THE FAR EAST.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12638, 24 December 1903, Page 3

THE FAR EAST.

BRITISH RELIEF CREW. {Rccei\*ed December 23, 10.57 p.m.) LONDON, December 23. The cruiser King Alfred is conveying to China a new crew for the battleship Glory, the flagship on the station. WAR RISKS LONDON, December 22. The “Times” says there is some demaud for speculative insurances against the risk of a declaration of war within the month. Forty guineas per cent. Avas paid this morning, the underwriters to pay the total loss if war broke out within the month. Thirty guineas Avas accepted during the afternoon. JAPAN PREPARING. LONDON, December 22. Mr Bennet Burleigh, the “Daily Telegraph’s” special correspondent, states that Japan has notified that the fleet will require ail the dry docks. \ number of her vessels have already been docked for the cleaning of their bottoms. The Russian squadron at Chemulpho has returned to Port Arthur, except one cruiser. DEMAND FOR LEAD. SYDNEY, Wednesday. The Government have received from their commercial agent in Japan enquiries for 250 tons of lead at £lO 18s. a ton. LATEST REPORTS. (Recei\’ed December 23, 10.51 p.m.) LONDON, December 23. The “Daily Mail” states that Japan has taken OA’er from the Butterfield and Swires Company 25 steamers. Japanese Avarships are reported to be concentrating off Port Arthur. It is understood that Japan is asserting her position in Corea, and is taking over the construction of the Seoul-Fusan Railway.

Count Hayashi, Japanese Minister in London, in the course of an interview, said that peace or war was entirely dependent on the nature of Russia’s reply.

Count Hayashi is uniformly optimistic. and his pessimism now is significant.

The ‘‘Times’ ” Paris correspondent says that Russia is disposed to reconsider her note. The Berlin correspondent of that paper states that Russia is really feeling her way, in order to discover how much she may demand from Japan with any prospect of sue-

Advices from St. Petersburg are hopeful of a pacific issue.

It is stated at Odessa that the condition of the arsenals and stores at Port Arthur, Dalny, and Vladivostock will suffice for the conduct of a war

for a year. The “Chronicle” says that German military opinion is that in the event of war, unless allies assist Japan, she will be defeated, inasmuch as ultimately the conflict would become a 9 land war, to be decisive. Much anxiety is felt at Pekin. Chinese officials are discussing with the legations China’s best means of preserving neutrality. The “Standard” states that the Japanese Minister at Rome declares that the situation is not desperate. Japan has sent counter-proposals to Russia, in the hope of averting a rupture.

Other advices state that Great Britain and France have used their good offices at Tokio and St. Petersburg on behalf of peace.

The “New York Sun” states that Russia since August has steadily increased the exigency of her demands, trying to force Japan to go to war, and now refuses to discuss with America the integrity of China or equality of commercial opportunity as regards that empire, and- urges the subdivision of Corea into spheres of influence.

China has seized as Government property the Kaiping mines, on the ground that the Engineering and Mining Company claimed the right to sell Chingwangtoo, a winter post between Tientsin and Pekin, to Russia. The company claimed the right to sell Chingwangtoo to others, not to Russia. According to the “Standard,” a secret edict has been issued, ordering Yuanshikai to take possession of Chingwangtoo. The “Standard” says that the port was opened -voluntarily by China and does not belong to the Engineering and Mining Company. A Customs officer has been ordered to take over Chingwangtoo. This is no empty bluff; the order undoubtedly is inspired by Russia. The Chinese are prepared to countenance any illegality. Russia already is in possession of a survey of the port, and has taken a census of the neighbouring villages.