Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1905 — ON THE BACK TRICK [ARTICLE]

ON THE BACK TRICK

Section of the Czar’s Pacific Fteet Sails in the Direction of the Suez Canal. RUSSIRAS OUT OF POST ARTHUR Total of Those No Longer In tbe Fort Foots Up 114,300 Men and Officers—Peace Talk at St. Petersburg. Toklo, Jan. 10—In well-informed circles it Is estimated that the original garrison of Port Arthur numbered about 38,000 to 40,000 men, including sailors. The killed, those who died of sickness and the missing are placed at over 10,000. Suda Bay, Jan. 9. Vice Admiral Botrovsky’s division of the Russian second Pacific squadron, consisting of the cruisers Oleg, Izumrud, Dnieper and Rion, and the torpedo boat destroyers Grozny, Gromski and Rezlty, which had been delayed in Suda bay, left yesterday afternoon for Port Said. These vessels passed through the Suez canal eastward-bound early In December, and are now seemingly retracing their way to European waters.

Washington, Jan. 9. —The Japanese legation has received the following cablegram from the foreign office at Tokio under date of yesterday: “General Nogi on Sunday reports that the delivery of Russian prisoners under the capitulation was completed on Saturday. The totai of the prisoners was 878 officers and 23,491 men, whereof 441 officers and 229 orderlies gave parole so far. General Smirnoff, General Fock, General Gorbatovsky and Admiral Willmann preferred to be sent to Japan as prisoners, while Stoessel will leave Dalny for home on the 12th of January.” Fock Hod I teen Reported Dead. Reports previously sent from the Far East were to the effect that both Lieutenant Generals Fock and Smirnoff had been killed at Port Arthur. On Jan. 2 a St. Petersburg dispatch denied that Fock had been killed, but admitted that he had been wounded. A dispatch received from Mukden Jan. 7 said that while the death of Fock had not been published, it -had for sir weeks been nccepted there ns a fact The report of General Smirnoff’s death had never been confirmed. Talk of Peace Is Heard, St. Petersburg, Jan. 9, 2:10 a. m.— The conferences which Emperor Nicholas has been holding with members of the counsel of the empire, M. Witte, and other ministers and advisors, on the internal and external situation have not yet been concluded, but nothing lias occurred which would indicate that the government is prepared to depart from its present programme of continuing the war to the bitter end. Nevertheless, talk of peace is heard in many quarters, the foundation for it being ascribed to Foreign Minister Lamsdorff’s alleged position in favor of such a course on the ground that, aside from the humiliation to military prestige involved It would only mean the relinquishment of Manchuria, to which Russia already is formally pledged. There is no confirmation of this statement. RUSS IS PRETTY “SCULIMM” Had Hts Hospital* Arranged to Save Roth Port Arthur Towns. Tokio, Jan. 9.—The Japanese intend to establish a naval station at Port Arthur. Vice Admiral Sbibayama will probably be placed in charge of it. The military administration at Port Arthur will retain only a small garrison as soon as the prisoners are withdrawn and order Is restored. The fleet is busily engaged in clearing mines, but owing to their gTeat number navigation will be unsafe for a long time. Only government craft will be allowed to enter the harbor. London, Jan. 9. —The correspondent at Tokio of The Times says: “The map of Port Arthur which the Russians produced on Dec. 18 in support of their complaint that the Japanese fire was damaging hospitals shows seventeen hospitals scattered throughout the old and new towns. To avoid hitting these the Japanese batteries would have had to refrain from firing altogether in the direction of both towns.”

Mew York Japanese Celebrate. New York, Jan. 9. —The fall of Port Arthur was celebrated here at a mass meeting of Japanese residents of the city, held in Carnegie hall. The affair was intended to be solely for the Japanese residents. 500 of whom attended, and the only intited guests were General Stewart L. Woodford. <? -minister to Spain, and Alexander Tison, both of whom spoke.