THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 170, 22 July 1904, Page 3

THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.

SERIOUS OUT! 00K. FALL IN IMPERIAL CONSOLS REPORTED DUE TO WAR RUMOURS.

BRITAIN WARNS RUSSIA.

VLADIVOSTOK SQUADRON MAKING FOR THE PACIFIC OCEAN HIGHWAY. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

A Fall in Consols.

ENGLISH SHIPPING BUSINESS RECEIVES A CHECK. HAZARDING THE CAUSE. *'' LONDON, July 20. Consols have fallen to 88f. The Titnea says the fall Is due partly to apprehension connected with the seizure of the Malacca. The Daily Telegraph declares it is chiefly the result of the liquidation of weak "bull" accounts. .. Other newspapers attribute the fall ' Itp the overloaded condition of the underwriting market. " The chartering of vessels tat Cardiff and Newcastle for the Far East is " practically at a standstill. Lloyds are asking twenty-five shillings per cent, to insure general cargo for (Shanghai. Seven and sixpence was tie rate last week. Serious Possibilities. EMBROILING BRITAIN IN THE EASTERN STRUGGLE. A BRITISH ADMIRAL'S OPINION. LONDON, July 20. Admiral Freemantle, writing to the Daily Chronicle, says the Russian volunteer cruisers are really pirates. Owing to Turkey's action Japan may ask Great Britain to fulfil her treaty obligations. The British cruisers ought to intervene unless Russia 3isjavows the action of the Smolensk and Saint Petersburg and releases their prizes.

Operations in the East. A STUBBORN FIGHT AND A RETREAT. SEVERE RUSSIAN LOSSES. LONDON, July 20. It is reported from Tokio that) 10,000 Japanese on the 15th attacked 5000 Russians at Seisei, killing many. The Russians fought stub-, bornly, and then retreated to Ta-shi-chao, leaving 200 men dead. RETREAT AFTER TWO DAYS FIGHTING. KUROPATKIN'S REPORT. (Received July 21, 10.23 p.m.) LONDON, July 21. General Kuropatkin reports that after two days fighting on the Liao-yang-Sai-tse Road the Russians * retreated to the south of Sai-tse, near Anping. BezabrazofF's Raiders. SCOURING STEAMER ROUTES. A VESSEL OVERHAULED.

ttafttles must be Upheld EUROPE TO COMPEL THEIR OBSERVANCE. A STRAIGHT-OUT TIP, LONDON, July 20. J The Times says that if European condemnation is insufficient to compel tile Russians to observe treaties, tome more effective means must be substituted. "It is reported that the Cabinet has sent a strongly-worded despatch to St. .Petersburg in connection with the Malaga incident, Rawing the Dardanelles. THE TCHERNOMORETZ INTEND-' ED FOR PIRAEUS. A FLAGRANT BREACH. LONDON, July 20. It is announced at Stamboul thai the Russian cruiser Tchernomoretz, which passed through the Dardanelles g day or two since, is intended to relieve a similar vessel at Piraeus. , The Standard's Constantinople correspondent says the passage of the Smolensk and Saint Petersburg was specially flagrant. Not a month ago a British yacht was compelled to disembark two toy saluting cannon before passing the Dardanelles. The British cruiser Porpoise has arrived at Aden. RUSSIAN EXCUSE OF USAGE IN ; SAILING THROUGH. DESPATCH OF MORE BRITISH WARSHIPS. (Received July 21, 10.23 p.m.) LONDON, July 21. Russian naval officials declare that tlis volunteer steamers passed through the Dardanelles under conditions in accordance with a practice. If they hoisted the war flag in the Bed Sea it concerned neither, Bri.tain nor Turkey. -Additional British warships have left Malta to join Admiral Domvllle. The Malacca. VESSEL REACHES PORT SAID UNDER ARREST. NO COMMUNICATION ALLOWED. LONDON, July 20. the Malacca has arrived at Port Baid. The crew are prisoners. No communication was allowed with the Shore. The captain protested, and was threatened with arrest. CREW AND PASSENGERS LANDED AT PORT SAID. (Received July 21, 9.56 p.m.) LONDON, July 21. "The Malacca's crew were landed at Hort Said and her passengers transferred to the steamer Marmora. The captain is hastening to London to report to the Government. Hie British Ambassador at St. Petersburg has warned the Russian Government that the situation is very sprioug, and he has strongly protested against the Saint Petersburg's irregular action in seizing the MalaccaThe Minister stated, further, that all the ammunition on board the steamer was marked with the broad arrow, was for the use of the China squadron. .The Malacca was seized on the 18th, near Jebil Zukur. It is reported that the Saint Petersburg was warned from Antwerp that the Malacca carried ammunition and ironwork for a crane at Moji.

LONDON, July 20. Tokio reports that the Vtadivostock squadron, without torpedo boats, has entered the Pacific Ocean, and was steaming eastwards ar seven o'clock this morning. It is believed the object is to raid merchant steamers, which are hurriedly seeking shelter. The squadron overhauled one in the Tsugaru Straits. IA JAPANESE STEAMER CAUGHT AND RELEASED. CHASED BY TORPEDO BOATS. (Received July 21, 10.23 p.m.) j LONDON, July 21. j The Vladivostok squadron overhauled and released the steamer Takas- j liima Maru. Japanese torpedo boats are now in pursuit'of the Russians. WAR ITEMS. Half a century ago England confronted us with a coalition of the Powers ill the near East ; a quarter of a century ago the liiade an effort in the same direction by assembling the j Berlin Congress, and now we are rea- 1 ping the fruit sown by English diplomacy in the shape of a sanguinary and costly war, which we in no way desired, wMch would never have taken place but for England's alliance with the Asiatic island Empire.— Vyedomosti, St. Petersburg. It is impossible to fathom the reasons for England's sympathy for Japan. It is a common saying that j history is made by the political economist, and that trade statistics are j too much for mere sentiment. We presume that English statesmen are acquainted with the figures of the export trade of Japan, and we cannot imagine the strength of a sympathy which can withstand these figures.— Novoe Vremya, St. Petersburg. The might of the Russian arms has not yet been put to the proof. The war lias not yet begun. It is yet before us. A few days will pass, and then the telegraph will bring us quite a different tale. Tlhen the English press will couch their remarks in quite another tone.—Russ, St. Petersburg. War is a contest in which the I stronger side is invariably victorious. It is *ecessary to bear this well in mind in order not to give way to depression under the influence of recent events, which are simply successes of the weaker side temporarily having a preponderance of active force.—Novoe Vremya, St. Petersburg. A time of war always induces a large number of cases of insanity. Of . lunatics who imagine themselves to be admirals and heroes of the war La the Far East there are some curious oases in St. Petersburg alone. In four lunatic asylums there are to bo found not only Togos, Kurokis, Hayashis, and others, but also '''submarines," "firo ships," and "Whitehead torpedoes.—Russ, St. Petersburg. Where forests are cut down the splinters fly. Without losses war cannot be waged. The final result is the important point, and of the issue of this war the spirit of Russia permits no doubt.—Svet, St. Petersburg, Russia will not only be driven out of Manchuria, but out of the whole Far East. Russia can henceforth maintain no squadrons of warships in Far Eastern waters. Japan's demands must necessarily grow with continued success in this conflict, and Russia must make up ner mind to these things before asking for peace. —Nippon Shimbun, Tokio. After three months of desperate effort, and at the cost of enormous losses, the enemy have succeeded in destroying a fraction of our fleet and have gnawed at the fringe of our army. Such successes, from a business poiiit of view, are as nothing, considering the vast expenditure of force. Vyedomosti, St. Petersburg.