THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2649, 21 December 1904, Page 34

THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.

"HORRORS OF METRE HILL.

VETERANS SHUDDER AT THE

> *» « % BOMBARDMENT OF PORT ARTHUR.

ALL RUSSIAN SHIPS DISABLED.

SLAUGHTER.

EXTRAORDINARY DISPLAY OF BRAVERY.

ST. PETERSBURG, December 17.

The Czar" has ordered Captain Clado's "release. Captain- Clado was the recipient of thousands of visiting cards, telegrams, and letters of sympathy from all parts of Russia during the unexpired sentence of detention. Crowds tendered him an ovation on his return to his residence. t . - - December 18.

The staff of the, Novoe Vremya' gave much -honour to Captain Clado._ A reception given to him on the evening of his release was attended by all, classes of the community, particularly the commercial. V--- LONDON, DeceDir 12. General 'Nogi reports that the battleships, two cruisers, a "gunboat, and torpedo • store " ship— at Port Artnur are completely disabled, and a further bomoardment is unnecessary. The besiegers are shelling the town heavily. The Russian smaller, craft in Port Arthur . have been warned not- to shelter, bshind the hospital ships. *"\ '■-• „-3 ' .The -Russian .reserves "shot all their comrades who tried to .evade.' the Japanese , attack at Metre Hill. •' - ' * .- Lieutonant-gsneralSir" William Nicholson, the British attache with~the Japanese forces - airPort Arthur, characterises the capture of Metre Hill as an unprecedented feat. . -Three regiments "in Vitepsk rebelled and plundered the town for being reprimandedT The commandant of ;the. town- committed ■ suicide. ~ „ . „:.''."". ;Tvro regiments .in -Vyazma acted similarly.- '"". .; '. .TBeasant risings against the nobility, accompanied ;by houseburhings, have oc-. eurred in the- governments' of Skaterinoslav, Kas,an; and.- Saratoff. , '_-.."• i -~ ' ,;% !The' .-British^ cruiser Fox; stopped the "steamer Sti Leonards Perim on." , "'"suspicion of" carrying coal" for the' Russians. IBe ' collier, was- -subsequently released. -*"'-, . . ' December 13. The wireless telegraph -station at the foot of Gulden ' Hill,' -Port Arthur, 'is damaged', and the arsenal was fired and • partly/ destroyed. • ' "" "* A " ' ■ /■ ' ' December 14. ' - cj/^Ofie- hundred and fifty prisoners have :=-^been sent to Dalny since the capture of -—Mgtre Hill. The Russian dispositions at " X jng-kow, Hzu-shan, andAn-tzu-shan ar*i plainly observable. The sailors who were formerly keptin reserv.e Bre_;npw working with the soldiers/ and* are employed ex'dusively in*lcounter attacks. More big /guns have been mounted en ~Metre Hill, and the bombardment has been resumed. The new town is now on fire "■in parts. Mr Bennet Burleigh -says that about the 25th ult. Japanese cruisers sank two Russian torpedoers that were scouting outside . Port Arthur. •Eight thcusond Japanese have reinforced General Nogi at Port Arthur. Despite, the censors, the news of the - fiestrrxtion of .the ' Port Arthur fi^> ,is in Russia, and' there 'is general " 7'.in"clignation at its -inglorious end.' ' j ~ - i .;.Tho discontent is daily intensified, and) ;tHe 'Jclamour for the end of the' war is increasing. , * s The Ulack* Sea fleet will be on a war . footing . in two months' time. The crews 'are undergoing extra gun drill. / -:Russia has'- ordered in FrsJhce. a cruiser "\like tfre Bayan. - ;The cruiser .Asktola has shipped 1000 _.€ons of Cardiff coal, and it is believed) that she has replaced the. machinery which the Chinese Government removed: "A" British steamer passed on Sunday a <■ mysterious cruiser" 150 miles eastwards of Penang. The cruiser was steaming rapidly towards Pulowey. , Korea is anxious to test the value of her troops, and is sending three battalions to 'Jlai-youg to expel the Russians. - December 15. There is a steady stream of Russian dejerters entering Austria and Poland, The Sevastopol is lying trader the Mon> lao-shan forts. Several torpedoes have J>een exploded near her. The torpedoers lost touch mutually .. Jluring a. blinding snowstorm, and attacked rlie Sevastopol separately. 'The Sevastopol's bows were protected by a, framework Sf interlaced logs and iron, and also .^torpedo nets. While the" searchlight was glazing on one flotilla another crept round _ jmd discharged torpedoes. The Sevastopol $egan to settle, and her torpedo tubes, are Submerged.

There is uneasiness at Tokio, as a Japanese torpedoer is missing.

Admiral Yainata telegraphs that the Sevastopol is bow down three feet. He adds later that she has sunk deeper. - The havoo played by the hand grenades was a hundredfold worse than that

by dum-dum bullets. The corpses at Metre Hill were denuded of all clothing, and so scorched as to be unrecognisable. Many bodies were cut in two at the waist. The -dead lay in heaps four feet high.

Starving peasants in Bessarabia are forcing the landowners to take refuge in the towns.

December 16.

The towm of Port Arthur is almost deserted. Many buildings have been burnt. Shells search every part of the city and harbour. The turrets, masts, and funnels of the sunken warships are visible. No vessel is afloat. | Admiral Foelkersham's fleet has sailed from Jibutil. Seven escapees from , Port Arthur reached Chi-fu -in an open boat. They bear despatches from General Stoessel. General Stoessel states that the watertight compartments were opened months ago, and the warships half submergedThey sustained the Japanese plugging fire without injury to the engines, though the upper works were destroyed. The guns are ashore. The list seen on the vessels is the result of the ships being, sunk in shallow water, and swaying according to the current: If Port Arthur is captured the vessels can easily be destroyed. There -is much resentment in Tokio at Chili's disposition to sell warships to Russia. The Japanese Government is urged to ■ inform Chili that Japan will claim indemnity, and will retaliate at the first opportunity. December 17. The Japanese are advancing against the Tai-yang-kau and Itsze-shan forts along Pigeon Bay. sapping through the frozen ground. The. naval guns on Metre Hill cover the infantry's advance. Three cargees of American provisions and ammunition", one including 1000 tons of flour, reached Port Arthur during December. * ' French despatches f rom ~ Mukden_ state that the Russian eayalry repulsed a Japanese turning movement on the left bank of the Koen-hou.' Field-marshal i Oyama concentrated 15,000 men and) 16 guns at Tsian-chau and Sei-yam-a-tse, threatening 1 * General Rennenkampf. The Japanese appear to have removed the bulk of 1 their forces from Yen-tai. December 18-. General Stoessel has requested General Nogi to refrain from bombarding the hospitals, and has furnished him with a plan .indicating, their positions. . The Chinese at Peking and. Tientsin col- ' lected winter clothing for" 3000 of ,their .-countrymen who are homeless in Mukden, but the Japanese refuse allow it to he forwarded, fearing that it will benefit the Russians. ' ' _ s Warrants have been issued against Roche and Sinnett, who negotiated "he .purchase for , Russia of the turbine destroyer Caroline.- " . ■ December 19. Oh" Thursday 3000 Japanese Volunteers "surprised a large body of Russians who were . attempting diverting movements la the" north-west of Hsien-chang. After a hot conflict the Russians were ' compelled to retire on Mukden. Commander Mizzenoff, who carried General Stoess'el's despatches in a .boat to Chi-fu, states that the slaughter on Metre Hill was so terrible that even hardened veterans shuddered at the sight of the .Japanese as they clambered step by step up the slopes without firing, facing a murderous fire from rifles and machine guns. The onlookers thought flesh and blood- would be unable to face such a fire for even a minute. The Japanese went down in squads and companies, but others, grimly and unwaveringly, pressed forwards. Their bravery was beyond praise, as .was also that of the Russians. The ; muzzles of the rifles of the combatants often -touched •each "other's breasts. No quarter was.. given. Commander Mizzenoff states- that eight Japanese standard-bearers ] -were successively killed pjacing a flag on tße pinnacles of .Metre Hill. When a ninth tried it a Russian officer exclaimed, " Don't shoot him. The flag -will be planted -"anyhow."

Commander Mizzenoff further stated that the Japanese ignited huge piles of wood, coal, and cornstalks, the wind blowing the flames and smoke towards the Russians, compelling them to retire. The hillsides were literally covered 1 with the dead and wounded, and the trenches ran rivulets of blood. Every visible spot of ground and every boulder was crimson. The Russians lost 2000. Owing to the brevity of the armistice the Japanese were unable in the darkness to distinguish the wounded from the dead, and shovelled many of the wounded into pits and trenches.

General Nogi has assured General Stoessel that the greater parE of the fortress is invisible from the Japanese positions. He never purposely fir-ed on buildings or vessls flying the Red Cross flag. He was unable to guarantee that shells would reach the places aimed at, sinne owing to the long and brave resistance the duration of the Japanese guns was not becoming greater.

'General Stoessel requested that the Japanese guns do not bombard the whole of the new town or the north-eastern part of tne old town.

General Nogi declined absolutely to limit the area of fire, but promised to consider a map showing the positions of the hospitals.

General Oku is threatened with a serious shortage of fuel and food though paying triple prices.

It is reported at Shanghai that part of the Japanese fleet has gone to Singapore. Transports equipped with light guns maintain the blockade of Port Arthur.

PARISH December 15.

The Temps St. Petersburg correspondent says it is stated in official circles that the news from the Far East is unsatisfactory. It is understood General Kourapatkin has telegraphed that unless the number of daily trains on the Trans-Siberian railway is consideably increased it is impossible to adequately provision the army, and he can no longer be responsible for the army. It is impossible to comply with the request, but his enemies, who are more numerous and claim to be better informed since Viceroy Alexeieff's return, assert tha^ General Kourapatkin's sole object is to divest himself of responsibility, desiring to throw the blame of any coming event on the Minister of War and Imperial Administration.

TOKIO, December 18.

The Budget Committee in the Lower House, representing all parties, unanimously voted all war supplies. The Leader of the Opposition declared that ihe country was thoroughly satisfied with Ihe conduct of the war. SYDNEY, December 15.

The Japanese Consul has received a cable stating that the bombardment of Port Arthur on the 13th was principally aimed at the arsenal and torpedo depot on the Tiger's Tail, as well as % the ships' boats in the vicinity. The torpedo depot was ablaze for an hour. Three ships were destroyed, one being sunk. The buildings were greatly damaged by indirect fire. The bombardment of the battleship Sevastopol, which has been staying outside the harbour, has been suspended owing to bad weather, which prevented observations. Admiral Togo reports : "The torpedo boat flotillas attacked the Sevastopol twice on the night of ihe 12th, and thrice on the next.. night Ihe result of the attack is uncertain. Each time they . attacked they met the enemy's fierce fire. j One torpedo boat was disabled and towed back, while three others received one shot \ each. Our total casualties were only three f«men wounded."

December 19.

The Commercial Agent in the Far Ea3t reports that the Japanese harvest will be the best in the history of the country.