CABLE NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 61, 16 March 1904, Page 3

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association.—By Telegraph.—Copyright.

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Port Arthur's Latest Trial THE RUSSIANS HAVE NOT ABANDONED THE STRONGHOLD. LONDON, March 11. A Russian lelegram despatched from Port Arthur at 7 o'clock on the evening of th» llltli denies the reported abandonment. Captain Asai, commanding the Japanese flotilla, on the 10th. states that he would have rescued many more Russians but for the proximity of the Novik and a deadly fire from the shore batteries. HOW WAR NEWS IS KEPT BACK. SYDNEY. March 14. The morning papers publish long letters from their special correspondents, dated from Tokio. They are cfiiefly indicative of the thorough manner in which the Japanese censors carry out their work. The censors succeed in sifting out all information regarding active operations. The correspondents lengthily review the situation, Japanese preparations and enthusiasm, and other kindred subjects, but of war news they give none. A small army of war correspondents is nwailing permission to accompany the Japanese to the front, but apparently, from the tone of the letters, they are likely to have to wait some time. Meantime, amongst other regulations, they are compelled to wear, for purposes of identification, a white band on the irm inscribed in red with the name of the journal they represent. THE USE OF SUBMARINES. LONDON, March 14. The Japanese press, commenting on the report that Russia is sending sub-marines overland, recall the resolution submitted for the consideration of the Hague Conference by the Czar—that submarines were contrary to civilised warfare. JAPANESE FINANCIAL CONFIDENCE. LONDON, March 14. Japanese Bonds are quoted in Tokio at 7 per cent, above the London quotation. The difference is attributed to holders' confidence in the result of the war. BRITISH RELIEF SHIP. LONDON, March It. The cruiser Andromeda relieves the Blenheim on the China station. Later News. MORE PARTICULARS OF THE PORT ARTHUR ATTACK. (Received March 15, 9.80 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 15. The Japanese Consul has received further information regarding Admiral Togo's attack on Port Arthur on the 10th. When the Stercgutchy was captured there was no one on board, excepting those who had been killed. The survivors had all jumped overboard. Japanese sailors made every effort to rescue their struggling and drowning enemies, but the shells from the forts and the approach of the Novik prevented the saving of more than four. Of these two were wounded. The jirisoncrs were given medical treatment, and are now recovering.

HOW THE BOMBARDMENT WAS DIRECTED. RUSSIAN DEPOT DESTROYED" ACCIDENT TO A JOURNALIST. (Received March 10, 10.24 p.m.) LONDON, March 15. Cruisers eastwards of Port Arthur signalled to the warships engaged in the bombarding the effect of their shells on the inner harbour, and suggesting and helping thet gunners in training their .- guns. It is surmised that forty of those aboard the Steregutchy jumped overboard and were drowned. The Japanese destroyed the signal station and. mine depot at Sam-shan-too. Mr F. A. Mackenzie, Daily Mail correspondent, had both his legs broken through a pony falling on Kim. THROUGH KOREA. ROUTE FROM SEOUL TO WI-JU, In view of the march of the Japanese army through Korea, a description o( the route of road from Seoul (the capital), where the Japanese have landed, to Wi-ju, on the Ya-lu River, will be interesting. ! From Seoul (says the Melbourne Argus) northwest to the Ya-lu estuary is some 200 miles as the crow flies, but the main road, known as the Mandarin road, adds fully 50 per cent, to the distance. Starting from Seoul, on the River Hau, the road runs west for 10 miles through a plain, then turns north for 20 miles till it passes through the town of Ha-ju. Shortly afterwards the Kimjin River is crossed, and the country is uninteresting, until an open plain ; is reached, across which the road passes for 30 miles. This plain is one of the largest in the country. S" miles in length by an average width of 40, though the south end, towards .the sea, is narrower. The road then curves to the north, crossing the westerly spurs of the Miok-as-sari range, till it arrives at I'ongsan (spelt Pryong-san in the map). Within a short distance it rises sharply to cross the Sai-yung-san hills, and then conn's down into the main valley of the Tui-tung River, a rich line valley, crossing the stream at 33 miles from Pong-van, and three miles short of the well-known town of I'ing-yang (spelt Pryong-yaii in the map), where the Japanese inflicted a severe defeat on the Chinese in 1801. Shortly after Ping-yang is passed the road passes through bud travelling country right away to Wi-ju, continually crossing considerable, ridges and numerous streams. This is in the timber region of the Ya-lu. Twenty miles of up-and-down travelling, constantly taking sharp rises, and Yong-am-pho is reached, a place recently become well known as one of the towns to be made a treaty port. Fourteen miles north is Wi-ju, on the east bank, rather higher up than An-tung, the Chinese town on the west bank, and the terminus of the main road running to Liau-yang and China. The regular crossing-place is at Wi-ju, where the estuary is übout three miles wide, but obstructed by a long narrow island. Wi-ju is over 15 miles from the mouth of the Yalu, and the depth of water Is fair. From Wi-ju to Kasun the road can -be communded from the sea. and a ship or two on the coast would hamper an army's march, forcing the troops to move by tracks well inland, which cross very bad countrv. All along the route the population is fairly numerous, and considerable supplies could be depended on. The great road is thoroughly practicable tor afJWJery.

HAS RUSSIA A SECRET. WAIi CHEST ?. Russia's financial position, with special reference to the condition of the Muscovite war chest, lias been discussed in the columns ol' the Xe\v York Herald (Tuns edition) with characteristic frankness. The tone is rather lugubrious, viewed from th»' standpoint of Russia's ally. -\l. Witte'a heart has, the St. Petersburg corresponhent of lhe journal declares, has been almost broken at the pace at winch he has had to ' let loose the golden stream" from the Russian Treasury for railways, ; fortifications, etc., in the l''ar East. i Money has been rolling away at. tlx- | rati' Ol I'OllbifS pn month. At tin- time Russia took J'ori Arthur, Y». Wiii.e was aide lo report that 'jXo.ufiiUHiO roiihles wviv ii\ailalile in the case of emergency. | With the tremendous drain upon the | Exchequer of the past lew years, ! what is Russia's position now ? The writer declares significantly Unit no one can tell—another way of saying that Russia has a secret hoard intended as a war chest. An entirely different light was thrown on the situation at the Russian Imperial Financial Agency , Cromwell Road. South Kensington. A representative of the I'ailv i\eu\s, in an interview with 31. ile Routkowski, the Imperial Financial Agent, was assured that there wan no secret war chest in Russia ; indeed, the Jinancial position of thai Empire was "an open book." E\ery month a statement was published by the State Bank, and the latest reports showed a balance of JLiiMJ 000 sterling in the hands of that institution.

In case of necessity, said Mr ltoulkowski, this sum could be appropriated by the Czar's Government as a loan, of course. In addition, X.'2't.000,000 belonging to the Government was deposited with the bank on current account; while banks in Europe and the United Slates held sums out of which 30,000,000 roubles are paid every three months as interest on Russian securities.

Summing up, M. Routkowski believed there would be no diilieulty in raising £150,000,000 sterling. This, and this alone, constitutes Russia's war chest, observed 11. Routkowski in conclusion.

A prominent official of the Ministry of Finance a few weeks ago gave a press representative at St. Petersburg further particulars of Russia's financial position. The Russian army, he said, consisted of one million officers and men, and cost the country 300,000,000 roubles yearly, or £3O per man. The Russian Government did not apprehend any financial difficulties in case of war. If she were in need of money, the Government could use the gold in the State Bank, and repay it ut the end of the war. If more was needed in case of national necessity, 70,000,000 could be borrowed from the population. Russia had no war chest, properly so called, as that would mean many millions lying idle. At the same time the Government did not consider that war with Japan would be costly. All the provisions required could be purchased,'and all the war material manufactured in the country. Thus, the Government would not require gold for payment, but could meet all expenditure with bank notes, and utter the war redeem those notes.

COALIXC 01'' WAHSHII'S. It was reported a clay or Iwo ago that Kussia was purchasing in America apparatus I'm- the rapid coaling of her I'.altic fleet. 'l'll./ rapidity Willi which Japan launch, d ..,!., 111,., naval war gives special force Juki n..w (remarks a writer in llie Press) to tin: saying thai ilnfate of an Empire might hang on the rapid coaling of a licet. An account given in a January magazine of recent records made by battleships at Portsmouth does not suggest much fear as to Britain's fate. The whole of the ships of the Channel Squadron were practically without coal, and it was thought desirable to see how rapidly a warship could be coaled upon emergency. War conditions were slrictlv ohserved. and tin- work was carried on by the ships' companies with the exception of the dockyard men. who worked the winches ashore. So keen was the competition between the live ships that, as an eve-witness wrote, "not only lieutenants. but chaplains, surgeons, and pa} masters threw themselves into the work wheeled their loads with tl„. energy and rapidity of trained stokers.'' The present record in coaling is held by the battleship J'rince (Seorge, with an average of 22fj tons an hour, for five consecutive hours' work. In this last competition, -the Mars, though failing to surpass these hgures on the whoje business, made during her best hour the markable result of coaling -J.'iS tons, or nearly four tons a minute. As for the method of accomplishment, we can all imagine how "the donkey engines wheezed, the shovels hasped and scraped, the boom whined and creaked, ami the first lieutenant, carved in pure jet, said precisely what occurred to him." It was on Mars, by the way, that Mr Frank T. Uullen described in a London paper the coaling during the naval manoeuvres: The wardroom breakfast table appeared to him a study In blacks, culminating in one of the lieutenants, who only retained some white about his eyes." Hut the. gloom was only external, ior "to hear the merriment one would think that this horrible business was a sort of picnic, of which one could never have too much." Ten years ago, fortv tons an hour was the Portsmouth record for some of the smartest ships. Competition has increased this about six-fold.