THE WAR IN THE EAST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12544, 11 April 1904, Page 5

THE WAR IN THE EAST.

RETORTED RUSSIAN REVERSE

A RUSSIAN REVERSE.

SERIOUS LOSSES. London, April 8. Unofficial advices received from St. Petersburg indicate that the Russians have met with a reverse at the Yalu River, a brigade having sustained serious losses. PORT ARTHUR. THE JAPANESE CASUALTIES. (.Received April 10, 0.3 a.m.) London, April 9. An official report published at Tokio states that in the various attacks on Port Arthur the Japanese lost fourteen killed, and nine died of their wounds. Of ninety-one others wounded forty have already recovered. The Daily Chronicle's Tokio correspondent reports that a moat has been constructed four miles long, and covered and protected with barbed wire, two miles north of Port Arthur.

THE RUSSIAN WOUNDED. (Received April 10, 9.3 a.m.) London, April 9. The Standard states that the Empress of Japan has presented the Russians wounded in the Chernulpho \ fight with artificial eyes and limbs. THE MEDICAL CORPS. (Bceeircd April 10, 0.3 a.m.) London, April 9. Japan has engaged two hundred Canadians to serve with the medical and bearer corps. They served similarly in the South African war. NAVAL RESERVISTS. London, April 8. Tho Russian naval reservists at Sebastopol, in Southern Russia, are mobilising. FOREIGN OPINIONS ON THE CONFLICT. .

Precisely as -was expected in the bestinformed naval circles of Europe, the Japanese have begun the war with remarkable dash and enterprise. They have known where to strike, and how to strike quickly.—Evening Post. Now York. Official Russia represents no one, not oven the Russian people, whose noblest eons it persecutes and banishes to .Siberia. .Japan, at least, has bo Siberian hinterland whither her thinkers' aid poets are sent to rot and despair.— Vienna. The arm of Russia is paralysed to an extent which prevents it from striking a blow in Europe. The flint fiddle in the European concert, which has hitherto unquestionably' been played by Russia, will now puss to the German Empire.-—Kocluische Voikszeitung, Berlin. The threads in the Far East are now controlled by the Americans, who for some time past have looked upon the Pacific as their proper!v. ami on themselves as an Asiatic Power. Wo must not overlook for one moment, the fact that behind Japan stands the United States.—Herald, New York. China may awaken later on, but Japan, peopled by a warlike race, is even now proving her spirit of conquest and the strength of her organisation. The marvellous progress achieved by the Japanese during the pa's! SO years has startled (he world ; today they are frightening the rest, of all mankind, Everything may lie expected from their audacity and the grandeur of their ambition.—Le Petit Parisien. There is no intention of maintaining that people in England have now .suddenly learned to love the Germans. Rut interest is the most effective proselyliscr in political affairs, and the events which are now taking place in the world have come to the aid of German diplomacy in gradually endeavouring to bring about a change of feeling. The complications in the Far East render it desirable for England to maintain good relations with Germany.—National Zeilung, Berlin. The losses suffered decide nothing, for the struggle will have to be fought on land. The Japanese, with their numerical superiority in Oorea, will, of course, at first compel the Russians to net entirely on die defensive, but as soon as the Russian forces in Oorea and Southern Manchuria have concentrated the beginning of the end will be at hand, and the Japanese will have to pay dearly for their treacherous attack, which was in complete accord with the Asiatic character. —Novoye Vremya, St. Petersburg. The financial position is bad on both sides, bid Julian if) quite close to her basis of operations, and, above all, she. is hopeful and firm. Russia, on the other baud, is in the hands of a man of good intentions, but weak, hesitating, irresolute, an easy prey to the intrigues of iutlne.utinl war ami business interests. There is laid bare the ghastly contrast between the absolute power of the Tsar in theory and bin helplessness in reality. Thus he is exposed to the worst. What would happen were revolution to break out in the back of the army?—M. Clemeuceau, in L'Aurore, Paris.

THE WAR AND THE FISHING INDUSTRY. The war in (he Far East will, for the time being, totally upset the great fishing industry which is carried on in Oorean waters and on the coast of Eastern Siberia. These water? abound with fish of all kinds, and are becoming an increasing source of profit I" both Russia and Japan. The seasou of 1903 was good in all parts. One firm alone sent 20,160,0001b to Hamburg, and 6/80.00011) was scut by another firm to the. Japanese Government,- In 10 weeks of 1903 the Kaiserltng Whaling Company killed 80 whales along the Corean coast. There i* at all times a bitter rivalry between the Russian :u;d Japanese fishermen. It has been laid lown that all labourers working in the Ruslian fisheries must he Russian subjects. All the vessels employed must sail under the lussian flag and have Russian crews. Severe lenalties are imposed on any Japanese found fishing in Russian waters, and v Jap is not illowed to sell fish to a Russian under any .onditious. The total number of Japanese

THE FIGHTING AT PORT ARTHUR. JAPANESE CASUALTIES. i , ■ ■ ■ | It is reported that serious fighting has taken place between the Russian and Japanese forces at the Ynlu River, and that a Russian brigade' has sustained heavy losses. The report, however, is unofficial, and lacks confirmation. During the various engagements at Port Arthur the Japanese lost 23 killed, and 91 were wounded. Of the latter 40 have recovered. The naval reservists at £ebastopol are mobilising. By Telegraph.— 4laooiation,—-Copyright,

fishing vessels plying their trade in Japanese waters is 4077, and they employ 22,212 men. Their sunnnci catch offish averages 1,874,000 yen (about: £1,86,000) in value. As a rule, the Japanese care little about Russia's severe restrictions, because on the average they catch three times as many ash as the Russians. EDUCATION OF JAPANESE NAVAL OFFICERS. At the Royal United Service Institution, London, recently. Lieutenant-Commander Kalo, of the Imperial Japanese Navy, gave an address on the education of the Japanese naval officers, and as Admiral Kir E. Fremautle tersely remarked when introducing the lieutenant-commander, that subject is one which has made history quite recently. Education in Japan is ' everything, Lieutenant-Commander Kato says that so severe are tie tests that out of 1995 applicants to enter the navul college at Yetajima last year, the actual number selected was only 160. 'this is a revelation of efficiency, and indicates the quality of the men who are winning Japan's naval battles. Once a, cadet enters the college he is not allowed to change his mind. The Government pays for the whole course of his maintenance and education, and the State cannot afford to have negative results either by his withdrawal or by his continuing inefficient. Here/ore, as the course of three years proceeds, the weeding out process is unabated. The incompetent go by the board first, and they are followed by the lazy and negligent, after a due warning to each. Filially, likely failures are "cast" on the very eve of the final examination. This is the reason why Japanese naval officers seldom fail in the tight. They are the- elite. The subjects in the college course would stagger a European crammer. hi addition to a sound general education, the future naval officer has to bo something of a soldier, and must. learn English as a second language. French, Gorman, and Russian may be taken optionally, and frequently all 'three are studied, as the marks are allowed to count. A student must know Macanlay's Essays among other things. 'the professional examination embraces every thing from making a Knot to building a warship. Physical exorcise includes battery drill, boat drill, swimming, wrestling (called judo), fencing, and infantry movements. Having left the college as a "middy/' the student continues his quest of knowledge on the battleship, and when made a " sub" his practical fitness to remain on the quarterdeck is certified by his captain in a report, which is required to prove thai he is diligent, quick to grasp facts, learned in naval essentials, tvpes of ships, forts, and strategy. Finally, the "sub" writes an essay, mi all of these ate Issued in a book for the edification of the service. It would seem, therefore, that no man can afford to be a fool in the Japanese navy. Higher education at the Tokio College is the narrow gale which efficiency alone can enter. Not only naval but military strategy and tactics must be learned, international laws mastered, also diplomatic history, military administration, formications, shore surveying, and shipbuilding. Filially there is n. «pecia! course lor senior officers, and one of the subjects if. the discussion of new weapons and latest inventions, so that these who command may keep abreast with all that the civilised world j<s doing or proposing to do in naval matters.

WAR ITEMS. _ A small industrious body of British officers are at Tokio, engaged in the "study of the Japanese language." Arrangements for their despatch and reception hod been concluded before the war broke out. Obviously, with Japan for our allv, it was necessary that British officers should be cognisant of her language, since at any time they might, be called upon to serve side by side with their new allies in tho field. They ere now taking advantage of their presence to watch and to gather ideas from the Japanese arrangements for mobilisation mid transport of troops. The officers will remain two rears. Danish butter-exporting firms have been telegraphically warned by their agents in Siberia tc cease their consignments owing to excessive risk. * ' The Russian Minister of the Interior has established an information bureau at the Ministry for_ be purpose of supplying war news to foreign newspaper correspondent*. Tho St. Petersburg correspondent of Renter's Agency stales thai reports published, in certain foreign newspapers to the effect that the Tsar is in ill-health are devoid of founion. The German Emperors broad and disinterested viewH, before and since the war began, are. says Router's Tokio correspondent, creating a favourable impression there, and tending to remove existing prejudices against him. Statistics have been published in France showing tkoi. of every £100 deposited with the Bank of France some £16 consist of Russian securities.