WAR ITEMS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11392, 24 October 1904, Page 5

WAR ITEMS.

Profiting by a favourable wind, the Japanese have succeeded in throwing cx J plosives inside Port Arthur from balloons, thus causing .great damage to the town. — Rome exchange. ! The war correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald, referring to the retreat from Taschichiao, says: — "In view of the turn which events took it is impossible not to feel surprise at the retirement of the Russians upon HaicHeng and their immediate abandonment of the position at Taschichiao. The necessity for the retreat was in no wise apparent,- a policy of masterly inactivity in these days of modern warfare requiring some" better explanation than one which exists solely upon the successes of the Russian retirement before the legions of Napoleon. None the less the influence of the Napoleonic campaign xipon Russian strategy is singularly marked, and there is no doubt that the guiding principle in the present operations dictate a close adherence to that earlier war. Conditions, however, have altered since the days of the invasion of Russia, and great difficulty would be experienced in supporting the existence of a parallel between the two campaigns either in the strength of the opposing armies or in the physical character of the theatre of operations." , " A Russian correspondent at Liaoyang wired on August 30:— "The Japanese all day yesterday carried on the fight with an energy approaching desperation, but the Russians were buoyed up in the belief that a point had been reached when there would be no more retreating, and the Japanese attacks were met with shouts and hurrahs from the trenches and the rifle pits. Five times the Japanese hurled themselves against our line, but t each time they were repulsed at the point of the bayonet. There were about 100(5 guns in action on each side, but we have more guns emplaced than have the Japanese. The losses cannot yet be imputed, but they have been great everywhere, especially among the artillerymen. For instance, in the First Artillery Brigade every officer was either killed or wounded, and Bom© of the guns were silenced absolutely, owing to the death of all the gun crews. Tho spirits of the men are of the highest at all points. The fighting at Wa-yang-kan cannot be compared with .that of today. SUella shriolred over the town from early morning. People who occupied positions- on housetops had a magnificent spectacle."