RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 211, 10 September 1904, Page 3

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

PROGRESS OF THE MANCHUB.IAN CAMPAIGN, * RECENT FIGHTING. LONDON, September 8. The Japanese captured guns, stores and ammuniUon at Liao-yong notwithstanding the ravages of the Are. I Throughout Monday tlve Japanese

Irom the hills to the oastward shelled the Russians. In one instance the infantry attacked a largo force of Russian infantry. Untimately the Russian artillery was sent to the hills to move in a line parallel

v with the enemy's, in order to pro- •* tect the retreaters' flank.

The latest consensus of opinion is that General Kuropatkin will retreat further unless prevented, by Generals Kuroki and Oku effecting ft junction, General Oku is westwand of the railway. Tx» Russian paper Vilomoski gays that General Kuroki has 148,000 men with 366 guns, making a total number under. Marshal Oyama of 855,000, witi> 1002 guns, or 90,000 men and 368 guns above the Russian strength. While General Kuropatkin's force was hurrying to Tien-ling, the First and Seventeenth Corps, under Generals Meyendorff and BiMerTing were engaging General Kuroki's troops so'utii of Mukden. St. Petersburg correspondents oi French newspapers state that the Cossacks on Wednesday night cut up a strong detachment of Japanese seven miles from Mukden. The conditions for retreat are improving, owing to inability of the Japanese to secure a favourable artillery position. The pursuit is growing less vigorous. An American eye-witness of the

Russians' stampede from Liao-yang testifies to the heroism of the Sisters of Mercy in removing wound ed to the hospital under shell-fire' One sister was killed and sevei, wounded while dressing wounds. The soldiers were completely exhausted and went to sleep in Uk firing line. The Japanese turning movement just failed owing to an entire Russian 'battalion suffering annihilation in order, to prevent the tutting of the communications.

Latest advices state that the Rus sian rearguard has evacuated Yentai. General Kuroki has occupies the line to the colleries.

Scouts got within twelve miles eastward of Mukden.

A "KEEP-IT-DARK" POLICY, NEWSPAPER CRITICISM NOT RELISHED, LONDON, September 8. The polios in. St. Petersburg confiscated the Nov o e Vremya's ediWon announcing that the Japanese .Were rapidly advancing on Mukden. The NoVoe Vremya's Mukden message stated that the retirement was due to General Kuroki'g troops crossing the Tal-tse, and the pressure of his superior forces. It added : ■'■' This battle began on the 24th, and how long it will continue cannot be foretold, "because the enemy possesses the initiative. The loss of life, money, and stores will be only ascertainatWe after wa concentrate."

The Parisian paper Patrie states that General Kuropatkin's move was op disorderly retreat, as Japanese despatches allege, but an offensive march to the rear.

CHUISEHS. SOW.THEY RECEIVED THE CZAR'S COMMANDS. (Received September 9, 10.41 p.m.) LONDON, September 9. When the Smolensk and Saint Petersburg were lying in Monai Bay, south of the island of ZanzUnar, they saw the British waiship Forte approaching, and weighed ainohor. The Forte signalled, "Have important despatches," and the crujsers dropped anchor. . The Forte's boat carried the cypher message and the British agent's protest, embodying Britain's demands. .Captain Skalsky, of the Saint Petersburg, came on board, and was received by a guard of honour. He stated he had only arrived the previous day, and owing t<> stress of weather had not taken coal aboard nor cominuiricated with anythody. On'y one steamer had been searched, owing to the stress of weather. .The SmJensk had only three hundred tons of coal on board, having cruised off the Cape for one month, meeting the continuous bad weather. Captain Dundas, commanding the Forte, in replying, impressed Captain Skalsky wfith the necessity of his prompt departure, and Skalsky most courteously announced that he was leaving forthwith. The Saint Petersburg saluted with twenty-one guns, and the salute was returnedI Captain Dundas returned the visit to the Saint Petersburg, which he found full of coal. She carried seven five-inch and a few smaller guns. The Smolensk bad eleven more or less obsolete guns. After Captain Dundas' departure the Saint Petersburg and Smolensk proceeded south. The Forte regained, watching, and when the ■cruisers were seven miles away a steamer was sighted approaching rfhelr anchorage. This proved to the their collier, believed to be a jHamburgvAinerican steamer, the iHolsatia. She altered her course, sand .the cruisers did likewise. The ithree were last seen fifteen miles (west of the southern point of Zanzibar.

The Russians would gladly, If possible, have stopped the collier on being sighted, as, but for the Forte's visit, the Smolensk would have coaled at Zanzibar. Captain Skalsky, In an interview, asked permission to coal, fcut Captain Dundas replied that he jnust inquire of the British Govern~<ejlt, if this was permissible. , second German vessel was seen brfmrinar Provisions from Daressalam,

DALNY DOCK' « epaired - EXAMINING THE WREU K 0F ™ E NOVIK. (Received September 9, 10.40 p.m., LONDON, September 9. The _ Japanese have repaired the Russian dry dock at Dalny, and are repairing p. Japanese destroyer there. Japanese transports sent Some officers and men to inspect the Novik at Korsakovsk, but Russian fire Caused them to withdraw. General Liapounow, the Governor, has telegraphed to the Czar that an examination showed that the Japanese had placed mines at different parta of the Novik, leaving some electrical conductors connected wMh the mines. The Russians removed the conductors from nine mines.

KUROPATKIN HEMMED IN. "A GRANDER TURNING MOVEMENT THAN LIAO-YANG." '(Received September 10, 1.15 a.m.) LONDON, September 9. A vague messago from General Kuropatkin is Interpreted to mean that he is threatened on both flanks. General Kuroki is marching parallel to the railway, twenty-seven miles eastward, and General Oku is d:>ing similarly twenty miles westwand. The Russian rearguard is seventeen miles south of Mußden, and is constantly fighting. The Times says General Kuropatkin's despatch may indicate that a turning movement is progressing on a grander scale even than that at 4i«o-y.eng<

CABLE NEWS.

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright.)