RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 62, 17 March 1904, Page 3

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Port Arthur. MUST BE HELD WITH PRESENT GARRISON. (Received March 16, 9.48 p.m.) LONDON, March 16. The Daily Mail's Niu-chwang correspondent reports that General Kuropatkin has telegraphed to LieutCeeherul Stossel that he must hold I'ort Arthur with its present garrison. RUSSIAN' SUBMARINE MININU OPERATIONS, LONDON, March 16. The Daily Express' Berlin correspondent states that a Russian note announces that Admiral Makaroll has completed the laying of mines all-around the Liao-tung .Ptuinsula seawards for a distance of three miles.. Neutral ships must hoist their, national flags at a distance of live miles from land and signal their destinations to the Russians, .whose pilot will convey them to port. JVAR CORRESPONDENTS RECALLED FROM THE FRONT. THE JAPANESE LOAN. (Received March 16, 11.40 p.m.) LONDON, March 10. Japan lias withdrawn the permits issued to war correspondents now at Fing-yung and An-ju, and has ordered them to return to Seoul. A striking feature oi the Japanese loan was the proportion of small subscriptions. Those below two hundred yen amounted to liity millions. Thirty-three millions were tendered lor. above the price of issue. t-UROPATKIN'S PLAN OF CAMPAIGN. LONDON, March 16. The Standard's St. Petersburg Correspondent says that General Kuropatkin intends to start operations deliberately, with an army of a quarter of a million on the Ya-lu and another of one hundred and liity thousand to guard the railways. The forces ure to concentrate on Aiitung,

.VAIUOUS ITEMS, LONDON, March 15. Baron Suyeniatsu, who was sent to England by Japan to explain the position, interviewed in London, said the Japanese desire that Manchuria should be an integral part oi China. The future of the railway would depend upon circumstances. If Japau was successful in the war the line would be useless to Hussia lor military purposes. Japan would do the work in such a way as to secure a peace that would last lor some decades. One of the Varvag's wounded had a hundivd and sixty-live steel splinters scattered about his body. The Kontgen rays were utilised to locate and remove them. A Japanese cruiser is searching for the liussian Vladivostok sqjiadron in the neighbourhood of Saghulieu. Kivo thousand troops under General Zawan are" constructing a railway towards Wi-ju. The Japanese Opposition is co-op-«orating with the Government in carrying on business in the Diet. A steamer, landed at Sesebo ten j younded Japanese, and the bodies of ten of those killed during the attack at Port Arthur on the 10th. They praise the liussians- desperate bravpry, and give a vivid description of the action. A Japanese sailor who leaped aboard the liussian torpedo boat Steregutchy cut down her com-' launder. TA-LIEN-WAN HAY, Ta-lien-wan Bay is about seven miles wide at the entrance, which is protected to some extent by three islands. There has been no mention of any of these islands or of the northern side of the bay being fortified; the task of laying a minelield ■ in a minimum depth of 75ft of water is .too difficult for the liussians to attempt, especially as the minelield cannot be supported by gunfire, the centre being COOyds from land. It is stated that once inside the bay, .which widens out in every direction, no forts could touch an attacking fleet, which could shell Dalny, being a fixed point, at the utmost range of their guns, while they, being moving targets, .would be pretty safe.