ARMY ENTERS COREA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 12661, 15 September 1904, Page 5

ARMY ENTERS COREA.

JAPANESE . COMMUNICATIONS CUT. London, September 13. The Tientsin correspondent of the Daily Mail reports that General Linevitch, the officer commanding the garrison of Vladivostok, has arrived in North-eastern Coreo with 50,000 men, and has cut General Kuroki's communications with Feng-huan-cheng, to the north of the Yalu River. REPORT NOT CONFIRMED. (Hecelaft■, September 14, 11 p.m.) 'London, September 14. The report regarding General Linevitch having marched with 50,000 men into north-eastern Core a, has not been confirmed. RUSSIA. AND GERMANY. A. SECRET UNDERSTANDING. MUTUAL HELP IN THE FAR EAST. (Eeceivail Septra ber 14, 11 p.m.) London, September 14. The Times publishes an article by an exceptionally well-informed correspondent, in which it is alleged that Russia and Germany have arrived at an understanding in regard to the Far East. On the understanding that Germany will support Russia when the settlement of the terms of peace takes place, and will exhibit " benevolence" in other ways, Russia in return is to give Germany a free ; hand, and perhaps something more, ' in realising hey Far Eastern ambi- | tiona, probably at Britain's expense. NOTES'ON THE WAR.'

There bay© been reports from time to time of & Russian advance- upon Corea.. A body of Siberian Cossacks, indifferent fighters but fins raiders, did make its way down the eastern coa.it about two ! months ago. Its most notable performances were the demolition of ancient Corean tombs and the harassing of the inhabitants. That force was about. 3000 strong. It disappeared soon after the landing of a Japanese force at Gensan. "What object General Linevitch can have- in advancing: upon Corea with 50,000 men is not apparent. He could, like the Cossacks, make raids on the people, but he could do little harm to the Japanese in Manchuria, The most likely result of such an expedition, if it has baea undertaken—which we doubt—is disaster. The Japanese have- two armies' in reserve to meet such efforts-—one of 70,000 and the other of 50,000. These could be landed at Fusan. and Chemulpho, or at aom© other place whence* they could place General Lineviteh in difficulties. Recently it was reported that General Linevitoh was within two days' "march of Mukden, with 30,000 men. More probably ho is at Vladivostok with the garrison of 20,000 men.

If the Russians do take* th* initiative they may endeavour to cut in between Liao-yang and Feng.huan-oheng. They are not likely to be in a condition far such a movement. For a long time, now they have been losing guns and means of transport, and much of their transport was lost between Liao-yangf and Mukden, Their cavalry may make re* connaissances to' the southward, but no general advance in that diroction can take place. They will await the Japanese at Mukden, perhaps, but they are more likely to get back to Tieling for the benefit of the defences they have prepared there. The only reason there could be for doubting that that will be their course of action is its oonnrmation by St. Petersburg. When the St. Petersburg officials say a thing like that something else is intended. The Tsar may venture even to give another order. Hi* soldiers are retreating when they should be advancing—he may order them to advance.

The Japanese all through the war have '. shown caution in their strategy. Their, policy has been slow and sure. After pursuing the Russians to the Hun River, near Mukden, they dropped back. Russian reports say they are preparing for another movement. This means, of course, that when they are ready they will march in irresistible force upon Mukden and Tiding. They will have little, need now of reconnaissances, for they are in the midst of a Chines© population that is friendly to them. Their difficulty will be in keeping the Chinese at Mukden out of the war. There are many thousands of Hunghutses in the Mukden district— who were driven out of their, homos by the Russians in 1900. From these people- they will get all the information and all the help they need. The war correspondents have found it necessary to retire from the front to be able to send news of the battle of Liao-yang. They seem to have made for Tientsin. M. Nordeau, who represents a French newspaper, is thus able to give his views on the Russian defeat. He put 3 it down to lack of enthusiasm on the part of the soldiers. As a matter of fact, the Russian soldier has never been noted for enthusiasm. His chief military virtue is stolid endurance. M. Nordeau puts his finger on the weak spot of conscription. He urges the replacing of the reserves with regulars—that is, the compulsory With the professional soldier. The conscription system is all very well whore great masses of men may be used, but it is out of place for foreign wars, in which every soldier needs to be well worth a place in the firing line. There is conscription in Japan, but it is the ambition of wery Japanese to be a soldier. The Japanese* according to M. Nordeau, defeated a dejected army, and in that army are many of the best regiments that Russia can produce. A St. Petersburg telegram say 3 that ten I corps have joined General Kuropatkin and i that his army now numbers more than 200,000 men, with 200 guns. He had 200 field guns at Liao-yang, and is said to have lost 90 in the battle and in the retreat. The new troops, therefore, must have brought him about 200 guns. We are not told, however, how many men each of the ten corps represents. The Russians lost very heavily at Liao-yang and afterwards, but the numbers have not, yet been given. Some day, perhaps, we shall know how many Russians took part in the battle of Liao-yang. FieldMarshal Oyama apparently does not care what Russian reinforcements come. Ho can, he says, duplicate- them with better men and much mole quickly.. It is boast for boast, but in the past the Japanese have justified their boasts—th© Russians never. There is again nothing definite from Pott Arthur. A fsw days ago it Was said that an assault would take plaoft about Tuesday last, but no news of it is to hand. There must, however, bd siege operations.proceeding. This silence may be the lull before the storm. A remarkable story is told— an improbable story—of the discovery of an old Chinese arsenal. Port Arthur has been so pulled about by the Russians that it is not likely such c. store would have been overlooked. They may have a number of Chinese shells not destroyed by the Japanese when they evacuated the plaoe after the war with China, but they are probably not of much account- A recent cablegram spoke of the inferior powder and the Chinese shells the Russians were using.