Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1904 — THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST

LL of last week there was little news and less that was reliable coming front the seat of war in the Far East. Some of the reports dealing with alleged operations on land seemed to be the creations of imaginative writers, while others were so conflicting that it was difficult to know wliat part to accept and what part to reject. With considerable circumstantiality it was reported that Russian advance guards south of the Y'alu River were driven back, with tlie loss of 2,500 lives. There -Rare been -some-big battles fought in wbieb the loss of life was much less than tins, and the association of advance guards, which usually do not number oyer 100

men each with such a slaughter carried its own refutation. While, of course, there may be minor clashes between Russians and .Japanese in Ivorea at any tune, it has seemed probable that weeks might elapse before there would be any serious land fighting. Russia, undoubtedly, Is not ready for aggressiveness, and it will "be her policy to delay matters as long as possible so as to have herre-iiiforoon.eiiis on the ground before the serious work of land campaigning is begun. One report had it that orders had been issued to army and navy officers to remain on the defensive ■ until June, when naval rc-inforcements are" expected, to arrive in the East from Europe. Apparently, the Japanese have been contenting themselves with effecting as thorough an organization in Korea as possible. They have been extending the railroad from-Pusan northward toward the A alu River, so as to be able to hurry their men and supplies to the front when the serious campaigning should begin. The Japanese minister to England, A iscount Hayasai, says" that Japan wlirtalte her lime lit opening the campaign. "The shallow inlets,” he says, ‘are now frozen, retarding the disembarkation of our forces.” Meantime Russia is, grappling with the difficulty of moving ro-inforce-ments across the intervening space'of nearly 6,000 miles which lie between Port Arthur ami Vladivostock and SF. Petersburg. One report. Russia is its source, however, says that the Manchurian and Siberian roads are conveying troops without difficulty to the various points of concentration, and Prince Khilikoff, the Minister of Railroad Communication, states that the Siberian Railroad is able to move 30,000 troops a day toward their destination, but that the transit fpom western points to the Far East will require six weeks. These are widely ..different from , still another report which says that the movement of troops Is much slower than was expected, the anticipated average of 7,000 a day having fallen to 3,000. trnder 'Russia's new .plans for the land campaign "General Kurophtkln, Who resigned as Minister of War, assumes command of the entire military forces in the East. lie has the reputation of being one of the ablest officers in Europe, and in Russia he is almost worshiped by the soldiers. He has had wide military experiences in some of Russia's campaigns in Asia and in the war against Turkey in 1577. Several members of Russia’s royal family, Including Grand Duke Michael, brother of the Czar, and Grand Duke Alexis, set out for the seat of war. • A singular phase which one •would hardly associate with Russia is the wonderful wave of patriotic enthusiasm which Is sweeping over the country. Even the wild tribes of the Caucasus, Finns and Poles are offering their services to the common fatherland, while in St Petersburg forty-five Jewish physicians have offered to go to the front to care for the wounded. Rubles by the hundreds of thousands are being donated for Red Cross relief work. During the week the rumor was again renewed that Russia was negotiating for the passage of her Black Sea fleet through th«, Dardanelles. This fleet consists of several powerful battleships and a strong torpedo flotilla and should it be enabled to reach the East it might greatly alter the balance of naval power there. Late reports of the land movement by the Japanese show that troops landed at Posslet Bay, near Vladivostok, and advanced to Hungchun. The Russian government at Vladivostok fled tq temporary quarters at Khabarooka, on the Amur River, 600 miles north. The invaders marched on Kirin, to the west. Seventy miles of Trans-Siberian railway between Vladivostok and Harbin have been destroyed by the Japanese. These moves were believed to be preparatory to an attack on Vladivostok. Dalny was evacuated but the lt«s|jians boasted that they had mined the city so the Japanese would not dare occupy it. The Korean government ordered its soldiers to join the Japanese army in the field. Practically nothing Is known of Japan's plans on land or sea. An unconfirmed report, which Is probably false, states that the Japanese captured four Russian torpedo boats at Port Arthur by using the Russian signals. ■ It Is believed that the objective point of the Japanese troops which have been landed at Chemulpo is Ping-Yang, a place of great strategic value, south of the mouth of the Yalu River. As It seems to be authentically stated that a Cossack force has taken possession of Anju, to the north of Ping-Yang, It has seemed as though the first serious land fighting would likely take place in that vicinity.

CHEMULPO, KOREA, WHERE BIG JAP FORCE HAS LANDED.