THE WAR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12700, 8 March 1904, Page 3

THE WAR.

RUSSIA & JAPAN.

TWO BOMBABDMENTS. PORT ARTHUR. ((Received March 7, 11.16 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. The “New York Herald” states that Port Arthur was bombarded at intervals on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. At midnight on Wednesday the forts sighted many lights approaching the entrance of the harbour, and fired upon them for an hour before they were discovered tq be a Japanese ruse to induce a waste of ammunition. They were merely ’lamps attached to masts fixed on lo.mber rafts. BOMBARDMENT OF YLADIVOSTOCK. [Received March 7, 9.57 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. Russian official reports referring to It he attack on Vladivostok state that five battleships, two cruisers, and four torpedo destroyers, including the Idzuinna and Yakumo, covered by the ice and using Askold Island as a base, opened fire opposite the Patroclas and Sobol bays, five miles from the shore, where the Russian shore batteries were unable to reply. The Japanese fired two hundred shells from 6 and 12 inch guns, aiming at the fort and shore batteries and the town. Most of the shells failed to explode, though charged with lyddite. The Russians estimate that this resultless attack cost Japan 200,000 roubles. The messages add that the population is tranquil.

NIUGHWANG. (Received March 7, 9.57 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. Though the Russians will not defend Niuchwang a large force qf cavalry will return before the river is opened for traffic and will maintain patrols between the main railway and the sea. BUBSIA AND GERMANY. (Received March 7, 9.57 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. M. Plehvc, the Russian Minister of the Interior, on being interviewed, said that Russia was delighted to find that Germany was sympathetic, and hoped the war would strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries.

CAMPAIGN IN COREA. (Received March 7, 11.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. The Russians are fortifying Antung. They arc withdrawing from Seoul and Anju towards Kasan, and are constructing miles of fortifications along the Yalu river. The general staff are confident that the Japanese landed only 60,000 troops in Corea, owing to the bad condition of their transports. (Received March 8, 0.11 a.m.)

The “Daily Mail’s” correspondent at Ping-Yang says that the thaws have broken up the roads, rendering the Chinampho-Ping-yang district impassable aqd greatly impeding the Japanese, fie states that the Coreans generally favour the Japanese, who are paying full value for goods requisitioned, the Russians paying two-thirds only. Cossack scouts report that 2500 Japanese troops landed at Plaksin Bay (south of Cape Boltin) on the 19th and reached a snow-blocked defile in the Corea-Manchuria mountains, where avalanches compelled a halt. Onethird of the strength was invalided. It is believed that a detachment returned to Plaksin Bay to try to discover a more practicable route to Manchuria.

The Russians are . reinforcing the garrison of Hunchun, on the Tumen river route, between Corea and Manchuria. IRREGULARS ENROLLED. (Received March 7, 11.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. Admiral Alexieff has authorised the enrolment of several thousands of irregulars at Vladivostock, largely recruited from former military officers, landowners and students. They will be employed in scouting and in accompanying the flying columns.

NEUTRALITY OP CHINA, (Received March 7, 11.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. The “Times'” Pekin correspondent says that Russia declines to respect the neutrality of a strip between the Great Wall and the Liau river restored to China in 1902. Russia has stationed two military posts there, and bodies of cavalry are patrolling the Great Wall drawing supplies of cattle and forage.

GENERAL ITEMS. LONDON, March 6. The Russians are hurriedly putting the fortress at Sveaborg, Finland, in readiness for war. The wooden houses in the vicinity and the barracks have been removed. Major-General Gilinski has been appointed Chief of Staff to Admiral Alexieff, but he will really he intermediary between Admiral Alexietf ami General Kuropatkin, whose professional jealousy is intense.

The “Standard’s” Tientsin correspondent says that there will undoubtedly at an eqrly date be decisive operations between Xiuchwang and Haicheng.

The Russians at Singmin-lin (east of Mnkden) are sorely harassing the people for supplies, and are impressing na tive merchants at Niuchwang as com mon labourers. There are indications that in the event of a Rusian defeat the whole country will rise in revenge. The Russian Red Cross Society propose to collect a reserve of 540,000 quintals of wheat, or six months’ supply, in the north western part of the theatre of war.

The Japanese elections resulted in the return to the Diet of a largely increased number of non-party members, who are a great improvement on their immediate predecessors. This is due to a revival of public interest in national affairs caused by the war. China has purchased two batteries of Krupp field guns.

ROTTENNESS OF RUSSIA. A Finnish gentleman whose people were formerly connected with the governing class of Finland, and who have had to leave their homes at great selfsacrifice rather than submit to the Russian oppression of their country, has taken up his residence near Christchurch. From motives of policy the gentleman felt obliged to with hold his name from publication, as if some of the statements made by him reached the authorities in Russia it would probably g® hard with several members of his family still in Finland, and his own interests in that country might also suffer. To a representative of the "Press” he gave some instructive and entertaining particulars of the state of Russia, which are especially interesting at this moment. He is firmly convinced that the present war was from the first provoked by Russia, who tried to play her usual game of bluff, never believing that the Japanese would fight, and she played it a Mttio too far. Only an actual war was needed to show what a state of rottenness the affairs of Russia are in. He adds; "If they say that they have provisions (or ten years I will guarantee that the provisions will not last ten weeks. The