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Otago Witness, Issue 2612, 6 April 1904, Page 25

The British and American flags were rehoisted on buildings belonging to Britishers and Americans in Niuchwang. The Russians apologised for having hauled them down. Russia intimates that after the Japanese proceedings in Korea she is unable to regard Korean ports as neutral.

The Standard's Shanghai correspondent states that private advices from Japan notify that ~the Mikado proceeds shortly- to Korea with the military. April 1.

The Chinese gind Japanese authorities are satisfied that the Mandjur's disarmament is complete. The Japanese cruiser which was watching her, is withdrawn. ' " " April 2. The Daily Express reports that Admiral Togo had requisitioned 28 useless steamers to be stripped, except of their navigating machinery. They will be sent in batches of six to block Port Arthur. • - ' iLamiral Makaroir telegraphs to his JLronstadt Mends that ha sleeps without, undressing, in readiness for any emergency. Admiral Yamamoto's statement in the Japanese Diet that Admiral Togo's plan of battle against Port Arthur was far from realised is interpreted in. St. Petersburg as a desire to catch the Russians napping, Russia intends to arm her volunteer fleet now at Odessa. The fleet will then: be taken outside the Dardanelles and used for the conveyance of reinforcements for the Far East, and later converted into commerce destroyers.

It is reported in Liverpool that an English firm are shipping 100,000 tons of coal, ostensibly for a Chinese port, but really for Japan. The Russians propose raising 50,000 Mongol troops to patrol the railway. Learning that the Japanese were about to occupy and entrench a position between Kang-ge and Un-san, the Rus^ sians have been ordered to forestall them and to entrench and fortify several positions thereabouts. Admiral Toga revisited Bort Arthur and found as a result of Sunday's operations on the neck of the narrowest channel that the entrance is impracticable to the larger Russian ships.

Ten thousand Russians^ with 60 cannon, are at Niuchwang. They are mining the river, and intend closing the .port shortly. : The war correspondents leave Japan for the front on the 6th inst. The Japanese at Chong-ju advanced to Zeng-chou (halfway to Wrju) and skirmished and' drove the Russians northwards. The cruiser Aurora, at Ferrol, is pro- : ceeding to Cherbourg. The Dmitri Donskoi coaled at Cartagena. j The Telegraph's Wei-hai-wei correspondent states that a Japanese torpedoer torpedoed the Japanese steamer Sanei Maru while towing a junk with provisions from Chefoo to Port Arthur. Twenty-five persons perished. Apail 3. The German liner Fuerst Bismarck has been indirectly sold to Russia for 2200,000. Two thousand Cossacks and infantry are entrenched at the south gate of [Wiju. Prince KhilkofF, the Russian Minister c! Roads, Canals, and Railways, superintended the passage of 420 locomotives. and 2400 waggons o-ver the ice railway across Lake Baikal. He has 1 informed She military authorities, in reference to the further transport of troops, that he felt disappointed that the railway around Lake Baikal, which had been designed to obviate the necessity of transhipments across the water, will not be finished until August,

Hundreds of thousands of grey khaki suits have been ordered for summer wear for the Russian troops, white being regarded as too conspicuous. An attempt by Tartars to wreck trains filled with Russian troops for the Far East at Skya, near Ekaterinburg failed. The Russian accounts of the a skirmish with the Japanese troops outside the walls of Chong-ju described th© engagement as a brilliant victory for the Russians. It is stated in these that the losses of the enemy were tenfold those of the Russians. Le Temps (Paris) states that General Kouropatkin, who commands the Russians, has* arrived in Manchuria. He will have a million soldiers under his command by the end of May. Prince Alexeieff is at Bort Arthur. He has preseuted the captains of the cruisers Bayan, Novik, and Askold each with a gold sword of honour. The Russian cruiser .Boyarin, damaged in a storm at Talienwan, has been towedtoiDalny lor repairs. The Japanese have permitted the longdetained American concession bullion pack train to proceed north to Anju. April 4. The Japanese, having occupied Syonshxon, 18 miles west of Chongju, without opposition, are pushing on, hoping to expel the Russians from Wiju before the Yalu floods the surrounding territory". The ice is now well broken. The Russian cruiser Jenitelrug, when completing her equipment in a Baltic shipyard, suddenly began sinking, and it was discovered that the pipes in the engineroom, were leaking and the furnaces left open. Treachery is suspected. The Times' correspondent, after visiting one of the Japanese bases reports that Commander Kuroski's army has secured strategic positions, enabling it to force the passage of the Yalu at will, but Commandant Kuroki is wait' ing developments of the second mobilisation, which is now proceeding, before striking decisively. Meanwhile the outposts are constantly in touch along the line. At the Chengeheng River several sharp conflicts have occurred, in which the honours were equally divided. The weather in the Far East is improving rapidly, though communication is extremely difficult. The Japanese have reached Chelsan, 30 miles south of Wiju. Japan is exhibiting irritation at China's inability to enforce neutrality, Russia's intimidatory methods still being effectual at Peking. Five more transports disembarked Japanese ' troops at Chemulpo. They are marching to Seoul. SYDNEY, March 31. The Japanese Consxil has received the following cable: — "On the 28th part of our cavalry and infantry had an, engagement with the Russians outside the south gate of Chong-ju. After having dispersed them our forces oceupiedt the city. The enemy, calculated at about 600, retired in the direction of Wiju. In the cavalry Lieutenant Kane- and four men were killed and Lieutenant Kuropawa and 11 others wounded. No casualties occurred in the infantry. Besides two Russian corpses on the field, seven or eight were found in the city. The Russians did well in conveying their dead away. Blood-stained bandages found in many places show that the enemy suffered casxialties to at least the same degree as our forces." Admiral Togo's report of the attempt to bottle Port Arthur received by the Japanese Consul here is similar to that already cabled. It mentions that the vessels were old merchantmen. The Koneyama Maru, after passing between the two other sunken vessels, collided the stern of a Russian destroyer. A

torpedo then struck her, and the force of the explosion carried her on to the beacb.

April 2.

The Japanese Consul has received a cable from tiie Minister of Foreign Affairs stating that the extraordinary session of the Diet carried the war Budget without dissent, also a bill granting the Government authority to raise loans to the extent of 280,000,000 yen (£28,UU0,000) for the prosecution of the war. The increased taxation was cheerfully assented to, though it represents G2,UU0,000 yen (£6,200,0U0) annually. The Diet also unanimously, amidst intense enthusiasm, carried the following resolution :— " That in the opinion of this House the Imperial declaration of war is just and honourable, and solely prompted by his Imperial Majesty's desire for the peace of the Orient." The exert himself to the utmost in the was no subject of his Majesty but would exert mniself to the utmost in the nation's cause.

The Diet, in accordance with the nation's sincere sense of patriotism, has provided the necessary means of obtaining revenue so that there may be no deficiency in the war fund. " Notwithstanding the great amount of success already achieved by the navy, we realise that the war is but in its infancy, and the time seems still far distant when complete victory shall permanently restore the peace of the Orient. This resolution is passed as a definite and clear expression of the national willingness to assist the Government, and the House desires to urge Ministers of State firmly to uphold the Imperial policy and to take timely measures to meet any . contingencies that may arise."