Eastern Affairs

Southland Times, Issue 19265, 1 February 1904, Page 2

Eastern Affairs

SKY AGAIN OVERCAST. Per United Press Association. By Electric Telegraph. — Copyright LONDON, Jan. 29. I: Japanese mercantile housed in Lon- * don have been instructed not to nogotiate commercial bills at present. " A Russian military party has cross- f ed tho Korean frontier near the Yalu Hiver. The Russians are extending * the telegraph line from tho mouth or t tho Yalu to Port Arthur. Tho con- t i centration of Gossacks on the Korean , frontier continues. / Reports from two sources allege s that Russia has refused to guarantee ] China's sovereignty in Manchuria. , Russian and Japanese stocks have i fallen in London. ' THE AWAITED DOCUMENT. I Received 31ftt, 958 p.m. Jan. 30. Count Lamsdorff has intimated that a reply will be transmitted to Japan next week. Great care is being bestowed on drafting it and Alexioff's views are also awaited before tho drafts are flnajly submitted to the Czar. The Times' Paris correspondent says an interview with prominent Russians, published in Paris, and utterances in other directions, show that Japan's decisive attitude- renders it extremely difficult to frame a reply which shall be neither provocative of war nor invojlvo complete surrender. JUST FOR PRACTICE. Tho Daily Mail's Chefoo correspondent states that a Japanese warship in the vicinity of Cheinulpho fired thrice acfoss the bows of the Russian steamer Argun, bound from Nagasaki to Dalny. In response to the frantic appeals ol his passengers the captain of tho Argun decided to stop, but no further challenge was made. Iti tho event of war General Kourojatkin commands the Russian land forces.