EASTERN CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 6, 8 January 1904, Page 3

EASTERN CRISIS.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copy ri gh t.

NEW CIUnSKHS FOR JAI'AN. LONDON, .lun. <). British Naval Reservists ivnid tea oflieers havt' left Loudon for Genoa l<» take llu' Japanese cruisers, recently purchaSi'd, to Yokohama, imuvr command ot' Admiral MatUm. Public opinion in France is aguinst Kiviivh- intervention in the ow at ot Cli/na joOning Japan. 'I he St. J auk's* Gazette urges tivat the policing of Cl/imse ports in the ownt of war should he entrusted to the United States ami Britain. There is an cxtraond-Luiary demand at CaulilV lor tCAnuvaigv for the Far East. 'I lie British Admiralty I.ms paid twenty shiUi'ings per ton for three colliers ol' five thousand tons each for Howg Kom-g to take prompt shipments. RUSSIA'S WARLIKE PREPARA- - TIONS. NEW YORK, Jan. G. The St. Petersburg correspondent to the- New York Herald says that twenty million roubles- have 'neen S'jvnt monthly for a long time on flortilieations. strategic railways', and t'lw army and navy in the Far Ea*l. When Huswia sei auJ Port Arthur the Treasury possessed 980,000,000 roubles available in the event of war with Japan. THE "MENACE TO AUSTRALIA." MELBOURNE, Jan. 7. Mr Crouch. Federal member, hi a &l*ech at (iueenrfcHlle, declared that if .Jajxui was victorious it wouW imperil a "white Australia" ajid nright pave the way for Oriental dominance in the southern e-ast. During the recent visit of J ap-anuse warships tshe otlicers beoame with the weakness of Australia's -defence, mud some of the visitors told an oflieer something as a strict official secret.

Sir Malcolm McEachern, Japanese Consul, discredits Mr Crouclv's statements. He says that Russian triumph would bo likely to injure British prestige in India av:l throup'iiout the eafvl, and therefor be more likely to menace Australia. lie was not aware of amy secrets a'lout our ibrts, aiiJ if a Japanese ollicer di<l ldai-n om\ lie would be extremely unlikely to reveal the fact. OHINOUS SIGNS. REPORTED CONTENTS OF RUSSIA'S REPLY. JAPAN "STRIVING FOR PEACE." 1 Receive.J 7, 9.50 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 7. Japanese firms have ordered their ivpiesunrt-a'tives in Mantel juria to 1 jvr.\l their families away. Two Rus'siam and two llritish cruisers' are at Chemulpho, ami the latter aie sending marines to Seoul. Mr lieh'nvtt Ruriei&h, Du:ily Telegraph correspondent, states that the Russian reply is in the hands of M. Yun Rcasen, the Russian Minvs-ler in Japan ; but he indicates tUit it is of an unsatisfactory n«ature. Russia consents to Japan's demands regit ri.iih'g' Korea, but advances no clause lor negotiations in St. I'etor^Airg". The Standard's Tokio conespomlt'nt says the reply \a at the Russian Legation, Jjut is not yet'delivered to Japan. The MIKe/do, in receiving; Mr W. IL Taft, American Governor of the Philippines, sai'd Japan was striving earnestly aawi patiently to maintain peace.