THE WAR.

Manawatu Herald, 14 July 1904, Page 2

THE WAR.

THE SIEGE OP PORT ABTm!lj£/

The Daily Mail’s Tokio correspond dent states that the Japanese, on the 4th, captured Lungwingtung, the first fort between Dalny and Port Arthur. The Standard states it is announced at St. Petersburg that 20,000 Japanese have occupied the heights at Port Arthur, enabling them |to seriously damage the fortifications unless they are dislodged. The Russians intend making a sally. Chinese junkmen report that, on the sth, over 800 Russian dead, including two officers of high rank, were brought to Port Arthur by Chinese coolies, who assert the Japanese are within six miles of the town, and have captured another eastern fort. Private houses at Port Arthur have been turned into hospitals, the wounded arriving all day. During the storm on Friday night, torpedoera approached Port Arthur and discovered and attacked the cruiser Askold. The result is unknown.

THE BATTLE OP KAIPING.

Over 80,000 Russians were strongly fortified in the hills in a semicircle south of Kaiping. The Japanese, on Wednesday, routed 1600 of the first line of defence and then occupied the position. -I By 'Thursday the entire army had : fl)rcecl its way, nearing Kaiping despite the resistance, the Russians .abahdonifag the positions-ope* by one. reinforced fitting tbe’ si’l’bt By train's frotn iSewmu ? At daybreak on Friday* tlfbi "Japanese opened a.heavy porabardmjjpt from J the captured . JwigJjts. r . The Russians being driven to tlw* last line of defences around tho town gradually drew off, and the Japanese occupied the town at noon, despite the heavy artillery fire from the northern heights.

A HEAVY DEATH ROLL.

Ifc is reported at Ghefoo that the Russians admit one thousand killed and seven hundred wounded around Port Arthur on Thursday and Friday. The Daily Telegraph’s St. Petersburg correspondent states that Russians complain at the Japanese exposing dummy guns while the real batteries are screened from view. Five cruisers, two gunboats, jmPB seven destroyers on Saturday made, a ■.} sortie from Port Arthur, but en> countered the Japanese torpedoers between Sensikaku and Lungwanten, and retreated to the harbour after an indecisive exchange of fire.

The Latest.

SUFFERINGS OP TROOPS. Attaches and correspondents who are permitted to accompany General Kuroki’s advance assert that the troops suffer greatly owing to the heat and rain, but are ardent and confident of success.

MYSTERIOUS EXPLOSIONS.

A junk has arrived at Chefoo which reports two terriffic explosions at Port Arthur on the 11th inst. J Chinese arriving at Niuchwang report that the Russians everywhere are retiring. Admiral Togo reports that at midnight on Monday torpedoers approached the boom at the entrance to Port Arthur and attacked a gaardship of the Diana type. The result has not been ascertained. The torpedoers returned undamaged. A Russian correspondent says that on Friday night the Russians evacuated Kaiping, considering they-bad held it as long as was advisable’ in the face of the. growing numbers of the obeinyF « * THE OCCUPATION'OF KAIP. 1 A Russian correspondent says that bn Saturday - morning ’ when **the Japanese infantry had crossed the river and occupied Kaiping ? unopposed they were greeted only by the smoke of the warehouses which the Russians bad set on fire. The Japanese advance has been stopped eight miles south of Tasobichiao. The Daily Telegraph’s Brussels * correspondent states a Franco-Bel-gian bankers-syndicate has offered Russia a loan of eighty millions sterling on condition that the Czar confers the same rights on the Jews as on other subjects.