Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1904 — BUSSIANS IN A TRAP. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BUSSIANS IN A TRAP.

PORT ARTHUR IS INVESTED BY TWO JAP ARMIES. Cut Off from the 'World, Russians Expect to Hold City for Year—Mikado's GO,OOO Men Land from Sixty Trans ports and Seize Railroad. The Russians seem to have abandoned Port Arthur .to its fate, and Gen. Stocssel. and his men must either surrender dr die. The Japanese invading armies swarm at will over the narrow 'neck of the Lino-Tung peninsula. They have cut the wires and blockaded the railroad back of the doomed Alexieff ami the wounded were hurriedly shipped north, just before the way of escape was closed. Admiral Togo has reduced Port Arthur's fleet to a nullity. Two big Japanese armies, believed to number not less than 60,000 men, have landed on the Liao-Tung peninsula north of Port Arthur, seized the railroad and put the Russian fortress in a state of siege. One army landed on the west, tho other on the east, coast of the peninsula. It is reported that one army will march north and attack Newcliw.'iiii'. Port Arthur has been isolated and left to its own resources, and' yet all this the Russians seem to accept with great stoicism. These events have been expected since the outbreak of the war and tho authorities appear to lie relieved now that tho blow has fallen. They assert that the fortress of I’ort Arthur is impregnable and amply provisioned to stand a siege for a year and that it can hold out until the time comes to relieve it. While the landing was proceeding on Thursday, the Japanese ships, consisting of the battleships Mikasa, Hatsuse, Sliikashimn, Yashima and Fuji, and the cruisers Iwate, Idsumo and Asama, made a demonstration off Port Arthur to prevent the possible egress of Russian torpedo boats. A number of Japanese

torpedo boats were observed off Miado Island, in Pigeon bay. Upon the mountainous banks of the Yalu, Kuropatkin fears that the victorious Japanese will turn his flank and the stage is cleared for one of the greatest sieges and assaults of modern warfare. Land at Two Points. According to official information the lauding of troops from sixty transports began simultaneously at Pitsewo and Cape Terminal on the morning of May 5. It is also reported that troops are being landed at -Kinchow, but this is not credited, as the Russians are known to have fortifications there, and it is not believed that the Japanese had the daring to land immediately under an intrenched position, from which the Russians could inflict severe injury on therm Complete details of the landing are lacking owing to the interruption of communication. No resistance was made, the few Cossacks who observed the movement retiring when the warships shelled the shore preparatory' to disembarkation. Ten thousand men were put ashore Thursday, and the disembarkation was proceeding at the time that communication ceased. It is believed that there are over 20,000 now on land preparing for a forward movement. Two Japanese regiments were hurried westward to cut the railroad and tchgraph communication. One of these fired on a train conveying the wounded from Port Arthur. It was because he was convinced that Port Arthur was about to be cut off that Viceroy Alexieff, accompanied by his staff and Grand Duke Boris, left hastily. On Thursday several train loads of sick and wounded and other ineffectives were dispatched northward.

PORT OF NEWCHWANG, WHERE JAPS LANDED.