Later News.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 57, 11 March 1904, Page 3

Later News.

VLADIVOSTOK'S FIERY BAPTISM. THE CZAR'S EULOGY OF THE DEFENDERS. (Received March 10, 9.1". |i.m.) LONDON, March 10. The Czar congratulated tlie cily of Vladivostok on its conduct during its baptism oi' lire. His Majesty expressed the conviction Hint the defenders "would make ramparts of their bodies against the enemy." CAPTURE OF A JAPANESE CONVOY. LONDON, March 10. General I'flug, Prince Alexiell's chief of stall, reports the capture of a Japanese convoy of provisions, cattle, and horses, intended for the Ping-yang concentration base. SIEGE GINS FOR NIU-CIIWAXG, LONDON, March 10. Tin; Russians have detrained, at Niu-chwang, two fj-in. siege guns and two (i-poundcr howitzers. REPORTED SERIOUS DAMAGE TO PORT ARTHUR BATTERIES. ONLY THREE NOW EFFECTIVE. LONDON, March 10. Japanese warships have bombarded the Talien-wan and Port Arthur forts. Tokio reports state that the Japanese vessels partly destroyed the Hwang-chin-san forts at Port Arthur, only three batteries being nowavailable. JAPANESE PUSHING FOKWAUD IN THE YA-LU. RUSSIANS STRONGLY ENTRENCHED. (Received March 11. 0.1") a.m.) LONDON. March 10. The Daily Telegraph's Tien-tsin correspondent reports that the Japanese in the Ya-lu advancec. and captured Ecitg-huan-ehing, d.'iving the Russians to Wa>kung-liug, ai eastern pass in the mountains. The Japanese are in force t evenly miles east of Niu-chwang. Thirty thousand Russians are strongly extended at Liao-yang, fifty miles north of Niu-chwang, end at Hutching. JAPANESE PREPARING FOR A COUP. WASHINGTON. March 10. It is ollicially stated in Washington that the Japanese have landed at Fakushan. and it is understood they are now on (lie Russian flank. THE HETYIZ.W" RE-FLOATED. LONDON. March 10. 'The Standard Mali's thai the Russian baitleship Relvi/an has been refloated, ami muisfi'iTcd to the inner harbour of Purl Arthur. HOW THE SIEGE OP' PORT ARTHUR COULD HE MAINTAINED. Some miles north of Port Arthur and Dalny, the smaller peninsula on which they stand is joined with the main peninsula of Lao-Tung by a narrow isthmus, well adapted for defence by rugged hills. lis widlh is only about one. mile, and on one side Is the Yellow Sea, and on the other the Gulf of Peehili. Its possession by a land force of Japanese will effectually cut off Dalny and Port Arlbur from the mainland of Manchuria. British oMieers have recently pointed out that even so small a force as 25,0dd or :tii,Oi.io men, in co-operation with a Heel, could maintain effectually I'"' siege of Port Arthur, leaving (be remainder of the Japanese Army of occupation to meet Russian forces advancing from the north along the line of railway from Harbin, Mukden and Vladivostok. Assuming (nat Japan has maintained her supremncy at sea, and has succeeded in landing an armv of 20u,00n men on the LaoTung Peninsula, a force of 25,000 could hold the door to Port Arthur, and the remainder take position in support. The position of the Japanese army would be such that it could be easily supplied from the fleet, cither on the Peehili side or the Yellow Sea side of the peninsula. The Japanese army would require little cavalry in such a plan of operations—an arm iii which sho is notably weak—and if able to utilise the rolling stock of the Manchurian railway, the army would require little wagoq transpgrtatjoiu