WAR IN THE EAST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 85, 14 April 1904, Page 3

WAR IN THE EAST.

THE YA-LU VALLEY. AN UNDESIRABLE THEATRE FOR OPERATIONS. LONDON, April 12. The Times' correspondent with the Japanese headquarters stall' says that neither belligerent desires to light in Hie vicinity of live Ya-lu River. The Russians have recognised that the .Japanese possession oi the sea would enable them to turn the Russian right flank on the Ya-lu, and therefore desire to entice the .Japanese inland, while the Japanese wish to get inland, where there is a more suitable theatre for operations. TRICKING A JAPANESE PRIZE CREW, LONDON, April 12. A Japanese cruiser captured a Russian coasting steamer early in the war. A prize crew, numbering eight, was ordered to take the vessel to a Japanese port, but the captain, using a language with which Uie Japanese were unacqiuainted, arranged a resuue. At a given signal the crew rushed at the Japanese and threw them all overboard, excepting two ofliccrs, who were conveyed as prisoners to Vladivostok. MOVEMENTS OF PORT ARTHUR FLEET. LONDON, April 12. Admiral Makaroff telegraphs that the entire Russian fleet has just re-, fumed to Port Arthur from a cruise far out to sea. The enemy was not seen. THE SITUATION AT NILCIIWANG. (Received April i:i, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, April J3. Prince AlexielT reports that a Japanese fleet is cruising in the direction of Niu-cliwang. The (Iritish sloop-of-war Espiegle left, after a plan had been agreed upon for the care of British interests and the ultimate restoration of 'Niu-ehwang's treaty rights. The Russians are now enabled to upply martial law in the town. JAPANESE SCOUTS SURPRISED. (Received April J3. 11.-18 p.m.) ST. I'ETIOKSISUUG, April 13. General Kuropalkin telegraphs (hat General Krasnaiiski on (he j night of the Bth ordered Lieutenant Dimidovitch, with a detachment of sharpshooters, to cross the Ya-lu towards Wi-ju. On arriving at SamVilind, one of the islands in the river, Lieutenant Dimidovitch surprised and killed fifUWi Japanese scouts who were just landing. The Russians were uninjured.

A NEW ZEALANDER'S OPINION. Mr Gordon Mae I Jon aid, the wellknown Southland chemist, who rendered such valuable service in the Koyal Army Medical Corps during the Boer war, arrived at Tokio I'roin Melbourne on Feb. ( j, and immediately joined the Japanese Medical Corps. Writing to i\ friend in New Zealand, Mr MacPuualri says that the Jupanese ambulances and the mcdic-al corps generally compare very favourably with the British. The general opinion amongst all classes in Japan is that the war will last for two years. Mr Maclkwvald iinnly believes that the Russians can never crush the Japs, either on land or sea, and the end of the war will find Japan included in the first-, class Powers of the world.

WONDROUS WAK INVENTIONS. SIiMIAIUNES, AIRSHIPS, nND PILLS. The. otlieials oi the .Japanese Lefittlion in .London arc struggling wit.i u great host of applications lr,,l t ! J ugents, manufacturers, and "crank" inventors, all of whom are anxious to advance the cause of Japan by selling to her tlveir own particular wares for use in the war. Among the things which the Legation has boon urged to purchase are saddles, rifles, big gams, airships, medicines, compressed food, ami a submarine boat. The compressed food was in the shape of pills, and, according to the inventor, contained so much nourishment, that the Japivnese soldier would only require to take one piil every three or four days. Declined with thanks. Then the airships were wondrous vessels designed to carry aloft shells to be dropped on the Russian forces beneath. Jhil, the mos'b astonishing -oiler *»f all watf t lie submarine boat. This was not an ordinary submarine boat, inasmuch as it had a si range magnetic at I ractiou. it would, said the man who planned it, approach the Russian fleet beneath the water, and would, by means of its powers of attraction, draw the Russian ships out from the harbour, and finally, to the mystification of the Russian ollicers, tow the fleet into a Japanese port, enough, the Japanese Legation refused the services of this wonderful vessel. KEEPING JAPAN'S SECRETS. ' Secrecy, the very (fuali'ty ami es- ; sence of secretiveness, is Oriental. With, the Asiatic secrecy is a talent, a gift, ail art—'he loves it for its i own sake, ijjiite as much as, .or perj haps more than, for what he may ! obtain because of it. lleneath his bland, unspeaking, unrevealing I'ace lies fathomless guile, unknowable ! depths. And it should never be I'orI gotten that the Japanese are a race 1 of Orientals who htiave adopted Occidental ideas -only to the extent that has seemed good to them, and no more. At. botlom they remain, and will remain, Easterns of the Easterns. Hence the meanest, soldier or sailor can he depended upon Id keep .Japan's secrets —he would rather be i:ut to pieces Until heira.V the slightest movement which might give undesirable information. Ll is found, this quality, this habit of secrecy, in all classes in Japan. Early in January the Japanese Government gave orders that no word was 1o be published with respect to the mobilisation of Hoops or (he movements of ships. And ihough these were known to many, not a breath of what was going on found its way ouiside Japan, beyond the i vaguest and most contradictory ru- 1 niours, ami these came not from the .Japanese, but from the Europeans at the ports. It must be confessed that there is something awe-inspir-ing, somvlhiivg even tevri!bi!e, in,this great national capacity for silence. Anil in time of war like live present, this rapacity for secrecy becomes a power, an adjunct of enormous value and lorce to military operal tions. jf it impresses the ordinary public, looking on as mere spectators, what must lie. Jls ci'ftr.l on the. times ajnl morale of an enemy. Jlow agiLilitig. how shut I eri'irg, how demoralising if cannot but be ! Uusil must, be remembered, is on j the defensive i-very wJ.<t.« now 'in the i'ar East, owing to i lie partial destruction of her lieet at Port Ar--1 hur—| he Vladivostok fleet is hardly likely to give serious trouble. and the perpetual pre-omipalion of Admiral Alexielf and his commanders must Ire Hie •,question. Where is Japan's attack to be delivered V At frt-sl, they can but guess— they do not know. Nor will Japan Jet tiiem know until she is ready to strike with all her might.