THE WAR CLOUD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 3, 5 January 1904, Page 3

THE WAR CLOUD.

RUSSIA S DUEI* A R ATI ON S. BRITAIN IS READY FOR EMERGENCY. LONDON", .January \. The Admiralty dwiies tljat il lias toliv intention to st'i»d t-lve battleships Formidable. ViniHctiw ami Irr'esisViUlo ami a cruiser from the MuJiterr&nean to China. but that l'ortsmoutli is |i!v|*au'<l with vessels to ropliuv any hurriedly -despatchi-d from the Mediterranean to the l*'ar East. liussia has r'njuisitioiuvl llu» railway companies tor trucks locomotors to con\ey h*?avy reintorceiin'his lo Manchuria. Italy is anxious for t'ho farly removal of tlve .hvpaifcese cruisers (ixuntly pnivh-asml in Italy) in order to avoid complications with Uussia. The cruisers have htvn rammed Morn n-a and Rivatluxia. 'lhv Czar has granted Admiral Prince Ale.viefi. his Viceroy, a special :( also a salute of twelve guins. The .1 a-puni'so I s-uy thut ♦Japan will Ire able to laaal an army corps at Fusan in 18 Iwttjrs. TIIK JADANF.SE NAVY. LONDON, January 3. Twelve highily-j-uiid (.1 la:J.4'<- w Mtir■iive Engineers are slartmg on ll l ay for Yokohama to strengjoftrei the Japanese navy. RUSSIAN TUOOPS FOR THE EAST. CHINESE CRUISERS FOR ACTIVE SERVICE. Rc-eemd 4, 10.25 p.m. 11KRL1X, J-anuary 4.

The Loks\l Aaizeiger's St. Peteisfttirg forrosponiKiit asserts that nearly tliw whole of the fifth ajid tentJi army corps has been gradually sent (luring the past few months to the Far East in small ylctachnit'iits. LOXIION, January 4. Chinese cruisers at »lan<gliai are prc|Miring for actiif sti-\ice, M;hipi>iivg nmiiuinitioii umd stores. Advices from Tf/kio state that the newspapers urge the iinnii'diute claration of war, which is considered inevitable ; but the people are calm. All tanks are with-hoiaiwig their Airels, eviilmtly as a result of otlicial instructions.

Ttw Jtti«uiesi! lx-ga)Vi|»n in Lomtdon has not l-cccived any news from ToMo.

'Hie Itunshvn cruiser Aurora has left Bi'/erto. The rest <rf the stjfuadron postponed its departure for a few days. Admiral Wirenius entei-taine<l 11. Pichon, the French Resident, and other Frenchmen at Bizerto on hoard the Osli'lwya. The alliance warmly toasted. JAP.4X IS TIRED 0E WAITING. WILL TAKE ACTIVE STEPS. WAR DIFFICULT TO AVERT. Received 5, 0,49 ar.'m. LONDON, January 4. The Times' Tokio corres'|x)tndent on Saturday stated that twelve days hold elaps<d since Russia was asked to reconsider her reply, yet St. Petersburg maintains profound silence. Japain has plainly resol'vod not to endure another i>eriad of waiting which could he utilised to strengthen Russiatn annaiueints, 'aiiid, failiiiy some conciliatory Russian action, whereof there is yet no sign, Japan will in a few days take active measures to secure her vital interests. After this war will become very ditticult to avert. JAPAN INSISTS THAT RUSSIA _ MUST CLIMB DOWN. Received r>, 0.49 a.m. LONDON, January 1. The i»essiinism at Pel™ is based on diplomatic despatches from Tokio, sljowing tiliut Russia is willing to negotiate and rocuncile the conlliet-in-g interests in Coroa, but' declarc-s tiliat Maaalmiria concerns Russia aul China alone. Unless Russia, in reply to the last Japanes* Notes, recede.-; from til.at position Japan will probably seitl an ultimatum. ENGLISH OFFICERS ORDERED HOME. LONDON, January 4. Tho Daily Express's correspondent states that the Wat Oflice has cabled to the ollicers of regulars in Hue Sontth African Constabulary to rejoin their regiments imnnvliately. Tlie Duily Expjvss states the Government is strengt.lvniiiig the Malta 'garrison. The Stock Exchamgo is generally depressed, 'but Continental Bourses are less pessimis-tic. INTERESTING VIEWS. RUSSIA'S FORTIFICATIONS. JAPANESE EMISSARY TO AUSTRALIA.

Tho passengers who arrived at rtrisbane by the steamer Kumano Ham, on DeiemlK-r 2d, expressed soma in-tereso-Ting opinions ;on the situation ih tlie Kin- Kast. One of those spoken to was Mr DenhVgh. a Rus.-.'ia'ii merciiant at Vladivostok, who declared that war betwtin Husv'ia and Japan was practically inevitable. He said that Russia was quite |irepareil. though both the Russians and the Japanese appeared to be hanging back. Russia, he said, has fortified Port Arthur ; also linln.v and 11 a ■ -.> in. She is not likely to inacuate Manchuria, simply because of the great interests she has there, and the millions she has spent in improving tho country. He added that the Russians expected that war would break out in the spring. .Regarding the Chinese, Mr .Denbigh beiioved that tli;.'.v would side with Russia, lie expresstd the opinion) tbat the Japanese fleet is not in a position to even attempt to destroy Russia's P.oct. Major Robinson, a retired Imperial oflicer. who s|reirt some time up in the. East, stated that he had witnessed u review iof a large body of Japanese troops in Coiea : but was very reticent when nue.itiomxl as to the leeJil-B there. Then, was also on board the Kumano lluni an attache- of the Japanese War Otlicc. who is visiting Australia Or u M'treti learned, however, that this mission was to approach the Commonwealth I'.ovornmoiit, and to ascertain the attitude of Australia towards Japan in the event of war being declan-.1. Tbi.' g'.-nff .mah fajj M-.a'J: nvi/.- must come sooner or later, but he einphacuwd the fact that (won quite *?atly. Speaking to other passengers it was learned that when the Kumano Maru left Japan nothing officially as to the position of affairs was available. In fact, beyond the mobilising of the army, the reviewing of troops by the Emperor, and special movements of tbj.> fleet, there was nothing unusual.

[cable news.

United Press Association—Hy Electric Telegraph.— Copyright.