficially reported at Tokio that the besiegers had hauled large" calibre guns to the top of 203 Metre Hill, the fiie from which was sweeping the harbour and throwing the already greatly crippled Russian warships into confusiop. If the fort has been captured it is strange that it has not been officially announced, and if it be not captured it is passing strange that the Japanese are sweeping the harbour with heavy guns mounted on the top of the hill. Then in another message it is said that a new lodgment opposite Pigeon Bay will have the effect of turning tho Russian position on the hill in question. Elsewhere the Japanese claim to have captured the entrenchments round Sungshushan, two additional north-east-ern forts, and about one-third of the West Keekwan line, besides inflicting heavy damage on Erlungshan by mine explosions. Another big mining operation is .afoot in a tunnel from the gorge below Fort Liaotishan, which after explosion the Japanese hope to successfully rush. Finally, they insist, that within twenty days the place must fall ; but Stoessel has made hay of previous confident pre'diclions, and we fancy he will survive the latest. Rennenkampf, the distinguished Cossack general, far from being dead, is very much alive, as the Japs on the Manchurian front have learned to their cost, 230 of their dead being the latest evidence of Cossack activity. The Japanese main army on the Shaho River seems to have devised snug winter quarters, and the men are described as being well clad and fed. While the fate of Port Arthur hangs in the balance they seem Hkely to remain undisturbed.