THE WAR IN THE ORIENT

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 23, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 12.

THE WAR IN THE ORIENT.

THE Japanese continue to bombard the fortifications of Port Arthur and Vladivostok, but reports are very contradictory as to the damage occasioned by the bombardments. From one source comes word that the forts at Port Arthur are three-fourths reduced, while from another source, the report that the results of the various bombardments are utterly insignificant. The new Russian naval commander at Port Arthur, on taking command of the fleet at that place, immediately set to work to remove the battleship Retvizan from the harbor entrance so as to permit the other ships to pass out and in. This done, a fleet of torpedo-boats was sent out to find the enemy. An engagement took place in which the Japanese lost one torpedo-boat and had a cruiser disabled, while the Russians lost a torpedo-boat destroyer. The admiral himself went to the rescue of the destroyer, but the opposing force was too great, and she was abandoned. This dash of the Russian fleet has aroused the hopes of the Russians. The northern Japanese fleet is still looking for the Russian Vladivostok squadron, whose whereabouts is unknown. It is rumored that two Russian squadrons are trying to get together at Port Arthur.

The Japanese continue to despatch troops to Korea and to advance toward the Russian positions those already in that country. There have been reports of several small engagements between outposts and scouting parties, but no battle has yet been fought between main bodies of the belligerents. General Kuropatkin has left St. Petersburg to take complete charge of military operations in the Far East. He is reported to have declared that after driving the Japanese out of Manchuria and Korea, Russia will take Japan herself. He expects to have an army of 400,000 men in Manchuria when the real battles of the campaign begin, which will probably be some time in April.