RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 63, 18 March 1904, Page 3

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

*- Progress of Events. FINANCIAL AID FOR RUSSIA. LONDON, March 16. St. Petersburg reports that a group of international financiers have undertaken to obtain a forty millions sterling war loan if Russia's existing resources are eatiausted. ANOTHER KUROPATKIN CANARD. ' PARIS, March 16. The newspaper Echo de Paris says that General Kuropatkin (Russian Commander-in-Chief of land forces in the Far East) declared that France, Germany, and Austria were iu agreement with Russia to prevent Britain taking part in another Berlin treaty robbing Russia of the fruits of her coming victories. A NICE POINT. - " NEW YORK, March 16. President Roosevelt instructed Naval Captain Perry not to preside at a Russian entertainment at the Waldorf Hotel, as he had arranged to do. on the ground that it might appear to be a breach of the neutrality proclamation. PRINCE LOUIS BONAPARTE, LONDON, March 16, The Czar has refused to allow » Prince Louis Bonaparte (a colonel In the Russian army) to proceed to the Far East. JAPANESE HONOUR THEIB DEAD ENEMIES. LONDON, March 16, The bodies of two Russians recovered from the sunken cruiser Varvag were buried at Chcmul-pho with Jull naval honours. Japanese sailors drew the gun carriages and fired volleys over the graves. A RUSSIAN MIDSHIPMITE. GALLANT SAVING OF-A SHIP. LONDON, March 16. The Daily Express' Niu-chwang ■correspondent states that a midshipman named Taloviky saved a torpedo-destroyer during an attack ■on Port Arthur on the 10th, after i the steersman had been shot and the electric gear disabled, by taking the wheel and steering her away Jrom four Japanese destroyers, despite a hail of bullets. Later Newsi ■ KOREA TREATED AS A BELLII GERENT. (Received March 17, 11.35 p.m.) J- LONDON, March 17. '. Russia has intimated that inas- "_ much as she had joined Japan Korea would be considered a belligerent. , ~ Two thousand Korean troops from Seoul have therefore been sent to .the north.: I,

r*"" JAPAN'S WAR EXPENSES, HOW THE SINEWS OF WAR ABE TO BE FOUND. LONDON, March 17. Japan estimate"^'t war expenditure at one million sterling weekly throughout the present year. It is proposed to caver this by means of bonds, a temporary loan, drafts on a special fund, awl a new shit monopoly.: DEATH-DEALING SHELLS. TWENTY-FIVE SPECTATORS KILLED BY A STRAY SHOT. LONDON, March 17, The Dally Express correspondent reports that a Japanese shell, In the bombardment of Port Arthur on the 10th, killed nineteen of the Retvl- ' zan's officers and men. Another shell, bursting amidst a crowd of onlookers gazing from a point of vantage, killed twenty-five. A third set fire to a cruiser, supposed to have been the Diana, eighty men perishing. PRUSSIAN NAVAL OFFICERS RECALLED. ST. PETERSBURG, March 17. "Ukases have been Issued recalling 'Admiral Molas, second chief of staff of the Russian Pacific fleet, and vice•Admiral Stark, on the ground of illhealth. The commander of the Retvlzan has .been decorated. JAPAN'S TRANSPORT SERVICE. 'The Kanagawa Maru, one of the "Nippon Yusen TCaisha steamers, recently arrived in Liverpool from Gibraltar. She is specially adapted for transport purposes, and can carry 2500 troops, in addition to guns, ammunition, and other war stores. There is a system of pumping air below which renders unnecessary the appearance of the troops on deck to take a breathing. She also carries ■derricks which can hoist a 50-ton ;gun on board. She has also great .'facilities for quickly disembarking ttroops. "In my opinion," said the cap•tain, " the transport service of the JJa.nftiwsyj'.Oovornment is the finest in th". amrhH. li works like clockwork. During the war wi<Ji China I had thousands of troops oji board. On one occasion 1200 men, with their weapons and kit, disembarked from 'this ship in three and a quarter ..hours. I think that is a record." The Japanese soldier is a splendid ■fighter, and as for the sailors—well, look at my crew. T have been at sea for more than forty years, but I never came across more sober and better sailors than the Japs. They can turn their hand to anything." In the event of war breaking out, says the Daily Express, the Nippon liners may sail under a foreign flag for purposes of protection, and also to get more quickly back to Japan, but this is not very proliable, as the f" Japanese are too proud to adopt these measures, unless absolutely driven to it. There are, however, other devices. Such as taking away the funnels and Ventilators, and converting the ships Into sailing vessels when suspicionslooking strangers appear on the horizon. This has been done before, and by one of the most famous of the Nippon skippers.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.