RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 79, 7 April 1904, Page 3

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

PROBABILITIES OF SERIOUS FIGHTING. NOTHING iIEFORF JUNE. LONDON, April 5. I'rinre KliilkolV (Russian Minislur for Roads, Canals, ami Railways), interviewed h.v Mu; Stamlard's r,i.respoiidcnt, declares he In confident the railway around Lake Baikal will he completed in August. lie does not expect any important lighting before .June '2O, since "cner.il K.uroputkin intends to take no chances. POLICING! THE AEGEAN SEA. LONDON, April ">. The volunteer cruisers Smolensk ami Oul have hUeii ordered to prepare for work outside the Black Sea. It is supposed they are instructed to intercept merchantmen carrying- contraband to Japan.

VARIOUS ITEMS. LONDON, April 5. Japan's frontal base is at An-ju. Bridges have been laid across the Chan-chung and Pako-chuug rhers. An advance on the Yalu is preparing by three roads. Russia is offering tempting bribes to Manchuria bandits to serve against Japan. A Seoul telegram states that ten thousand Japanese are marching on Yo-ng-ampho. The Chinese general at Fung-heng estimates that there are aaO,l>o'J Russians at Manchuria. Russia holds a position extending seventy miles from Amlong to the mouth of the llunking Rhcr. Advices received at Si. Petersburg state that, the cruiser Havanumihe recent light was struck s'event.,' limes. She is rapidly being repaired A sailor aboard the i Vtropaulovr.k, the Russian flagship at I'ort \rthur, in a letter home, stales that the vessel was severely dama".-l in one of the Port Arthur actions" PARIS, Aprils I'ranceis sending two of thcNaide Cass of submarines to defend Tonking and Saigon. JAPAN'S ADVANCE O.N THE YA- . Hi FRONTIER. (Received April fi, 10.,"Jo p.m ) LONDON, April (i There litis been no sign of the Japanese fleet since Sunday. Naval critics surmise thai it, is' co-oper-ating with the army crossing the Forty-live thousand Japanese, consisting of the Guards and second and-Twelfth divisions cvtcndinir from Kasan to An-ju are marchinon Wi-ju. The Russians possess a line of forfilial PAists him Niii-chwang to An-lung. They recrossed the Ya-lu on Friday.

Till': POWER OK Goui. JAPANESE OFFICER SELLS I'LAN OK CAMPAcGX. LONDON'. April (i. ' The Chronicles Shanghai correspondent slates that owing to the treachery of it .Japanese officer the plan of campaign has been largely changi.il. The discovery of tlie defection was made through finding a place where troops were originally intended to laud thoroughly mined. The otlicer has been arrested. Russians are paying huge sums of money for information.' Some Japanese have been sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for supplying naval information to Russians about Yokohama and Maisuru. ATTEMPT TO CLEAR POUT ARTlirit EXTRANCE. LOMKiN, April (i. The Russians are trying to dvunmile (he ships sunk al the entrance to Port Arthur ; but are experiencing great difficulties in the work. SERVIAN' VOLUNTEERS KEFUSEH. LONIIOX, April G. The Czar has declined the aid of live hundred Servians who volunteered for service in the Far East. ALEXJEKF'S MANIFESTO. STIRRING INVOCATION r IT) THE ARMY AND THE FLEET. A despatch from Port Arthur, published in St. Petersburg on Feb. 17, stated that the following general order had been issued by the Viceroy : "A heroic army and licet has been entrusted to me by His .Majesty the Emperor. Now, when the eyes of the Czar of Russia and of the'world are upon us. we remember that It is our sacred duty to protect the Czar and the Fatherland. Russia is great and powerful, surd if our foe is strong this must give an additional strength and power lo light him. "The spirit, of Russian soldiers and sailors is high. Our army and navy know many renowned names, which i must at this hour serve as an example for us. Our God, Who has always upheld the cause thai is just, is doing so now. "Let us unite for the coming struggle. Let. every man be of ~ tranquil mind, in order the ] )oU ,. r to tuim his duty. Trusting in the l*lp of the Almighly, let every man perform his task, remembering thai prayer to God and service to the Emperor are never wasted. "Long live (he Emperor and the Fatherland. God be with us. Hurrah !"

f.;ik,' link,,!, which nature rehe-es ">" Hus.-inn ruihvev arc's i '- '•'••"y » iniK- iiiknui ~,;■ , .'.„„;; 1: ;' l"« "' »'■'■«. and, in pads. ,„•'„„. I ;: i!l,,hr ' l 'l'-i'Hi. ijiii»-i-(<. 0,.. ,i,- <>!>■ 'l'o this end Messrs Aimistn'in,'" Whitworlh, „„d Co., the ;„„,',„,; English firm, built tin enornin,,', M earner, whirl, nc-ls as ~ f,. lrv m summer, mid as ice-breaker and convoy , n winter. It lias „ sa | ,„ vnrry ,hc " h »li' Kihoi-ii,,) train across Hip ink,, 'p|„. V( , SS( , | Iniilt al Newcastle, taken mil |,i ( ,'!. h meal, and built on the lake side

The country through which the line runs swarms with some of th,. 1 " 1 « '»' '■"■• th. It was limit by murderers, thieves and men convicted of iinmenl ionable offences. llK ' «•! population is ex-convicl or deportee : and Mr Henry Norman when travelling through ihe dish-id' discovered Iha I though cverv person carries one or lwo revolvers' cverv wei'k murder and robbery are commuted by the convieis. One of Mr Norman's gui.ies was a rderer. S " w,,s miulher |„. „„.,. but iliai one «us removed for a s,, 1 murder"•hile ,l,e police were ins, „,,ck,„,- a third near Lake Slaiion for '(he .slaughter of eight people. Admiral MakarolT. who commands Ihe new Russian sobudron in I In. Far Kasl. has won distinction in pacific piirsuiis. He is 11„. jnveuLir of (he Ei-mack, ihe vessel i„ which he was to reach the Norlh Pole. He believed thai lie could- break open a passage through Hie ice. Messrs Armstrong and Company built ihis, as well as the Ilaikal v. ssel. The admiral .((01* ]njr thinoiigii tlie icd J'lft, thick at the rate of from three to four miles an hour, and expressed a hope llinl. be entering the perpetual ice regions norlh of Siberia he would win his way to the coveted goal. Meanwhile the Pole remains where it was, and ihe utlmiral has other, flsh .to fry.:

EULOGY FOR JAPAN. The military correspondent of tho London Times in his letter Inst month paid a .striking tribute to Hie Japanese military ami naval uullWrilies. lie writes : 'Meanwhile, with a eonliclenee I hat approaches Ihe sublime, the transport of the Japanese forces to Ihe mainland is proceeding; apace. There is, however, nothing whatever al present to disclose Ihe plans of Ihe Japanese 'siall'. Thai is (lie tremendous menace and tin- terrible strength of an whose navy ami army do not dril.'ble into uelion in sections.' bui are each and all prepared to strike together with their rail hare, and to strike home. frankly, Japan lias taken a leaf from llritish practire and vastly improved 111*111 it. We have wa.gvd runny wars and have often struck hard and (Uikk by sen, bill seldom or mver lias our army Iveen ready to second tliis action at the outbreak of war, hence all ihe long, desultory and cosily wars of the past, Jtfpan is sluiwing m\ how to wield that double-edged and mighty sword forged by union of all military ell'ort to a common purpose. So we see the great Heel of Japanese transports spread their wings and take (light like a Hock of wild fowl, and we can fee] for the liussiie.n fowler on the Yu-ln. who sees I hem wheeling and circling round, but cannot fell whence (hey come or whither thev go, and can onlv lurn round on his own axis and curse the slrcngili of I heir pinions. The practice of Japan 10-day stands as the ideal and the model of national strategy for an Island Umpire, and the nearer we can approach to ii the more confidently may we anticipate the prevention of war in I lie aide territories under .the British Crown."

Trades Council. (Per Press Association). CIIUISTCIIVUCII, April (5. The Trades Council resolved in favour of the Workers' Compensation Act being amended to provide, for full pay from the time of an accident on a basis of the current wages ruling in the district. 11 was unanimously agreed that the GovcrnniL'tit. should amend the act to enable unions to sue for compensation on behalf of persons injured, ttud also power to be extended to provide that compensation for permanent Injury Iw raised from .CfiOil to £(5(10. It was resolved to urge the (lovernment to make provision by which risks declined 'by other accident companies may he insured under special arrangement with the Government Insurance Department. After the luncheon adjournment the following resolutions were curried : That it be au instruction to the incoming executive to draft an amendment to the Conciliation and Arbitration Act asking for preference to unionists and to forward it to tin) Minister for Labour; that the Government should be requested to auiend seclion 21 of Hie same act in (he following direction— "any council representing l,. S s (hall IwcTindus(rial unions of dill'eient industries or Iwo industrial unions of one jndus- "■•'• '»' "it'licr employers or workersmay be registered as an industrial ussocalion „,' employers or work|,|"h ' = "iKI thai the Government :-!»ml<l be urged („ amend Ihe Conciliation and Arbitration Act (o enjudicaie for breaches of'awards 'or industrial agreeinenls. A proposal to add Ihe words "with the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration" was defeated bv 12 votes