THE BATTLE, OF THE YALU.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12999, 14 June 1904, Page 2

THE BATTLE, OF THE YALU.

(Per Sonoma, at Auckland.) WIJU, May 1 (via Seoul. May 8). When the early mists ' drifted from the Ynlu Jiivcr tliis morning tjio Japanese infantry was disclosed lined op lor battle on .the low sandy island of Kinteito, which 13 ill front of Wiju, tho walls and towers of tho city on tho lull rising abruptly from tins south 'bank of the river. The hoareit of tho three channels was crowded with .Japanese and Korean spectator*' of tho forthcoming attack. , Kinteito Island is hardly anything more than tho dry bed of tho.rir«r. It is a low .sandy plain, only a f™ feet abovo the lovel of tho water, and without shrubbery cr coyer except on' its southern end. Tho infantry lay with otackod arms across the inland awaiting its work. The soldiers werq spread out in thin black lines, three ruiks long, from a poiut on the islund opposite the village of' Chiu-lien-cheng on the west to a point opposite tho extremity of 'figer's Head on tho east. The division- of tho Imperial Guards occupied the centre of the line. Another division was on the west, and a third on tho'icast of tho line. The Tiger's Head forms ' a peninsula projecting into tho river almost parallel to the. south hank. The Japanese division, 'which executed a flanking" movement Irom; upstream yesterday with ahnoit its full fflrco presqnt, was now on the sands north of Tiger's Head.. Four field batteries were behind tho iafnutry on its extreme flank concealed by shrubbery.. 'J.W batteries began action by throwing shells to tho Manelmriau side of tho river for half an hour while- the sun was rising. They sprinkled with shells tho embankments whence tho Russian gnus had been firing for tho past week, but no response to thoir fire was forthcoming, and it looked as if tho Russians had removed (heir bartwies during tho night. It seemed as if the enehij; kd withdrawn entirely, a.s no signs of.life couW be se?n on their works. .'

Soon after 7 o'clock the Japaneso began to advance. Tho distance from the Korean to the jlanchurian bank of the Yalu is about 10 miles. Tho Japanese troops spread out in extended formation as they went forward. When they were a few hundred yards from Mio hills on the Mancliurian side tliey threw themselves prono on the ground 'Mid began volleying. In Hi© meantime tho Japanese lotteries cußrehed the hills with shrapnel. The Hubgiana now could be- 6?cn at intervals where tho road was ' exposed ■ hurrying in "small squads alonz the hills. These exposed stretches of road made, fine targets for the Japanese gunners. A fkreo firo was concentrated on ono 'open space, half the shrapnel thrown bursting over a small area with wonderful precision. There was a perfect shower of puns of white emolto at this piaec, and observers could soe the work of an occasional shell (is it dug a great l:o!c in the earth and .scattered quantities of vcclc Still the Russians remained silent. There was no answering firo from thorn until the iirst Japanese lino was within a few hundred yards of tho river bank. Then sharp volleys burst, almost simultaneously ficm several trendies, and tho attacking Japanese found themselves under a heavy and continuous .fire at Inst from covered positions high above them. They laid behind tho sand, the hidden batteries replying bravely and hotly to this fire, while their own batteries pumped shells owl' their heads, The Japanoso officers sat on their horses, or walked along their lines. TJioy wore in no way sheltered or protected. A few stretchor-bcarejTs coming back to tho field hospitals indicated that men were being wounded, The Russians'. tmokole.=3 powder was excellent, and its use niailn it impossible for the Japanese to discover tho exact position w their numbers.

Soon nflor 8 o'clock tho Russian, fire was largely silenced by a combined artillery and infantry attack of Japanese, and parties of the. enemy's troops rauld |)0 seen hurrying upwards over the mountain roads in retreat. Two logimeiite of Japancso troop*, one directly opposite Wijn, and another near a village, on thu west, ran to tho rjver, stopping to lire now and then as they progressed, and giving shrill choers, as they hurried fcrivurd, which ccliotS! clearly over tho plain.'. Their format ion was closor than (hat by British or American troops, and it looked as though their losses must l>e great. They wurinl the river and ran across the sands, and climbed up a steep, rooky hillside like swarms oF ants, thoir rod and yellow cap-baiufe gloaming in the sun. Ono JapanC3? soldier in onoof these regiments oarlicd something white with him. This was soeii, ami it cimsnd a shout to go up that tho Russians hnd surrendered; but, upon reaching the top of tho first Russian trench, 100 yards up the hilli-ido, this man shook out the Japanese flag, and waved it to and fro. A storming party on the oast side of tho advance, mounted the hill commanding iho Russian l'otreat. Just as men werebunched thickly'on tho crest of this hill, two Japanese sholls burst among them. They had fallen short, and wlic-n tho smoko cleared away a dozen bodies could bo seen lying where tho sho'ils had exploded, and. tho remainder of the storming party wcro clambering down thu hill to escape this unexpected firo from their rear, The. sound of rijle- firing soon passed on over tho hills as the. Jnpanso pursued the retreating enemy. One column of weary soldiers, who had been almost two days without rest, was trudging down the river towards Antuiig, whore- tho Japanese gunboats wmo shelling tho Russian works. A 9 o'clock n. solitary soldier climbing ahead of his comrades unfurled a huge Japanese flag on tho facoof tho topmost Russian fort, on a ridgo 1000 ft above tho plain, Ib mareliod back and forth alone the parapst '.wving the bannor, and then, for tho first time, the Japanese on the wolln of Wiju broko tho iniQtssivo siloneo with which they had watched tho battle, and shouted "Bansai.". Already foot soldiera, batteries, and pack trains were streaming on to the island by every roa'd, and to-night tho entire Japanese army will bo in MannMtrip. BEDCMFFE CROWN BItANJ) GAI/VAKISED CORRUGATED IRON; cheapen*, aid liost.-Hagg and ■Cα. . (liimitod), aucnio, Lo'wei Rattray stieet.—Aflvt.

The. cflicial estimates of Japanese casualties nro not given out, but a correspondent OT 200 Japanese, and 70 Russians wounded in ono field hospital.

THE NEW RUSSIAN LOAN. PARIS, May 6. An authoritative statement was given to i ihc Associated Press from the highest. Government source concerning the details and circumstances of the new Russian loan, as follows:—"The situation has been much changed since your interview . with M. Mieckzeslas de Koutkowski, the Russian financial agent in London, on April 23. 'I'lii' conditions to-day on which the loan is based arc. as follow:—'flip cost of the war for the fivst iivo months up to June, including 22,500,f100d0l for railroad equipment, is 125.0G0,000d01. After Ist Juno the. monthly ewt of the war wilf bo 3,500,00<klo! for tho navy awl 15,000,000c10l for the army al Hie frout, making {ho total wsr expense? nbout 245,000,000d0l for the year closing Ist January next. The firrfc part of the war was moro expensive than the latter, owing to tthe cost of mobilisation and general expenses incidental to setting tho machinery of wiir in motion. Against this extraordinary expense wo may hivo certain economies —namely, 30.000,000d0l on the ordinary Budget, 27,500,000 do! on the extraordinary Budget, and 9,500,G0d0l on previous Budget)-, making total economies nf b7,000,000d01. Wlien tho'war began the Russian Government had between 150,000,00Cd0l am! 200,000,000d0l to its credit in tho Bank of Kussi.i ami with foreign banks. According lo the monetary law of 1837, which mado gold the standard for Russia, there woe a stock of gold amounting to W5,000,00f1d61 and ii noto issue of 350,000,000dol; therefore Russia could still have placed in circulation 200,000,0(KHol to 250,000,0MM0l in notes without impairing in' tho slightest the gold law of 1E97. However, by co doinp; ■the monetary situation -after the war might have been lc-s eutisfuctory 'than at present. Accordingly, for the purpose of protecting tho' internal monetary situation, the Ru-sian Government haa lent a favourablo ear to proposals mado by French bankers, end has opened negotiations at St. Petersburg with Joseph Hoeftinger, of flie house of Hoetlinger and Co., and with Mr Noe-lzlin, one. of the directors of tho Banque de Paris et Dos Pais. , They have- made two visits to St. Petersburg, and aro leaving there tomorrow for Paris. Tho.purpose of (heir visit is to negotiate the issue of Treasury bonds running for five yean at 5 per cent. Those aro going to bo offerod to oustomcrs of the big French financial bouses at near par. By so doing tho Kussimi Government reserves Me right after five yoare to mako use of its internal credit to convert or consolidate theso five-year bonds into .1 funded debt bearing a. lower rate of interest. Tho amount likely to bo taken up at onoo in Paris will be 100.000,0Q0d01, and tlin issue can go up to 16D,000,0D0d01. Already tho contracting houses are euro to plaoe. the full amount they und-onvrito among (heir customers; there-foro no publio is>uanoo is "to he made, and a mtbhc subscription at 'the fixed day will be dispensed with, the issue being sokl by Linkers privately." Tho foregoing differs from other reports concerning tho amount of. thn loan, but, owing to the authoritative souroa. it can ho accepted Rβ final. It is understood the terms will bo agned before It. Hoettinger and 31. Nootzlin depart from 8L Petersburg to-morrow or thereafter. Tho signing by tho French banks will hike plnco next week, the issuance of tho loan following immediately.