OUTBREAK OF THE RUSSOJAPANESE WAR.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2788, 11 October 1910, Page 7

OUTBREAK OF THE RUSSOJAPANESE WAR.

Russia's failure to carry out the Manchurian Convention, by which she had agreed to evacuate Manchuria by April, 1903, was considered a breach of faith by the Japanese, and the establishment of military posts in Korea, ostensibly for the purpose of protecting, the railway together with the growing influence exerted by Russia in Korean affairs, led to lengthy negotiations between the two Powers. Failing to obtain satisfactory assurances, the Japanese Government at Tokio announced, on February 6, 1904, through their Minister at St. Petersburg, the breaking off of diplomatic relations with Russia, and the Mikado issued an Imperial Rescript declaring war. Hostilities began .with a torpedo attack on Port Arthur on February 8, and in a sortie on, April 13 the Russian battleship "Petropavlosk" struck a mine and foundered, Admiral Makharoff, the famous Russian artist Verestchagin, and 700 officers and men going down with her. The first land engagement took place at Pingyang, and was followed by the battles of Yalu, Liao-Yang, and Sha-ho. From the first the Japanese, under General Nogi, had pressed forward the investment of Port Arthur. By November most of the outer defences were captured, and on New Year's Day, 1905, after a siege lasting seven months, General Stoessel surrendered the fortress, the Japanese securing 41,641 prisoners (over 15,000 of whom were sick or wounded) and 528 guns, together with a quantity of ammunition, and several battleships, cruisers, and gunboats which had been sunk in the harbour. Marshal Oyama then began an attack on Mukden, which had been made the headquarters of the Russian army, and the battle which followed is accounted one of the greatest of modern times, and certainly the biggest of the campaign. After a struggle lasting eleven days the Russians began to retreat, and three days later—March 10—the victorious Japs entered the capital of Manchuria. In thin battle the Russians lost 30,000 killed, 100,000 wounded, and 50,000 prisoners, while the Japanese casualties amounted to 52,500 killed and wounded. Admiral Togo had meanwhile been gaining victories at sea, and when, on May 28, he practically annihilated the second Russian fleet under Admiral Rojdestvansky, at the battle of Tsu-Shima, generally acknowledged the greatest naval engagement since Trafalgar, the way was prepared for peace, which was declared on August 29, 1905. By the conditions of the Treaty, which was signed at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.A., on September 5, Russia agreed to evacuate Manchuria, to cede to Japan the southern half of Saghalien, and to leave the LiaoTung Peninsula in the possession of the Japanese.