Latest Items of Intelligence.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7685, 8 February 1904, Page 5

Latest Items of Intelligence.

Russian Press Optimistic With Regard to Peace.

(Beceived To-day, at 12.4 a.m.)

London, February 7.

Very few at Tokio or St. Petersburg are aware of any rupture in the negotiations. The Russian Press, to-day, ia optimistic in regard to peace. The P. and O. steamer, Patawau, has sailed for China, carrying a large quantity of ammunition for the British fleet. Japan has despatched troops to Seoul.

The sympathy of the world, speaking generally, is certainly on the side of Japan. For one thing, what the world sees is a little State standing dauntlessly in front of a big State. Japan has a population of less than 45,000,000; Russia has a population of 140,000,000. It is battle betwixt Tom Thumb and the giant! All the world, too, has learned to deeply mistrust Russian diplomacy, and to dread Russian ambitions. Woe to the State—strong or weak—whose borders march with those of Russia! Russia has a giant's appetite as well as a giant's strength, and whole provinces are but morsels for its hungry jaws. But, which ever side wins, the emergence of a new power in the Far East is almost certain to be one of the results of the coming conflict. A cablegram from Tokio reports that the plans of Russia include the establishment of control over China, and tho training of its vast hosts by Russian agents. It is certain that the dreams of Japan herself look in the same direction. The brute strength for shaft, and either Japan or Russia for spear-head, would constitute a weapon at which the world might well tremble ! —Dr. Fitchett, in " Life."

Among the arrivals in Sydney by the steamer Chingtu last week wa3 Mr G. F. Witton, an Australian, who has been in almost every country in the world during the past five years, but more latterly in Russia and Manchuria. Mr Witton is well known as a publisher of directories; in fact, the publications of this character with which he has been identified include all the capitals from Cairo to Yokohama. In Manchuria, since the late trouble commenced, he had made considerable progress with a directory, but he was advised in a manner about which there could be no misunderstanding that the country would be better for his absence, and he accordingly lost no time in getting out of it. Quite a feature of the impending struggle, said Mr Witton, is the number of press correspondents who are on the spot ready to take up reporting for the big papers of the world when the first shot is fired. Recently dozens of cables were sent by tbe American papers to all the correspondents at Manila of any note, instructing them to proceed to the expected seat of operations, their engagements being on the most liberal terms.