EASTERN CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 7, 9 January 1904, Page 3

EASTERN CRISIS.

DESPATCH OF JAPANESE CRUISERS. RUSSIAN WARSHIPS WATCHING. LONDON, Jan. 7. Extraordinary eltorts are beiv.'g made to accelerate the despatch oi .tins Japanese cruisers, which are now nuimud the KofeUuayo and Miglhsa. The Miginws will complete tiii-li' equipment ut sea. Aims and ammunition have Ixc-n shipped. A l'ii'ir proportion oif Who smlii.'g ciew are Catuaidians and AusU-ali-anui, who received an enthusiastic sendM-.! fro'.n iKvver. The Russian warships Aurora and ! >llilitil IKh.jLui are wwtchin'g lor the ciuisers in the eastern Alediterimieian, the Oslyaitu, of t'lie Russian nt lli>ei ta. is watching t'he Straits of Gi'bi altar, iu+l two additional warships are lying outside the Straits. Ku.si.ian wßifiiiips in the MediUrr.uuMT] lia.ee aJso been oiderwl to yh«low tl» two Jujtaneae cinisei-s par( li:is.>l in Genoa. MAXCHIiIUA—THE IH'FFEIt IIETWEE.N THE hlSl'l'TA.N IS. LONDON, Jnn. 7. The Xoroe Krai, Prince Alexiell'a oiiguii at Port Arlj-J.ir, says that MiHil. liui ia is henceforth Russia's a.'.' I will never be surrenderoJ. The 'limes states that the Xwoe Vienna's lieiiuu.'.i for thv open appropriation off Maiichnria is vigorously coii,ijutted in tlw piovju-s. I L i,t l Novosti, a leading jouiual o. Odes.ia, anid other leading orguin-i. deutanJ the rendition of Maadiuiva. Ccminercial ciivles- support tl.-j.s. A WARNING TO UIIITAIN. LONDON, Jan. 7. The Times warns Urita-m that in the e\i nt of war, apart aJtoßether from the treaty of aliianice with Japan, circumstances might forbid standing idly by. 'Jlhe lihla»i>e o. power must not be materially altered to Uri'tam's prejudice, ' bur duty to our trade, to lindia, aj.d to Au.stiaJasiu forWds it." Itussian Oovernmeirt securities ajvd industrial shares have fallen heavily on the bourses. St. Petersburg, Moscow ar.d Odessa official statistics show that next year's crops over a considerable area of Russia will be deficient. Eighty thousand tons of WelrJh cool has been contracted for for tkKviery at Japanese ports at tire earliest moment. Japan has given heavy onders for rice in llurma. Owing to Japan's resoluteness China has declined to sumd a .special envoy to negotiate with Admiral Alexic-fi (the Russian Viceroy) owr Manchuria. It is reported that Japan is trying to buy four additional ine warships. TJie Japanese railway has refused to transport Russian marines. In the event of a rising the Emperor of Korea will take refugo in tho French Legation. NEW YORK, Jan. 7. Hundreds of Japanese trackmen in the mines in Wyoming are hastening home to enter the army. Japan has ordered ten slrousand tans of hay and three million pounds of mess beef on the Pacific coast. RUSSIAN MARCH OX SEOUL. BRITISH AND FRENCH NAVAL MOVEMENTS. Received 8, 10.20 p.m. _ LONDON, Jan. 8.. ICussran marines have marchyd to 3eoul, the Konean capital. Admiral Bridge, who is at Shanghai, has pjostponed his intended departure for Hong Kong. T.io French armoured cruiser Sull.v, which has been oi>dercd to the East, will winter in Koi«t and Japan.

Japanese naml officers have volujiteeivJ tm masse (or service in the torpedo flotilla. The Latest. RUSSIA'S REPLY HEFORTS THF. JAPANESE CABINET. NOT SATISFACTORY. Received 9, 1.15 a.m. LONDON', Jan. 8. Tihe Xabinjet at Tokio has considered Russia's reply to Japan's Not* The situation is not improved, however, and the elder statesmen will confer toiday. Hussia has bought all hoists, procurable at Kolgan, the great horse market of northern China. The Standard':. Tokio concspoivdent states it is generally Lolieved that the concessions whereon Russia lays stress aro more nominal and illuuionary than real. The sole and ii:.:tj> object is to gain time. Advices received from St. Peterspurg assert that Ru:;sia will unflinchingly demand a port in southern Korea, preferably Mesampho. JAPANESE TROOPS FOR KOREA. RUSSIA'S REPLY INTERPRETED AS FATAL TO P^AC'E. SQUADRON SAILING UNDER SEALED ORDERS. Received 9, 1.28 a.m. LONDON, Jan. 8. The Daily Telegraph's Washing.oncorrespondent statrs that advices recu.vttl Hv the United Stales War Department declare that Japan is al>out to land 35,000 men in Korea. It is believed t'hf movement uas either begun or is Ltout to begin within 24 hours. Pessimistic diplomatic views aio held in Pekin and Copciil-a^n.

The Daily Muil states that the reply is interpreted nt Yokohama as rendering peace hopeles;'. Tim New York Herald's Tort Arthui correspondent stales that a Russian squadmi, under sealed 01 ders, is proceeding to the Korean coast.

Messages published by the Times and Morning Post imply that the reply has not yet been formally presented. Only sufficient has be. n ullowed to leak out to test public opinion. It is stated that when the reply sent in December reached Tokio, heralded by the optimistik assurances of M. Van Rosen (Russian Minister), the previous concessions were nullified at the eleventh hour. It is now thought in some circles that concessions are possible 011 the Korean question, with a view to strengthening the hold on Manchuria. denies any intention to land troops In southern Korea,

CABLE NEWS.

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