The Latest.

Manawatu Herald, 28 May 1904, Page 2

The Latest.

THE ATTACKS 0N PORT ARTHUR, A RUSSIAN VERSION. A letter has been received by a resident of Toowoomba from a friend who is occupying a high posision in the medical administration of Port Arthur, dated March 28th, w)uph o-ives an interesting inside viewPif the bombardment to that date. He sums up : “ We know for certain the Japs suffered comparatively more than we did on the 9fch February. They had three warships severely damaged. On the 24th we sank three merchantmen and a torpedo boat. They wasted over one million sterling worth of ammunition. Their heavy fire has shaken their ships and fati- ■ gued their cannon, the result being insignificant and limited to a few dead and wounded. “Not a house and not a Single important building has been dam- 1 aged, most of their shells falling on the shore or sea. “We cannot understand the Japanese tactics. Time after time they bombard and sacrifice costly merchantmen, but do us no harm. They always refuse battle although their fleet is much stronger than ours.; We may be somewhat slow to strike, but when the time arrives Russia will strike both heavily and surely.” He men ions occasions of three bombardments when the Russian fleet was prepared to give battle, but die Japanese turned tail and disappeared. THE FLOATING MINES. . When the Japanese, early in May, were accused of placing floating mines in Port Arthur roadstead, Russia issued a circular protesting against their culpable thoughtlessness, adding that some bad already drifted two hundred miles. Despite stubborn resistance, the Japanese have reached Sanshilips, north of Dalny, and other forces are to the south-east of Nagalien, the second station on the Port Arthur line. The Russian battleship Borodino has been badly strained in the dry dock in St. Petersburg.