RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 65, 21 March 1904, Page 3

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

1 BARON VON ROSEN 7 '.'; CII-YRfilO A(;AI.\ST JAI'AX. PURPOSEFUL PRECIPITATION. HOSTILITIES ASCRIIIED TO l 'IIA r VINI STIC IX PL PENCE. LONDON, March 13. A French newspaper correspondent, wlio interviewed liaron von Rosen, Russian Minister to Japan nl the time of the outbreak o!" liosl ililies at Port. Arthur, said lie elicited that. Russia's reply to the last Japanese note, though dated Feb. fi, was delivered at Tokio on the Hth, with despatches which had also been intercepted by the Japanese. Prince AlexielVs telegram warning the cruiser \ arvag of the rupture of relations was also intercepted, converting the Cheuinl-plio incident into a regular slaughter and ambuscade. Unron von Rosen was convinced that the Japanese licet sailed for Port Arthur long beiore the rupture was announced. Other sources confirm the report that Admiral Togo sailed on the moriiiiiy of the (ith. liaron von Rosen asserts that .Japan declared war in order to divert a I Chauvinist revolution. N.VYAP I'RIXE COURTS. LONDON, March 18. Russia has established naval prize courts at Sevastopol, Lilian. Port Arthur and Vladivostok. COAL SHORTAGE AT PORT ARTHUR. HESITATING CONTRACTORS. | LONDON, March 18. | The Russians require seventy-live thousand tons of coal at Port ' Arthur, hut are reluctant to pay famine and blockade prices. British shippers hesitate to contract at lower rates. AN EXAGGERATED ACCOUNT. LONDON, March 18. Mr MacKenzie, Daily Mail correspondent, who was reported to have both legs broken, sustained a badly strained wrist only. OPENING OP JAPANESE PARLIAMENT. (Received March 20, 9.35 a.m.) The Japanese Diet has opened its session. RUSSIA'S HUGE EASTERN ARMY. (Received March 20. 9.3S a.m.) LONDON, March 19. A telegram from St. Petersburg, published in Paris, states that General Kuropatkin, comniandvr-in-chiei' of Russia s Far East land forces, telegraphs that there are two hundred and thirty thousand Russian troops between Kharlmi ami Port Arthur. (Kharhin, Kharvin, or Harping, is at the junction of the railways from Port Arthur and Vladivostok", and is between 000 and 700 miles from the former.)

SUYEMATi; IN LONDON. JAPAN'S QlUllßKl. ON BEHALF OF CIVILISED WORLD. Sire WILL NOT SEEK AID. (Received March 21, 0.-17 a m ) LONDON, March 20 in an interview J Snyenmtu •Japanese Envoy to Europe, stated ,-hal he welcomed the Anglo-French entente cordiale, and considered it a powerlul factor towards localising the war. Japan was really (1 trlitinir in tlie political nnd commercial interests of the civilised world, to prevent Russia absorbing Manchuria, Korea, and a great part of Northern China. Japan was proud of her British alliance, but had not the remotest idea of seeking aid from Unvone. Probably Japan was better aware of Russia's weak points thun Russia herself. 11,.|- ,u,v a l weakness had already been exposed, and he as coniident the Russian weakness on land would soon be revealed.

A RUSSIAN RENDEZVOUS. The town ol Ilarljin, in the exact centre of Manchuria, i R described by Mr Albert Beveridge as by fur the Most illustration of Russian conslructiveness in the interior. It has well built houses. It is admirably laid out. Its streets have the characteristic Russian breadth and generosity. The Russo-Chinese bank was there in 1901, the Greek Orthodox Church was there, too. To the person familiar with Russian methods in a new country, it is perhaps unnecessary to mention that these financial and spiritual agencies of the Russian people had already established themselves. What Harbin will be eventually was indicated by the extraordinary activity in the construction of brick buildings in New Ilarbin, for it must he. known that, there are two or three or more Harbins, all within a stone's throw of one another. In short, at Harbin and at Dainy, and other towns in Manchuria, Russia appears to be doing with autocratic instantaneousness what other pioneer peoples do gradually. Ilarbin is the railway headquarters in Manchuria.