Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 58, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1904 — Progress of the War [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Progress of the War

THE fogs of doubt and uncertainty hung as heavily last week over the sent of war in the far East as at any time since the beginning of hostilitiesr No official news of land movements was permitted by either Russia or Japan to leak out, while the operations on sea by the Japanese, with the exception of an occasional attack on Port Arthur, were carefully screened. As a result the war correspondents in the East are forced to send out uncertain rumors, without having the time or opportunity of investigating them, much that is unreliable Is finding Its way into the history of the present struggle. Were all the reports of Japanese successes true, Russia would scarcely have a boat afloat in the East, outside the Viadivestoek fleet, and that, too, according to early reports, was blown up In the Tsugari straits. Some of Russian vessels at Tort Arthur must have been destroyed several times. Whatever may be the truth of these reports, it seems conclusively established that the Japanese failed to block the harbor at Port Arthur, else the Russian cruisers could not move so freely from the inner basin to the roadstead. Relative to the immunity of the Japanese vessels under Russian fire at Port Arthur, the reports do not by any means agree. Two separate reports came from Cliefoo that two Japanese warships, after the bombardment of last week Thursday, wore towed in a disabled condition to Susebo for repairs, and a paper published at Tien-Tsin states that the battleship Yashima and the cruisers Asauia and Tokiwa were damaged and that two torpedo boats were destroyed. According to a Chefoo dispatch the Russians discovered -a sunken Jananese torpedo boat in the outer *hatbor. Later the Japanese lminhardad Port-Aril)nr again and the cruiser Askold had a gun dismounted and two men injured. The Russians deny the loss of a torpedo boat In Pigeon bay. They state that a Jananese shot pierced the hull of a torpedo boat, but that the leak was stopped and the vessel returned to Port Arthur under her own steam. Meantime, according to reports, which neither country confirms, the Japanese have extended their sea operations to the north and are said to bo blockading the Russian naval base of Yiadivostock. No reports confirming the landing of the Japanese in force at Possiet bay, seventy-five miles south of Yiadivostock, have been received. The object of this movement, it was said at the time, was to advance Into the Interior, some 220 miles to Kirin, which is a town situated on a spur of the railroad running to Port Arthur. The country between Possiet bay and Kirin Is mountainous and poorly supplied with roads, so that the Japanese, If such a movement Is being conducted, must have at their disposal a strong force. In pushing on to Kirin the Japanese would flank the Russian army being concentrated on tho Yalu river, and they would lay their own base of communication exposed to the Russian troops at Yiadivostock. At the same time they would be advancing directly Into the teeth of the heavy reinforcements which Russia is pouring down the Port Arthur branch of the Manchurian railway. There seems to be the same dearth of positive information regarding land operations as sea movements. No two reports agree as to the strength

of Japan's forces in Korea or of Russia’s in Manchuria. Probably outside government circles the knowledge does not exist, and neither government is outlining either its land strength or its plans. That the Japanese are availing themselves of their temporary mastery of the sea, hastening reinforcements to Korea, is certain; that Russia is straining every nerve to hurry her troops from Europe to the East is eqtially so. Advance parties, of the Japanese and Russians are getting glimpses of each other in Northern Korea and mounted Cossacks are reported as seizing telegraph lines wherever they penetrate. Reports state that Russian mounted cavalry (presumably Cossacks) have appeared at Anju and that a strong force has been dispatched to Eastern Korea. Both sides are apparently maneuvering for position, and it is probable that somewhere near I’ing Yang the first serious engagement on land will be fought. The Japanese are said to have landed 120,000 troops in Korea, and transports are leaving Japanese ports at regular intervals with reinforcements. Russia is moving much slower than Japan in this military movement. Gen. Kouropatkiri, who will have supreme control of the land operations in the East, will not leave for the front for a couple of weeks yet, as it Is his wish to have 400,000 troops at his disposal before actively entering on tbe campaign. That Russia does not intend to force the fighting is evidenced by tbe notification given to our Ambassador at St Petersburg relative to tbe American officers who are to make observations with the Russian troops. They are not expected to attach themselves to the Russian army before April 15. Meantime there seems to be a consensus of opinion among military experts that Japan is preparing for an investment of Port Arthur by sea and laud. In fact, in certain quarters the belief is strong that the movement for the land investment is already under way. The Russian commander, Gen. Stoessel, who directs the garrison, has issued a proclamation outlining this purpose of the Japanese, and called upon the troops to fight to a finish. “I, as commandant,” he said, “will never give an order to surrender.”

Russia has strained every nerve to get troops into Korea. Her Cossacks are the flower of her army. They are said to be the finest cavalrymen in the world. This Is a sketch of a regiment of Coasacks entraining at Irkutsk for the scene of conflict. 1 - grr ' ..... ~

RUSHING TROOPS TO SCENE OF WAR.

The Whitehead torpedo, the terrible engine of destruction and terror of modern warfare, used by the Japanese navy.