THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST.

Evening Star, Issue 12418, 3 February 1905, Page 6

THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST.

RUSSIA’S DEFEAT. AFFECTS HER WHOLE OPERATIONS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. THE MIKADO’S THANKS. LONDON, February 2. The Mikado, through Field-marshal Oyama, has thanked the troops for defeating a superior force iu the recent battle. KUEOPATKIN’S CLAIMS. JAPAN’S FACTS. LONDON, February 2. General Knropatkin claims that the Hussion artillery set fire to San-de-pu, and that they repulsed on Monday four attacks on the front, though the Russians had finally retired. The ‘Daily Moil’s’ Toldo correspondent reports that the Japanese captured 1,600 prisoners and much spoil. One Japanese division had thirty-seven officers and 2,500 men rendered hors de combat. Three - thousand five hundred Russian wounded have arrived at Mukden, many of whom were frostbitten. WHAT THE DEFEAT MEANS. LONDON, February 2. (Received February 3, at 8.32 a.m.) The Japanese seizure of important outpost positions on Knropatldn’s right renders it necessary for him to alter the entire dispositions of the Russian Army. LETTING THE ARMY KNOW. LONDON, February 2. (Received February 3, at 8.32 ajn.) The Japanese, through Chinese merchants, are circulating accounts of the events which occurred at St. Petersburg on the 22nd through the Russian forces, who are much discouraged. JAPAN’S PERFECT PROVISION. HOW THE MEDICAL STAFF MANAGED. LISTS OF SICK AND RECOVERED. LONDON, February 2. (Received February 3, at 8.29 a.m.) The Japanese medical and surgical statistics indicate an astonishingly low rate of mortality in General Qku’a army. Between May and December, 21,642 men were treated for disease, of whom 18,578 recovered, 455 died, and 5,609 were sent to Japan. These figures are unequalled in the history of warfare.’ For the same period 210 ol Oku’s officers and 4,917 men were killed, and 743 officers and 20,337 men wounded. ■ Sixteen per -wit. of the wounded died. BLOCKADE RUNNERS. BAD TIMES AHEAD. LONDON, February 2. The Japanese have captured the Austrian collier Siam, bound for Vladivostoek. The British underwriters have already lost £650,000. There are twenty-eight more vessels liable to capture. LAST DAYS AT PORT ARTHUR. BELATED NEWS. FREMANTLE, February 3. (Received February 3, at 10.40 a.m.) The Ortona’s files give some interesting account of the final scene at Port Arthur. General Slocssol sent, under a flag of truce, & message stating that he considered further resistance’ useless, and asking General Nogi to appoint Commissioners to meet A conference took place in a little Chinese hamlet called Suessi, two miles from Port Arthur. General Ijichi and Colonel Reiss deliberated in the compound, where there was a tiny thatched cottage. Three times the parlementaires separated and went to their respective tents before the document was ready for despatch to General Stoessel The conference was a long one, but there was no parade of formality beyond the posting d a single sentry near the entrance of the compound.

A strange stillness reigned along the belligerent lines, broken by an occasional detonation, telling of the destruction of tlis fleet in the harbor.

Finally, when dusk set in, Stoessel signed the document and telegraphed to inform his Imperial master of the course he had been forced to take.

The conference broke up after the envoys from both, sides had dined together. The final success was not quickly realised by the Japs, and for a while nothing seemed to interfere with the usual routine. The feeling was one of relief rather than of exultation, but when a telephone message informed the investing army that their task was accomplished this almost weird selfcontrol in a measure relaxed, and “banzais” echoed from the camp. Benzol lights Han d on the captured ridges and lit up the night, while bivouac fires for tho first time were allowed to blaze up, there being no need for concealment of their positions. Many Russian soldiers c.-ira? out of the fortress and joined the Japanese at thencamp fires, and exchanged vodka for sake.