RUSSO- JAPANESE WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2677, 5 July 1905, Page 19

RUSSO- JAPANESE WAR.

RUSSIA MUST LOSE HER POSITION. THE PERESVIET RAISED. ST. PETERSBURG, June 29. r Admiral Niebogatoff and the commanders 6nrrendering their ships will be tried on their return, to Russia on charges which, if proved, will lead to dismissal with degradation, or capital punishment. ' " June 30. Russia -has / expressed her willingness to consider the question, of compensation for the sinking of th* St. Kilda, but she gives a definite decision after reference to the Prize Court. The newspapers in. tliiG city are beginning to. hint that Russia must be recon-, ciled' to "the less of her/ position in the J?ar East. , July 1. ; Count Nelidoff declined, on the groundr toi , ill-health, the appointment of peace plenipotentiary at tie Washington Confereace. M. Muravieff, Minister of Jus- , tice, has been selected in his stead. LONDON, June 27. There is an exodus from the Isle of Saghalien owing to the scarcity of food. It is reported in Paris that Japan has already occupied Saghalien. — ~ June 28. The Japanese advance in Manchuria and Korea continues, the Russians, - after sharp skirmishing, retiring slowly northwards. Russia has assented to the peace conference being held on the Ist of August. Prince Arisugawa has been made a Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. On Monday Japanese cavalry occupied Ku-_si-yong, ten miles north of Kyong-6-yong. They also repulsed a Russian attack at Chang-chia-tien, on the extreme Japanese left. The distance between the two points is 370 miles. No British battleships will remain on the China station. China wishes to be represented at the Peace Conference. The 'Russians interpret the Japanese advance on Hai-lung-cheng as a diversion preparatory to General Nogi's turning movement on the west, June 29. Instead of following General Kourapatkin's system of extending his flanks, General Linevitch has arranged his forces with a narrow front. The Japanese outposts are capturing i Linevitch's spies at the rate of 30 daily. Chinese officers, having their headquarters at Pai-nien-cheng, in the Russian interest, are despatching these spies, who are estimated to number 3000. Reuter'e St. Petersburg correspondent reports that the Reservists in 124 districts, including St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiefi, Warsaw, and Vilna, are mobilising, and a T e mostly being enrolled secretly at night. June 30. Japanese torpedoers have been sighted Off Vladivostock. July 3. General Linevitch reports that on the Imorning of the 29th ult. a vigorous 'Japanese advance on Beiliie compelled the Russians to retreat until reinforced, when the Japanese retired. The Japanese advanced from Nan-ehan-clienso to Lu,gu-chau * and from Ju-lan-tsi to Wan-heku. President £,oosevelt has announced that the plenipotentiaries — M. Muravieff and Baron Rosen (Russia), and Barons Komura ami Takahira (Japan) — have full power to ( ' negotiate and conclude a treaty, subject to ■ ratification by their respective Governments. A passenger on the ''Piinsesse Marie gave the Russian cruiser Terek a Singapore paper containing the news of the Baltic fleet's defeat, whereupon the officers and tsxmr loudly cheered. The Terek was

beaded for Batavia with the last scrapings of coal. WASHINGTON, June 27. Russia and Japan have been informed by President Roosevelt that the peace plenipotentiaries will meet in the United States during the first ten days of August. TOKIO, June 27. In reference to the fate of the cruiser Ta Kasago, cabled on the 2nd inst., the Japan Times states that the vessel, with 500 men aboard, struck a mine during a severe snowstorm and gale at midnight on December 12. There was a hole 6fc in diameter in the middle of her water line. She listed to port. The electric lights were extinguished in 15 minutes, except the lights on the bridge. An ethergram warned the squadron, and Captain Ishibashi directed the crew to equip themselves with lifebelts, and that nobody should lea re the ship until she sank. " Together 'we -will share the vessel's fate,' 1 he said. The crew then assembled on the bridge, at the masts, and I in. the netting, where they waited in solemn silence. At 1 o'clock they sang the Japanese National Anthem, and cheered for the Mikado, ihe Empire, and the Imperial Navy. They next sang a naval song, and afterwards were permitted to smoke. The waves now rose higher and higher, and the snow grew thicker. At 10 minutes past 1 there t#is a sudden list, and her masts dipped in the waves. The vsssel gave a suddeu shudder, and then plunged to the bottom. Three beats had been previously lowered, and these rescued a Hew of the men. The warship Otawa arrived at this juncture, and showed her searchlights and assisted in the rescue. One hundred and thirty-three men, including Captain Ishibashi, were saved. June 29. The Constitutional and Progressive parties in this city have adopted practically identical resolutions demanding the cession I of territory, as well as an indemnity equal j to the war outlay, as Japan's conditions of peace. June 30. The Peresviet, a Russian battleship of 12,674 tons, sunk by the Japanese during the siege, has been refloated at Port , Arthur. BRISBANE, June 30. Captain Wafson, of the Rotokino, has returned from Japan, where he took a cargo of foodstuffs in the Rotokino. At Kobe she was sold to a Japanese fiim, who intended to convert her into a hospital ship to be used to convey invalid soldiers from Korean ports. When Captain Watson left the sick and wounded soldiers were streaming back, but the Japanese were determined to go on until Russia had cried "Enough." They were also determined to make China an up-to-date nation. If they obtained a large indemnity from Russia they would ' utilise it in efforts to get the Eastern trade into their own hands, and would no ' doubt succeed.