THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1683, 1 June 1904, Page 23

THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.

FIGHTING AT KINCHAU. THE RUSSIANS DRIVEN BACK. VERYg-lEAVY CASUALTIES. LONDON. May 23. Admiral Skrydloff has hoisted his flag - oil the cruiser Rossia,. at Vladivostock. The Japanese squadron is cruismg between' Gensan, on the Korean west coast, and Vladivostock. It is 'reported from St. Petersburg that pumping saved the battleship Orel,' which badly stranded at Kronstadt through a bilge-pipe being left open. ' '• Admiral Algernon De Ho sey, writing to ‘The Times,” says the wilful placing of mines in the open sea ten miles from land, is an inhuman act, amounting to wholesale murder. ~ General Kuroki’s advance divis on continues in . touch with tho Russians near. Motienling Pass, .where the Liaof yang road passes through a -mountain deflle. Fourteen foreign attaches are there. The Russian line extends from Haiclieng, on the Manchurian ra hvay line, to west of Motienling. ‘The Times” si earner tiaunun reports that Japan has landed at least a hundred and fifty thousand men in Manchuria and the L.ao- lung Peninsula. .LONDON .hay 24. St. Petersburg telegrams, declare that a second Javanese cruiser of tn.o Shikishima type was damaged iff Port Arthur on the 16th inst.. and sank four miles'from the entrance to the harbour. The crew was saved. The Russians are d’sinclined to fight unless they possess great superiority in numbers. The Russian artillery and mounted troops reoccupied Newchwang on the 22nd inst. They are ent rend ting south of the town. LONDON. May 24. It is announced at St. Petersburg that ii was found to save the cruiser Bogatyr, which struck on tne rocks at the month of v r k>d : vort.ncV harbour during a fog. The P- : • Ttns therefore removed the guns, and blew the riiip up. Admiral Alexicff is enroll mg many omivicts at the penal station of Sag- - halien who volunteered tor the war. The Czar promises to renv.': one veer’s •imprisonment for every two months’ service.: besides mak ng special rewards tor gallantry in the field. Cossacks have appea. ed on General Kuroki’s lines of communication at • Kaoliman, a few miles in tho rear of Feng-hwang-chong, but this was foro- , seen and provided for. A Liaoyang telegram states that no exertion seems to tiro the Japanese cavalry’s Australian horses. Rains and melting snows have suspended the Japanese advance, enabling the Russians to strengthen their positions at Liaoyang and*Mukden. The Japanese, hav*, a force from Gonsan, on the Korean east coast, to suppress Russian raiders in Northern Korea.'' The Russians have collected a hundred locomotives and eight hundred cars at Liaoyang, in- readiness to remove their stores to Harbin, if necessary. LONIfON, May 25. General Kuroki reports that a section of the infantry encountered Cossacks eight miles north-east of Kwantien. , The Cossacks fled north-east, leaving twenty of their number dead. ‘The Times” correspondent .at Feng-hwang-cheng, writing on the 13 th, says:—The army remains here twenty days, pending developments. Part of f an army corps has been landed at Pitsuwo. The “Daily Telegraph’s’’ St. Peters-bux-g correspondent states that military experts estimate that two hundred r thousand Japanese are at West Yalu. General Kuroki’s . and General Oko’s forces are daily being strengthened. The ice on Lake Baikal is breaking up. . . The leading newspapers in Britain and America are emphatic in denouncing the reckless sowing of ocean floating mines, and characterise it as a savage disregard of neutral rights. Sir W. M. "Walrond, M.P. for Tiverton, addressing his constituents, urged .the necessity for prompt action to stop indiscriminate use of mines. American naval attaches in various capitals have been instructed to report upon the danger to neutral shipping from mines floating on the Manchurian coast. The information will be sub- ; mitted to-a Naval Board, whose report . will be presented to President Roosevolt and representations, if necessary, k will'be made to the belligerents. _ The Orel: incident (that battleship Ibxdly at Kronstadt through a bilge-nine being left open), is attributed : • to malefactors. . • ’ It is Reported from Mukden that Cossacks have captured several transport columnsj thus hampering General Kuroki. . ~ ‘ The Japanese are closing the port of Yongampho, at the month of the Yalu, • vtdk: mercantile traffic. It is supposed this is the prelude to the landing of part v of a third -army at the Yalu, -v- \

The Japanese treat captured Russian spies as prisoners of war. They do not shoot them. The assistant presidont of the Canadian Pacific Railway is confident that the light, badly-constructed Manchurian railway will be unable to victual half a million Russians. Fourteen vessels of tho Black Sea fleet,, including several battleships, are being mobilised in readiness for service. Professor T. S. Woolsey, of Yale College, a leading authority oil the subject, declares that mines anchored or scattered beyond the territorial limit form an indiscriminate attack on neutrals by belligerents, and are illegal. Professor Lawrence, lecturer on maritime law at Greenwich declares that “here is no precedent to guide us, but every sound principle is opposed to a belligerent transforming the open seas • iico a mining field. Professor T. E. Holland, professor of international law at Oxford, states that international usage dees not sanction he employment of mines endangering, without notice, ocean navigation. The “Pall Mall Gazette’s” Paris corsays . tho feeling in naval v.rcl&a m France is that the Genova Convention ought to prohibit floating ..axes. : - General Stoessel, the Russian commander, has seized all the cash in the banks at Port Arthur. Heavy firing has been heard near the fortress, indicating that a land attack is in progress, since the Japanese fleet is not there. The intricate nature of the minefields has prevented the Japanese occupation of Dalny, the commercial town a lew miles from Port Arthur. The fleet is unable to adequately co-operate. LONDON, May 26.

Advices from Cnefoo state that eight Japanese vessels, circling round the entrance, bombarded Port Arthur on Tuesday, firing broadsides at intervals of ten minutes.

“The Times” special steamer reports from Society Bay yesterday that those on board saw four Japanese cruisers and four destroyers assisting a land party. Heavy fighting was progressing ashore. The “Daily Telegraph” says the Rusim Admiralty declares that the mine which sank the Japanese battleship ilatsuse was anchored in the outer harbour at Port Arthur, but the tide car.ed it .to sea.

Japanese scouts have again been seen north-east of Mukden, in Manchuria.

the Russians have burned shrines and destroyed mausoleums erected at Hamueung in the fourteenth century by the rounder of the present dynasty. The Koreans have been greatly excited by ms action. General Kouropatkin reports a forward movement of the Japanese. Some have occupied the Liaohn Pass, about nine miles south of Siuyen. Forty thousand are still at Feng-hwang-cheng, and four regiments with fifty guns at Pienmin, westwards of Feng-hwang-cheng. The advance occurred at the crossing of the Targan river. Despite stubborn resistance, the Japanese have reached Saushilips, north of Dalny. Other forces are south-west of Nagalien, the second station on the Port Arthur line. . The Russian battleship Borodino, 13,600 tons, has been badly strained. She has been placed in dry dock at St. Petersburg. . When the Japanese early in May were accused of placing floating mines in the Port Arthur roadstead, Russia issued a circular protosting against such culpable thoughtlessness, adding that some had already drifted two hundred miles. LONDON, May 27. , Admirals Vitgert and Grigorovitch report that Japanese gunboats bombarded Ingeutze Bay. Next night they attempted to block the roadstead of Port Arthur with “mines. It is believed that some steam launches and two torpedoers were sunk. The Russians removed between the l&tli and 21st inst. eleven mines that had been sown to bar the harbour. The merchant steamer Amur’s boats and a dredger steam launch brought them to Dalny and Port Arthur. Officials at Kronstadt, hoping to conceal the non-existence of a large portion of ammunition, uniforms and other equipment, supposed to be in their custody and ordered to be forwarded to' the Far East, fired a section of the artillery clothing depot. Investigation showed that petroleum was used. A high official subsequently attempted suioide and another fled. Unofficial Tokio despatches state that the Japanese entered Kinchau yesterday, and attacked the Russians, who were posted on the heights south of the town. Fragmentary telegrams from various centres state that an attack on Kinchau began on Wednesday. A number of heavy Russian guns well posted proved a serious obstacle to the advance, but the Japanese, skilfully securing' an advantage after a severe ar Tillery duel, stormed and captured the walled town. . The Russians in withdrawing continued a stubborn resistance, and the Japanese prosecuted the attack with much 'spirit.- j „ A Prize Court, sitting at Sasebo, has

dismissed all appeals for the restitution of neutral cargoes aboard captured Russian vessels. Lieutenant-General Sakharoff reports to St. Petersburg as follows: — . “ The Japanese are constructing fortifications around Feng-hwang-cheng, where the number of troops is thirty thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry, with thirty-six field pieces. Their advance guards are northwards of the Ai'ho, facing Kwangtien. Many of their cavalry horses are reported to be exhausted. “ Our scouts on the Liaotung peninsula report three thousand, with five guns, are at Pulantion. Landing continues at Pitsiwo, and the Japanese are marching towards Kinchau, with covering detachments thrown west. “It is reported that fifty thousand are landing at Takuslian, and marching in the direction of Sin yen. “At Port Arthur a Russian reconnoitring party on the 21st got behind three hundred .Japanese near the Tan-san-Chintoa road, and watched for 16 hours. They saw eighteen thousand Chinese and Korean coolies .and two 'hundred carts pass. The Japanese discovering them, attacked, and the scouts’ horses were killed. The scouts returned afoot.” General Sakliaroff adds: —The Chinese reporu that in the battle at Kinchau m the 18th, the Japanese lost seven hundred and the Russians loss. BRISBANE, May 27. A letter received by a resident of Toowoomba from a friend occupying a high position in the medical administration at Port Arthur, dated 28th March, gives an interesting inside view of the bombardment to that date. He sums up as follows:

“Wo know for certain that the Japs, suffered comparatively more than we on the 9tli February. They had three warships severely damaged. On the 24t.h we sank three merchantmen, and a torpedo boat. They wasted ammunition worth over a million. The heavy fire has shaken their ships and fatigued their cannon, but the results are insignificant and limited. \Ye have had a few dead and wounded, but not a nouse, and not a single important building is damaged, most of their shells fading either on the shore or in the sea.

“We cannot 'uhderstand Japanese tactics. Time after time they bombard the place, and sacrifice costly merchantmen, but do us no harm. They always refuse battle, although their fleet is much stronger than ours. We may be somewhat slow to strike, but when the time arrives Russia will strike both heavily and surely.” The writer mentions that on the occasion of three bombardments the Russian fleet was prepared to give battle, but the-Japanese turned tail and disappeared. At the time of his writing, all who could afford it had sent their wives and families bade to Russia. LONDON, May 27. Lloyds has been officially warned that some fast steamers which Russia has recently purchased are being equipped as privateers. Insurance rates did not, however, rise, underwriters believing that the Powers would not permit a breach of the Declaration of Paris. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Sasebo correspondent states that the Prize Court has awarded all cargoes, excepting Japanese household goods, to the Government, although, shipped prior to acts of war. British merchants are pressing their claims, but with small hopes of success. An officer belonging to the Russian warship Coreetz, which was sunk at Ckemulpho, declares that tne bulk of the officers ’ and men of the Varyag and Coreetz will resume active service in the Far East. Russian nobles and public bodies are largely subscribing to a patriotic New Fleet Fund. It is intended to construct a large number of warships of the smaller types. The Russian Government has offered large rewards for the production of an improved class of submarine boats. LONDON, May 23. Reuter’s Agency at Tokio reports that after five days’ fighting the Japanese captured Kinchau on Thursday evening. The Russian stronghold at Nansan was taken after a specially hot struggle, and an artillery duel of many hours’ duration, the Russians being outclassed. A Russian gunboat at Talienwan bombarded the Japanese left flank. Japanese warships at Kinchau cooperated with the land forces. The Japanese swept the Russians opt of their defences west of Talienwan. • Women and children at Port Arthur shelter in dug-out caves within the inner fortifications. The Japanese announce that they are maintaining an effective .blockade of the coast of the Liao-tung Peninsula, southward of a line between Pi-tsz-wo on the east and Pulantien (or Port Adams) on the west (a total distance, approximately, of two hundred and sixty miles). Owing to the presence of mines, merchantmen have been instructed to avoid during .night-time the zone between the Shantung peninsua and the Miatao Islands. The “Law Journal” says that if the facts are as reported, representations regarding the use of mines ought to be made to the belligerents. The British fleet in Chinese waters will not proceed north of Woosung, owing to the danger of striking drifting mines# ’

A fight, lasting for sixteen hours, has taken place at Kinchau, on the southwestern coast of the Liao-tung peninsula. The Japanese, who were origiually posted on Mount Samphon, faced Kinchau, while the Russian positions extended across the narrow neck of land between Talienwan Bay on the east and Kinchau Bay, with Nansan Hill, adjoining Sukiatun (a mile and a half south of Kinchau), as a stronghold. This position was almost impregnable. After a naval cross-fire, and several attempts to rush the entrenchments, the Japanese penetrated the Russian lines. The Russians were then driven at the point of the bayonet down the hill towards Port Arthur. Mr Bonnet Burleigh, correspondent of the “ Daily Telegraph,” states that the Japanese are within twelve miles of Port Arthur. They have taken some of the enemy’s guns and a few prisoners. Mr Burleigh adds that in the Kinchau engagement the. Russian casualties, were heavier than those of the Japanese. It is official reported that Caotain Hayashi, of the gunboat Chokai, was killed at Kinchau, and that there were nine other casualties in the naval division. Further details of the battle at Kinchau show that the Japanese left wing rested on Kerr Bay (north of Talienwan). Thence their lines reached a hill at Chili-chwang and stretched north to Chen-shia-tien. As the fight progressed, the Japanese at Chen-shia-tien advanced westwards and gradually enveloped Kinchau, and occupied a position overlooking the town. The Russians had built covered trenches around the forts on Nansan Hill, which was on their extreme left. The batteries included four 15 centi-' metre howitzers, ten 9 to 15 centimetre cannon with a range of 8500 yards, and two 12 centimetre quickfirers, besides guns in ten forts, with wire entanglements and mines at the foot of a hill located at Huashangtao, which was on tli9 Russian extreme right, overlooking the sea. _ The resistance of the Russians was stubborn, and Nansan was carried against great odds. The Japanese owing to the difficulties of transport, had only field-pieces. - Assisted by four gunboats, however, the Japanese silenced many of the enemy’s guns. The Russian fire repeatedly checked the rushes until the ridge was finally stormed. Reports from Tokio state that the Russians retired to Nan-k wan-ling, which has since been abandoned. They were also driven out of Sinshiliwu, and are now retreating on Port Arthur; J The Japanese captured fifty cannon. Four hundred dead Russians were found at Kinchau and Nansan. The Japanese casualties numbered three thousand. LONDON, May 29. General Kouropatkin reports that the Japanese have landed several heavy guns at Takuslian (forty miles west of tho Yalu river). Each of the guns is drawn by eighteen horses. Some Japanese troops are advancing to join the forces under General Kuroki. % . . General Kuroki reports that the Japanese attacked a force of Cossacks at Wataoshi, near Tateenze. He adds that Chinese reports state that three Russians were killed and oight wounded.