THE WAR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12729, 12 April 1904, Page 3

THE WAR.

RUSSIA & JAPAN. LATEST NEWS. A SKIRMISH. (Received April 12. 0.59 a.m.) LONDON', April 11. Advices from Yingkow state that a number of Japanese crossed the Yalu, and had a skirmish with Russians eastward of Tatungkan.

RUSSIAN WOUNDED. (Received April 12, 0.59 a.m.) LONDON, April 11. Reports from Mukden received at Tientsin state that two trains passed conveying to Harbin many Russians who had been wounded in an engagement on the Yalu river. RUSSIAN WARSHIPS. (Received April 11, 11.7 p.m.) LONDON, April 11. Admiral Wirenius’ division has arrived at Cherbourg,' and sailed for the Baltic. PORT ARTHUR.

(Received April 11, 11.7 p.m.) LONDON, April 11. Admiral Makaroff frustrated a fresh attempt to surprise Port Arthur. The Japanese vessels withdrew when searchlights disclosed their approach. REINFORCEMENTS FOR NIUCHWANG. (Received April 11, 11 37 p.m.) LONDON, April 11. Two thousand Russian artillery, with sixty guns, arrived at Niuchwang or. Thursday, GENERAL ITEMS. LONDON, April 10. Reuter’s agency at St. Petersburg reports that though General Kuropatkin’s first line of defence is near Feng-hwang-cheng, the Russians will hold Antung or Shabotze, commanding the Pekin road, as long as possible. The Yalu is a thousand yards wide at Yongampho. Russian sharpshooters occupy the river islands.

Admiral Uriu did not reply to the protests of the commanders of the Variag and Coreetz, as the Russians fought outside Chemulpho harbour. HEWS BY MAIL. AUCKLAND, Monday. The mail steamer Sonoma, which arrived from San Francisco this morning, brings the following items of news regarding the war: — A series of messages dated between March 10th and 17th, sent by a correspondent of the London “Daily Mail” at China/npho, Corea, describes the perfect organisation of the Japanese in Corea. Elaborate preparations have been made for landing troops and advancing them through the country. Pontoon bridges and stables are built wherever they are found to be necessary. The greatest difficulty facing the Japanese is the commissariat, as, owing to the poor food supplies of Corea, it is only possible at present to maintain 90,000 men. The Japanese hold two enormously strong positions at Ping-yang and on the Miakak-san range, between Hwaiug-ju and Seoul. The latter, the correspondent says, is practically impregnable, and secure from land attacks from the north-west. In the event of defeat it Is intended to hold the passes at Kazam, thus protecting the Ping-yang valley. The Japanese troops are suffering from dysentry and pneumonia, and many of the cavalry horses, which the correspondent says are poor, have died; but the army is full of spirit. There probably are 20,000 Japanese at Ping-yang, which the correspondent posits out might easily have been taken when the Russian scouts first arrived, there being then only 250 Japanese soldiers. The Russians intended to make Anju their base, but owing to the delay in the arrival of reinforcements they were afraid they would be cut off, and so retired. Meanwhile the Japanese advanced to Ping-yang by forced marches, the troops being almost without equipment.

The Washington correspondent of the London “Morning Post” says that Russia is continuing her efforts to induce the United States to agree to the neutralisation of Niuchwang and the west coast of the Liaotung peninsula, so as to prevent the Japanese from using those places as bases for the invasion of Manchuria. The United States firmly declines to accede to the proposal. She has informed Russia that she regards Niuchwang as being as much within the zone of hostilities as Port Arthur, She has also refused the Russian request that she should withdraw her consol from Niuchwang. at least not until his life is considered to be in danger.

Vice Admiral Togo’s activity at Port Arthur is being emulated by the commander of the Japanese forces in Corea. A report by General Mistchenkow shows that the Japanese have taken the precaution to erect earthworks near Anju, which are being held by a Japanese division until the remainder of the First Army Corps comes in from Pingyang, about forty miles away. The advance of the Japanese shows that they are losing no time. They are more rapid than the Russians expected. Nevertheless the fortifications of Anju show that the Japanese operations are accompanied by all proper military precautions. So far as the Russians are concerned they have no intention of attacking Anju, but- 5000 to 6000 cavalrymen under General Mistchenkow wi»l be used to harass and retard the Japanese in everv way possible. The authorities at St. Petersburg believe that very soon active land operations will begin. At first these will take the form of skirmishes, as the main Russian force remains in occupation of strategic points on the Yalu river.

A despatch to the London “Daily Telegraph” from Chinampho, Corea, dated March 13th, says that four American miners have arrived there from Unsan after a week’s journey. They state that the Russian troops are massed on the Yalu river with 150 field guns. Their scouts have extended southward, and are constantly skirmishing with Japanese outposts north of Anju.

News from the seat of war is contradictory, and extremely unsatisfactory. Japan, it is believed, is following the policy adopted during the Chinese-Japanese War, and concealing her losses. There have been evidences that a number of Japanese vessels were more or less severely injured during attacks on Port Arthur, but the Government have made no acknowledgment of such damage, and the Japanese people of all classes are too loyal to admit anything which might reflect upon their Government. Their patriotism is a lesson to other nations, and they are protesting that every man, woman, and child in Japan is willing to die for the cause before them. There are rumours afloat that China is not strictly regarding her promise of neutrality, and it is reported from Tientsin that M. Lessar, the Russian Minister at Pekin, has twice protested to the Board of Foreign Affairs against the sending of Chinese troops beyond the Great Wall, and threatened that at the first hostile movement of Chinese troops the Russians would march to Pekin. All sorts of curious reports are sent out from St. Petersburg. A “New York Journal,” despatch from Pans states that cunning Ministers keep the Czar surrounded with a parapet of details so as to prevent his obtaining a mastery of larger questions affecting Russian policy. “One Who Knows asserts that the Czar is a kindly, saddened, overworked and unhappy man. Another correspondent at St. Petersburg says: “The Czar and Czarina are reduced to a deplorable state of mind by the war. The Czar is constantly praying with Father John of Cronstodt,

and' sending propitiatory offerings in all directions to famous shrines. The Czar’s condition is causing grave anxiety, as it feared that ms mind jnay give way. He upbraids his Min-

[PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.

isters unceasingly, although the present stale of affairs is really due to his listening to evil counsels. His secretary, Bcsabrasoff, is a tool of the Grand Ducal party, and, with other high functionaries, hopes to reap a golden harvest out of the war. The Czarina practically remains in her apartments, going from one paroxysm of grief to another. She has become oppressed with the conviction that all Russia’s calamities are due to her interested abandonment of her Protestant faith in order that she might be married to the Czar. She is thoroughly morbid.”

There are also highly - coloured reports of corruption among officials, some of these even going to the extent ot asserting that sacks sent to Port Arthur and supposed to contain sugar u en crushed bricks, and that enormous frauds have been practised with regard to coal and all other supplies. Distressing stories are also told of sickness and suffering among great bodies of Russian troops which are being hurried to Manchuria. A special message to the “Daily Express” from Nagasaki, says that the statement is permitted by the censorship that the Japanese War Office has now completed all the details for the movement of the main columns for the invasion of Manchuria. A great force has been massed, it is said* for the advance upon. Harbin, starting from the mouth of the Tumen river, below Possiet Bay. A heavy column is also concentrated north of Ping-yang for an offensive movement against the line on the Yalu river. The foremost Japanese force in Northern Corea occupies the front from Anju towards Miodonsan, some fiftv miles south of the Yalu.

Russian reinforcements are believed to be constantly arriving at Harbin. Some 5000 men are delivered daily by the Siberian Railway.

The London “Times” prominently publishes an opinion of a correspondent tha' Japan will land her main army at Niuchwang, and that she also probably will seize Haicheng (fifteen miles eastward, and on the railway) as an additional base and without seriously attacking either Port Arthur or Vladivostoek. The war will be fought out on the plains of Central Manchuria. It is almost certain, in the correspondent’s opinion, that the war will be a long one, and that at the worst Japan will retain a way to retreat overland in Corea. If she secures Niuchwang, he says, her prestige will be established, and he adds that the waterways of southern Manchuria will be of inestimable value in somewhat counterbalancing the weakness of Japan in her cavalry.

BERLIN, March 23. The semi-official “Post” to-night published a communication from a wellknown diplomatist in Paris, who states that in the French capital a very pessimistic view is taken of the tension which has undoubtedly set in between Russia and China, and adds that the fears regarding the attitude of China toward the war seem to be approaching realisation. Despatches have been received at the Quai D’Orsai from Pekin, stating that the Chines© Gov-, eminent still deny that they have any intention of abandoning their attitude of neutrality, but everything goes to show that they are really only waiting for a favourable opportunity to take part in the hostilities. The Russian Government have received similar reports from their Minister in Pekin, and are taking measures in consequence. In the last day or two an exchange of views of an exhaustive character has taken place between the French and Russian Governments as to China’s intervention in the war, hut no decision has yet been reached as to the lines of action to be adopted by France in this eventuality. The answer of the Chinese Government to the threatening despatches sent in by Russia is awaited with anxiety. In view of the relations which the “Post” maintains with the Foreign Office here, a statement of this kind in its columns is important.

CABLEGRAMS.