THE WAR IN THE EAST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12545, 12 April 1904, Page 5

THE WAR IN THE EAST.

ATTEMPT TO SURPRISE PORT ARTHUR.

FRUSTRATED BY THE DEFENDERS- _ — FIGHTING IN THE YALU DISTRICT, RUSSIAN WOUNDED TAKEN TO HARBIN. An* attempt to surprise Port Arthur has been frustrated, the Russian searchlights revealing the approach of the Japanese fleet. . Russian reinforcements have arrived at Niuchwang. Some serious fighting has occurred in the neighbourhood of the Yalu River. Two trains carrying Russian wounded have been seen on their way to Harbin. nBy Xflfg' jiph— Preis a iioeiatlon Copyright.

OPERATIONS ON LAND. A SKIRMISH. WOUNDED TAKEN TO HARBIN. RUSSIAN FIRST LINE OP DEFENCE. (Reeslred April 12, 13.53 *.m.) London, April 11. Reports from Mukden received si Tientsin state that two trains have passed conveying to Harbin many Russians wounded in an engagement on the Yalu. Advices from Yingkow state that a number of Japanese crossed the Yalu and had a skirmish with the Russians eastwards of Tatuagkan. (Received April 11, 11.ST p.m.) London*, April 11. Two thousand Russian artillery, with 60 guns, arrived at Niuchwang on Thursday. London, April 10. Ranter's Agency at St. Petersburg reports that though General Kurop&tkin's first line of defence is near Fengkuaneheng, in Southern Manchuria, the Russians will hold A lining or Shabotze, commanding the Pekin road, as long as possible. The Yalu is a thousand yards wide at Yongampho. The Russian sharpshooters occupy the river islands.

officet in command at Tokio, within two days of llio society's being in a position to build it. During the Chinese war the principles of the Japanese nurses wore severely tried; but, in spite of the reported tortures applied by Chinese to their Japanese prisoners and wounded, there was no single record of retaliation, and the Japanese hospitals received an tended the Chinese prisoners in strict obedience to the Geneva Convention. The same attitude is being maintained in the present campaign, in which the Russian wounded are now being cared for in the Japanese hospitals. The Red Cross Society has multiplied exceedingly, and its branches are well spread; and floating hospitals have been inaugurated that should be of special service in this war.

SEEDS OF REVOLUTION. It stated that if Russia be involved in a long war in Asia it is regarded as possible that Siberia will demand self-government as the price of loyalty in the strife, and that China, Bulgaria, and Armenia will take the opportunity to act. decisively. But within Russia herself there are grave dangers. Trouble may be apprehended from the following sections of the population for the reasons shown:—The Poles, conquered rece ; the Finns, conquered race; the Jews, oppressed; student cluks, denied fiee speech; peasantry, ruled with the rod; educated classes, watched and distrusted. Lastly, there is threatened starvation in the townships adjacent to the Siberian railway, owing to trade and traffic being suspended for military railway transportation. RUSSIAN CORRUPTION. Russia is proverbially corrupt". Will it ba found when the day of trial comes that her battalions ore non-existent, her staff lacking everything a staff should have, and hor knowledge little more than ignorance? It may bo so. If a fourth of the stories one hears of Hussion dishonesty, Russian cupidity, and Russian unscrupulousness be true, it will be so. There is no test of a nation's truth like the test of war.—Shanghai Mercury.

PORT ARTHUR. ATTEMPTED SUPRISE FRUSTRATED. (Beoelred April 11, 11.7 p.m.) Lon*don t , April 11. Admiral Makaroff frustrated n fresh attempt by tlio Japanese to surprise Port Arthur. The Japanese vessels withdrew, the Russian searchlight disclosing their approach. THE CHEMULPHO FIGHT. London, April 11. Admiral Urius did not reply to the protests of the British, Italian, and French commandm's regarding the attack on the Varyng and Coreetz in a neutral port, as the Russians fought outside Chcmulpho Harbour. THE RUSSIAN FLEET. (lUcelfcil April 11, 11.7 p.m.) London, April 11. Admiral Wirenius' division arrived at Cherbourg, and sailed for the Baltic. THE COST OF A WAR,

WAII ITEMS. After a meeting held in Vienna on ihe subject of the Russo-Japanese war, 2000 persons, the majority being students, marched in procession to the Russian Embassy shouting "Down with Tsaiisin." Hubsctjueiitly there was an encounter with the police, 10 persons being arrested. Ikons, tea, sugar, and. tobacco are given in groat quantities to the departing Russian soldiers, while, as the trains stcrt off, the peasants throw odd bits of wearirg apparel into the carriages. In older to avoid any possible trouble hot ween the troops forming the guards at the Japanese and Russian Legations in Pekin their respective commanders have agreed not to allow their men out- on leave on. the tame days. AiiNtro-irungamn popular sympathy is undoubtedly on the side of the Japanese, in spite of the strictly correct attitude of the Government. The hatred for it us •, manifested in conversation is sometimes extraordiaaiy among all classes. One result of the war, says the Industrial World, of St. Petersburg, is the restriction of banking business and the raising of discount and interest rates, which threaten great damage to commerce and industry. The Russophile demonstrations in France, Italy, and the Slav countries have made a deep impression in Russia. The Novoye Vreniya even augurs from them the eventual formation of new political combinations that may affect the destinies of Egypt, South Africa, and Afghanistan. The Russian Poles inscribed at the University of Lemberg (Austrian Poland) have sent the following telegram to the Japanese Minister in Vienna: —"Long live Japan, and may she make it hot for the Muscovite 1"

What will the war cost? Russia's army on a war footing accounts for £1,120,000 a day. Her peace expenditure on her navy is eight millions a year, which sum may bo multiplied indefinitely for war time. Tho sum mentioned for the army refers, of course, to mere maintenance, and is liable to infinite extension. War prices and peace rates are as different as famine ami plenty. In the Crimea food rose from 10 to 25 timor ilfc normal into; fodder was up to 16| times ordinary price; milk, grain, and wood, five to niue times; transport was from live ft seven and a-ha If time? its ordinary rale. Possibles cost can bo ostimaled only from past experience, 'the Boer wai was a trivial matter in comparison with some. The United Stales incurred ai1,C00,000,000 direst outlay over bet Civil win. oi about 10 limns as much an would have paid 4)30 per head for every slave freed. The Prussian-Austrian war necessitated ait outlay of £66,000,000 ; while the Franco-Prussian cost France £606,680,000—-just a half of the total loss incurred. Thr Crimea, in direct outgoing, was responsible for £310,000,000, of which Russia bore about half. The Russo-Tnrkish war cost Rusaip £161,000,000; the Sclileswig lToMein difficulty lightened exchequers tu the extent of £15,000,000.

CARE 01) THF WOUNDED. The Had Cress Society of Japan lias had an interesting development. At the conferences of Paris in 1867 and Viauna in 1873 Japan was represented by Count Sano, who investigated European systems of care for the wounded with the thoroughness seen in all Japanese missions of inquiry. tin his return to Japan he founded, with the Emperor's direct approval, and his financial assistance, the first association in that country for the relief of the sick and wounded in war, without limit to Japanese, but applied to all suffers in wai, even the enemies of Japan. In May, 1887, the title was changed to tbo Red Cross Society of Japan; in the same year it joined the Geneva Convention. The first hospita l wat buil": at Toldo immediately, upon land given by the