WAR IN THE EAST.

Western Star, 27 May 1904, Page 3

WAR IN THE EAST.

London May 23" General Kuroki's advance division continues in touch with the . Russians, near Motienling Pass, where the Liaoyang road passes through a mountain defile. Fourteen foreign attaches are there. The Russian line extends from Haicheng to west of Motienling. Admiral Skryloff has hoisted flag on the cruiser Rossia, at Vladivbstock. A Japanese aquadron is cruising between Wensan and Vladivostock. The Times' steamer Haimun, reports that Japan has at least 150,000 men in Manchuria and Liaoyang Peninsula. St Petersburg reports state that pumping saved the battleship Orel stranded in the Neva. ; : I

AJgpiral De Horsey, writing to the TinSsj- says the wilful placing of mines in the open sea, ten miles from land, is an inhuman act and tantamount to wholesale murder. The Russians are disinclined to fight unless they possess great snperiority. Russian artillery and mounted troops reoccupied Niuchwang on -the 22nd and are entrenching south of the town. s*t Petersburg, telegrams declare

that a second Japanese cruiser of the Shikishima type was damaged off Eort-Arthur on the 16th and sank four miles from the entrance to the harbour, the crew being saved. ) .<•-: 24. I Admiral Alexieff is enrolling many Saghalien convicts who have volunteered for the war, the Czar promising tp remhVone year's .imprisonment for month's, service, and to give fecial .rewards for gallantry in the fieia, ;.-m;." ■:■■ | The Japanese have sent a force from Jensen'to suppress Russian raiders i|i Northern Korea. | The Russians haye collected a hundred locomotives and 800 cars at Liaoyang in readiness to remove - stores to if necessary. 3 ALujoyarig telegram states that no exerfibti to tire the Japanese c^va|r^.'s.Australian; horses. ..,:. s Rains melting the snows have „ suspended the Japanese advance, thus enabling the Russians to strengthen their positions at Liaoyang and Mukden. fit is announced from St Petersburg tlat, as it was impossible to save the protected cruiser Bogatyr, which ran oh rocks at VLdivosiock, the Russians rfmoved the guns, and blew up the

strip. tKurokvreports, that a section of bis infantry, encountered 200 , Cossacks tbt miles north-West of Kwantien. e Cossacks fled -north-east, leaving twenty dead. IThe Times' correspondent at Feng|mei.cheng writing on the 13th, says " ; The Japanese army remains here twenty clays, pending developments o| the part of the army landed at Pitsiawo. „ ,. ,'.-.-■- 'The flatly. Telegraph's St. Petersburg correspondent states that military experts j estimate that 200,000 Japanese are now, west of the Yalu aiid that Kuroki's and Oko's forces ai"e daily being strengthened. I Cossacks have appeared on General Kuroki's lines of communication at Kaoliman, bat this was forseen and provided'for. - jv-The leading newspapers in Britain afid*Am©rica are .emphatic in denouncing feckless sowing of the ocean with floating mines, which they characterise aS a savage disregard of neutral ing in urged the necessity lor prompt action to stop the indis-criminate-use of mines. The. American .naval attaches at the various capitals have been instructed to report upon the danger to neutral shipping from mines floating on the Manchurian coast ; the informstion to be submitted to the Naval Board, whose report will be presented to Mr Roosevelt and . representations, if necessary, made to the belligerents. It is reported at Mukden that Cossacks have captured several transport columns, thus hampering General Kuroki.

The Japanese are closing Yongampho to mercantile traffic, it is supposed as a prelude to landing part of a third army on the Yalu. t The- Japanese treat captured Russian spies a 3 prisoners and do not shoot them. The intricate nature of the minefields prevented the occupation of D ilny, the fleet being unable to adequately co-operate. General Stossel has seized all the banks' cash at Port Arthur.

A Chif u telegram report that heavy firing has been beard near Port Arthur, indicating a lan I attack since the Japanese fleet is not there assisting. President of the CanadianPacific Railway is confident that the light, badly constructed Manchurian railway will be unable to victual half a million Russians. Russians burned the shi'ines and destroyed the mausoleums erected at Hamheung in the 14th century by the foundefipf the present dynasty. The Korearßare intensely excited. The Daily telegraph says the Russian Admiralty declares that the mine that'sank the Hatsuse was anchored in the outer harbour and that the tide carried it outside. Advices from Chefu state that eight Japanese vessels, circling round the entrance, bombarded Port Arthur on Tuesday, firing broadsides at intervals of ten minutes. The Times' special steamer reports from Society Bay yesterday that she saw four Japanese cruisers and four destroyers assisting in the lauding of a party and that heavy fighting is progressing ashore. Japanese scouts have again been seen north east of Mukden.