THE WAR.

Manawatu Herald, 8 March 1904, Page 2

THE WAR.

RUSSIAN TROOPS RETIRING.

A minority party at Seoul, dissatisfied with the Japanese alliance, vainly tried to dynamite the house of the Korean Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The Japanese fleet has not been sighted at Port Arthur for a week. The Russo-Ohinese bank at Niuchwang is removing to Mukden. Women and children are, also, fleeing- . t Russian troops are preparing to fall back inland and defend the rail way. recognising the impossibility of defending the port. The Japanese war loan was covered six-fold.

The Russian press is urging the Government to seize the Russian portion of the Indo-European telegraph line, contending it is used to assist Japan. VOLUNTEERS FOR THE FRONT.

The Governor of Finland, in addressing the garrison at bveahorg, eulogised the self-sacrifice of the array and invited volunteers for the front. There was no response though the call was repeated. The Governor angrily directed as punishment for the garrison, the selection of a number required for service in the Far East.

Similar scenes occurred in other Finnish garrisons.

Many protested against compulsory transport to the Far East and even had to be forced into railway carriages. Rear-Admiral Wirinus, whose flagship is the Osbayba, has been ordered to the Red Sea to capture vessels carrying contraband and to watch the movements of warships. Russia is pushing forward the construction of submarines. The Newsky shipbuilding yards are hurriedly building ten of an English pattern for Russia.

DECISIVE OPERATIONS EXPECTED SHORTLY.

Russians at Sin-min-ting are sorely harrassing the people for supplies and are impressing native merchants at Niuchwang as common labourers.

There are indications that in the event of a Russian defeat the whole country will rise in revenge. The Russian Red Cross Society proposes to collect a reserve of 540,000 quintals of wheat or six months’ supply in the north-eastern part of the theatre of war.

The Standard’s Tientsin correspondent says undoubtedly there will at an early date be decisive operations between Niuchwang and Haicheng.

JEALOUSY BETWEEN GENE RALS.

Major-General Gilinski, appointed Chief-of-Staff to Admiral Alexieff, will be really an intermediary between Alexieffand General Kuropatkin, whose professional jealousy is intense, *

The Russians are hurriedly putting the fortress of Sveaborg, Finland, in readiness for war. Wooden houses in the vicinity of the barracks have been removed. CHINA PURCHASES GUNS.

The Japanese elections resulted in the return to the Diet of a largely increased number of non-party members, who are a great improvement on their immediate predecessors. This is due to a revival of interest of national affairs caused by the war.

China has purchased two batteries of Krupp field guns.

VLADIVOSTOK BOMBARDED LAST SATURDAY.

The St. Petersburg correspondent of Reuter’s Agency reports that a telegram from Vladivostok states that on the afternoon of the sth, five Japanese warships bombarded Vladivostok for 45 minutes.