WAR IN THE EAST.

Western Star, 24 May 1904, Page 3

WAR IN THE EAST.

:._.. London, May 20. Admiral Dewa has reported to Admiral Togo that on the afternoon of 15th, during a dense fog, the Kasunga rammed the ; Yoshino off Port Arthur; and she sank in a few minutes ; 90 of her crew were saved.

I On the same morning the battleship Hatsuse was cruising off Port Arthur, covering the landing of troops when she struck a mine ten knots south-east of the harbour entrance and, while signalling for help, struck A second mine and sank in half an hour; • Just then a Russian flotilla of sixteen torpedo destroyers approached, but the cruisers beat tbem off'.; The Japanese'torpedoes .saved 300 men, including Admiral*' Hashiba ' and Capt. Nakao. The Hatsuse's complement numbered 740, the Yoshino's 880. Russia is terribly uneasy for the safety of the Siberian railway, • though 25,000 soldiers are. guarding 1400 miles of it. ; - - :;v The Captain of a Chinese, ship which has reached Weiheiwei states-that the Japanese on Sunday heavily bombarded Port Arthur and simultaneously landed a great force behind the -fortress. ■ —. '• ■ '■•'." '" : ; ■ '"■;'. ' :v;V ; .The Times' military expert calculates that it "will' take the railway 37 days to''transport to Mukden even; one army corps, while two additional'cannot arrive before the end of September. Japanese officers informed thV.Fawan that two Russian destroyers escaped from Port Arthur and are .'still at 'large They declared thai the Russians are using Chinese junks in place of minesin the path of the ' Japanese .'fleet patrolling the coasts Of The Japanese, sank a tug and several jnilks while laying mines. The a greater, distance 4 of£ shore ;&nd £fche Japanese" have also laid/ many outside Port Arthur in the.: "iopsi, Of sinking the escaped mines, 'njiattchored i -are/-a^£t:irig Liaotung Gulf. The Fa wan passed eight arid a Chinese junk- picked iip. thirteen of*.them-.« ■#& g •// %%{i | l#is>eportedon Tiensiirthat 70,000 ■•troopVare *m ircliing to the relief of-Port Arthur, thus compelling the Japanese to accelerate their/assault The Japanese %M mounting six.;siriclvnaval guns, hoping to silence the Port Arthur batteries. Their advance lines are within seven miles' of tin, Russian guns. , ~, ' , „ Two hews agencies Report from Niuchwang and Tiensin that the Jap-' aUese have sustained a defeat, and are falling \back on ' : Fcnghuencheug. Later messages state that 20,000 Jap-,, anese on finding 32,000 Russians in a strong position sixty miles west of Fenghuencheng, retreated in order, but very rapidly and without fighting. 21st. Admiral Togo reports, that he received, at five o'clock on Sunday morn-Bewa's-ethergraul, say-. ing that while.returning frOm blocking Port Arthur -his -squadron encountered a dense fog/hnr|h^a.rd : s of Shantung and the feasuga-collided with the port quarter of the Yoshino which .was .sunk.', The.Kasuga'sj-boats saved 90. This has; bee'nfa mostf unfortunate day for our navy. * \V hile' the fleet -were watching the'; enemy off Port - Arthur the Hatsuse struck'an 'enemy's mine !vnd the rudder was damaged. She. seritka message, fbra'ship to tow her off and one was being sent when another message brought the lamentable report that-the Hatsuse had struck another mine and foundered ten knots from Liaotishan Promotory. No enemy was visible. 'The loss was due to a- mine or submarine; The Hatsuse sank in half an hour. While she was sinking'sixteen of the enemy's torpedo craft appeared: but were? driven Off ]of\ the .fleet.. 'V *1 .. I S 1 'I i

"t Correspondents fyas riot a word of exultation in St burg, bnt evident sorrow for tbi"%ath9 of bravo'men. Tlfe correspondent reports 4liat "t ie Josses of tbe yessela did not "Icaii'se ||n| ejxfcitemlent &'■';-■*■■'•' •■'■ ■ '■'■ %s^

Kquropatkiu describes sharp skirmishing north and north west of Fenghnencheng and states that the Japanese were dislodged 1 fromf pur. positions and retired twelve miles 'fo Tatieris^ei,, fPfie reported retreat is interpreted in Berlin as a conceiitratioij.;; movement for the "purpose oi'ebvehgthening the : ''ad-' vanceo ;t»y?ards;-- NiisShwang. The JapanesoadVance towards Liaqyang is. considered a feiiit, the real; ;.insetttiori being to form an outer ring from An-, tung to Niuchwang. These; would' form the bases for a northward ad-. vance. : Viewed in! this ';> light*vthe \ Japanese diversion northwards of Mukden arid the'advance by: Ki.ririii abrilliant ihovc. ' Significance is at-.; tached to the publication, iit Tqkio,'!of ; landings at Takuslian. The despatch boat Fa wan was informed'that tho Japanese intend to storm and capture Port Arthur at the earliest possible-moment iri order to prevent the seuding out of the Baltic fleet.

Tlie Russian headquarters at Muk--den reports that- the Japanese maiii body,' estimated; at BQ,OQO/remanis south of the Russian force covering Liaoyang, their advance being apparently . suspended: Cil'heir inaction causes surprise since the Russian forces are daily increasing. It, is surmised that rain has hampered the artillerf. The s iinssian'B still hold the a-ailway tolTashichaxp i. ", -Japanese' at Shan sheshan east of Kinchau, had-half au : houi J s ? fight and ; repeiled the Russians. One. Russian officer and 45 men were killed and an c, and,., eight men were wounded. German-critios tliai" her naval losses will ihterefere with Japan's operations or the couise of the campaign. . <• Foreigners at , Tokio are askin . whether Russia because of war is warranted in mining the whole world's maritime fairway in the Gulf of Pecbili.

The Japanese -surroundelj and routed a squadron of Russian cavalry at Wangchiotun, sir miles rurth of

Takushan on Friday. There were; many casualties*, and the Russian captain"was made a "prisoner. There.were no Japanese casualties. The preparation of rthe, Baltic -fleet is proceeding with greaVvigor, Russia Avill probably have two divisions sailing on different routes for asecret ren- ■. • ■ ?