THE COMING WAR.

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 January 1904, Page 3

THE COMING WAR.

Russia Racking Down.

Rising in Korea Feared.

[nv electric telegraph.]

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPVRIGHT.]

London, Jan 18. The following are the movements of Russian vessels at Port Said. The steamer Saratoff bound for the Far East, is loading 4000 tons of coal. The torpedo flotilla is refitting. The transport Orch, with 1200 troops passed there for the Far East. The Oslibaya, at Suez is taking in 1500 tons of coal.

The French cruiser Sully has been detained owing to serious defects in her armauent.

Forty thousand tons of Belgian coal haa been shipped to the Far East. Prince Alexieff, in addressing the troops on New Year’s Day parade at Port Arthur, said that it was the Czar’s will that peace should be preseiwed.

Bennet Burleigh states that a rising at Phongyaug is imminent. The Korean soldiers are co-operating with the rebels.

The Times’ Tokio correspondent gives Herbert Spencer’s letter to Baron Kaneka in 1892, stipulating that it should not be published in his lifetime, in which be urges Japan to exclude and keep foreigners at arm’s length. The Times says that the letter is a shock to some of Spencer’s disciples. The Standard’s Tokio correspondent says that Russian assurances regarding the Powers’ treaty rights in Manchuria exclude the establishment of foreign settlements or anything prejndical to Russia’s future relations with Manchuria.

Various Russian correspondents of The Times report that there is a feeling in favor of peace since it became known to some few that a special assembly of Ministers under the Czar’s Presidency is decidedly of the opinion that war should in every case be avoided.

There are no doubts that Balfour’s recent speech influenced the decision. It is reported that Russia is withdrawing her pretensions to Korea, is opening the ports in Manchuria, and will not insist on the retention of Port Arthur as a stronghold. The Emperor Joseph is optimistic in regard to peace. Cheshire, who was Secretary to the American Legation during the Boxertroubles, has been selected as ConsulGeneral at Mukden.

Davidson, Consul at Tamsni, has been transferred,to Antmig.

E. Morgan, a New York millionaire, goes nominally to Dalny, but really acts as a roving commercial agent, The Russian volunteer cruisers Vladimir and Smolensk have been requisitioned. The Smolensk is a 20 knot vessel.

The Ministers of finance and the Interior at Seoul have been replaced by pro-Japanese. Received at 8.4 G a.ra. this day.

J. M’L-ary Brown, Commissioner of Customs for Korea, locked up Korean field gnus in the Custom House on the pretence that they require repairs. Many Japanese spies have been arrested in Manchuria. It is feared that they would destroy the Siberian railway.

The Russian squadron has abandoned the chase of the Kishm and Kasnga owing to the break-down of the destroyers. Four Russians were shipped aboard tbo Kish in at Genoa as Italians, but wore discovered and put ashore. Thibetan Expedition.

Four thousand Thibetans are assembled forty miles from Juna, and hostilities arc possible.