THE EASTERN CRISIS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 7872, 6 January 1904, Page 2

THE EASTERN CRISIS.

WAR PARTY DOMINATES RUS-L SIAN GOVERNMENT;

NO IMPROVEMENT IN PEACE PROSPECTS.

Received 5, 10.32 p.m. LONDON, January 5. The Standard says the feelujg at Tokio is that the war party dominates the Rti.ssian Government. There has been a great fall in Japanese stocks at Tokio, several brokers being ruined. The Times says the prospects of peace are not yet desperate, though 1 there is no real sigh of improvement. Admiral Alexieff's journey toSti Petersburg has been postponed until February. There is a slight decrease in the tension of the situation

It is senii-officially stated at St Petersburg that the Russian reply to Japan's Note will be neither " Yes. » nor »No •? ; jbnt will contain a reasoned proposal to the Japanese to declare Russian the recentlj- proposed neutral zone on the Korean frontier, as far .as Gensan and Piiengyang., j.Thisis wholly unacceptable* to Japan. Mr Balfour has conferred with Lords I/ansdowne and Selbdrne, and others of the Deience Committee.