RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR,

Otago Witness, Issue 2665, 12 April 1905, Page 27

RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR,

i HURRYING TROOPS TO THE FRONT. WHAT RUSSIA HOPES. ! ROZHDESTVENSKY'S ASSUMED ! DESTINATION. ' THE FLEET PASSES SINGAPORE. TERRITORIAL WATERS AVOIDED. VIEWS OF EXPERTS. ' A BATTLE UNLIKELY FOR THREE WEEKS. ST. PETERSBURG. April 8. ! Seventy thousand re.-eivists in Southern

j Russia have been ordered to Harbin. I Feverish preparations are being made for large reinforcements to General Linevitch, in the hope that Japan, when Field-mar-shal Oyama faces a large army, will hesitate to advance exaggerated terms of peace. LONDON, April 4. General Linevitch has advised the European non-combatants to leave Harbin, though he states that no serious fighting is expected for a fortnight. The Japanese troops at Kai-yuan on Sunday drov.o northward the Rvjssians who were holding Ai-.^hen-kao, 26 miles northeast of Kai-yuan. One hundred thousand destitute Chinese are in the vicinity of Mukden. Scores of A"illages have been destroyed, and the great lack of farm animals, seed, and implements impairs the prospects vf the next crops. The Chinese Government is feeding and housing 60,000 person?. , Admiral DubogatofFs squadron is at Jibutil coaling. April 5. The Novoe Vremya's military expert foresees a Japanese entry into Kirin on the 20th and Harbin on May 6. The cavalry forms an admirable screen for the Japanese movements. The Russians are unable to pierce the screen owing to a defective intelligence service. A Japanese force is reported at Harvoshan, on the Mongolian frontier, abreast of Kwang-shat:gs-ize. A Russian 5 per cent, internal loan was covered below three-fold. A large share i of the proceeds will be devoted to the j State purchase of 4 per cents. to< prevent further depreciation. i The Japanese, after expelling ihe Rusi Mans, occupied Tsu-lu-shu, Su-ming-cheng, and San-ta-kou villages, in the vicinity of Chang-tu. They dispersed 500 cavalry. General Linevitch has tent 50,000 men ! to hold Kirin, and with a quarter of a million entrenched at Swant-san-pei, near Dun-liao-ho, halfway between Mukden and Kvrang-cheng-tsze, the army is astride the railway in the form of a crescent, the horns pointing north. The Russians are converting the country into a desert to impede the Japanese advance. A correspondent of the newspaper Russ reports that the Japanese are marching on Tsi-tsi-haar. Count Scheptzizky, the Austrian attache with the Russians, has been missing since the battle of Mukden. It is feared that he was killed and buried as a Russian. Admiral Rozhdestvensky scathingly criticises the proposals made by Captain Clado for attacking the Japanese fleet. lie describes them as chimerical. April 6. The Russian Admiralty has decided to spend £25,000,000 in ship-building. The Russians on Tuesday, assuming the offonssive, at first bombaided Chin-chen-tun. ! A large infantry force, supported by tw o j flanking columns, simultaneously advanced ' within 400 metres of the Japanese posi- . tions. The attack was. completely repulsed after a sharp conflict. The Japanese ' casualties "were 27, and the Russian 200. April 7. The Times' St. Petersburg correspondent ■ leports that official information has been. , leceaved that 475,000 Japanese are advancing in descent formation. ' General Oku is on the left, General Nogi

and General Nodzu in the centre, an*. General Kuroki and Gener-1 Kamamura on the right. It is feared that General Linevitch will be compelled to withdraw under penalty ol finding his position turned. General Linevitch leports that a Japanese column, which was approaching Vladivostock, was repulsed at Kilju, in Northeastern Korea. "* The Russians who were defeated at Chm-gia-tun retreated to Su-ming-cbeng and along the Fengh-na road. The Daily Mail states that Admiral Dubogatofi", -.vith the third squadron of the Baltic fleet, is taking three weeks' provisions, and starting south. The disasters at Mukden have disheartened the crews. A fifth issue of Japanese exchequer bends to the amount of one hundred million yen (£10,000,000) will be made early in May en the same teims as the fourth i-sue. Japan has granted 10 million yen (£1,000,000) to the relatives of the soldiers I and sailors killed in the war. April 8. Admiral DubogatofF hailed a steamer, , which reports to Penang that 27 warships, . inestimably Japanese, v>c-re sighted 79 miles south-west, of Penang. Lloyd's Agency reports that the Russian fleet passed Singapore on Saturday after* i noon, apparently heading for Darian Straiti i The British steamer Tara. which has reached Singapore, reports that 47 Rusi sian ships were sighted 130 miles north oi ; Singapore. Two other stenmers which have j arrived at Penang report sighting a largi i Russian fleet in the Straits of Malacca, mii eluding 25 transports, steering towards Singapore. Another steamer reports sighting 12 j cruisers, presumably Japanese, "some disi tanco ahead of the Russian?. It is supi posed they were scouting. There is great excitement at Penang and Singapore. The British battleship Ocean and the cruiser Sutlej, ?nd another cruise* from Hongkong, have been ordered to Singapore immediately.

April 9. It is conjectured that Admiral Rozhdestvensky is endeavouring to make Saigon (Anam. French territory). Russia is ordering 500,000.000 cartridges abroad. The Creusot works have contracted for seven millions sterling worth of gun ammunition. April 10. It is believed Admiral Togo commands battleships and 25 cruisers, besides destroyers and converted liners. The Baltic fleet, four abreast, looking magnificent, "but foul, steamed past Singa^ port seven miles out, disappearing at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. All were burring .soft coal. The smoke was visible for miles. The speed was eight knots an 1 our. A large cruiser and three converted cruisers formed the van. Then came cruisers, battleships, and colliers. The latter, chiefly in the centre, all showed signs of travel. A foot of seaweed was visible ca the waterline. The decks of the battleships were laden with coal. The colliers and converted liners looked light. The Russian Consul handed the fleet despatches, and informed the Vice-admiral of the first news of the Mukden disaster. The fleet did not stop. No one was allowed aboard. No 'news was vouchsafed. The crews manned the guns, but since the fleet had not entered territorial waters they were not saluted. The Times says Admiral Togo's best policy is to lure Admiral Rozhdestvensky until within hail of the Japanese base. English experts consider Admiral Rozhdestvensky is following Admiral Folkersham's fleet, since it is unlikely he would, divide his forces. Some consider the Pescadores Admiral Togo's headquarters. Russian experts consider the fleet must now proceed to Vladivostock. Any attempt to regain Saigon would causa serious complications. It is thought a battle is unlikely for three weeks, and then it will be off the Japanese coast. General Kourapatkin telegraphs to the Czar that the First Army is confident of victory, "but wePinust have time." Two Russian attacks ut Thu-lu-sha were repulsed with 60 casualties. Russians clanm to have destroyed a picket of Japanese dragoons at Shan-tun g on the 6th, capturing 21.