THE Waihi Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER THURSDAY, JULY 11, 1904.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1034, 7 July 1904, Page 2

THE Waihi Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 1904.

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LATEST news from the Far East indicates that the cordon round Port Arthur is rapidly tightening, and that in spite of the heavy rainfalls which at this time of year deluge the country the advance of the Japanese on the fort that has held out so long and well is steady, and practically unchecked, In tactics the Russians aro completely outclassed and from all that can be gathered the fall of Port Arthur is an event that will have to he recorded in the very near future. An idea of the struggle intended to be made in defence of the township may b e guaged by tho preparations the garrison are making for the last stand, A resident of the port, writing on a recent date, says that " as the letter (smuggled through in a junk) is despatched efforts are still being made to repair the Ketvisan, Pallada ami Tsarovitcli. All three vessels have been patched up so as to be moved about under their own steam, At present the calculation is to plug them up sufficiently to utilise them for harbour defence, They are all badly crippled, and literally shot to pieces. The soldiers and sailors aro working like Trojans, for they realise that it is a question of life and death to them, and no efforts are being spared to repel a land attack which it is confidently expected will be made in the near future. Many of tho big guns from the ships have been landed and placed in the forts, tho shore batteries having so far failed lamentably to come up to expectations, Every man over 18 available is working night and day outside the cily helping to throw up earthworks and place the guns brought from the ships in position thereabouts, and in this work him. dreds of women are assisting. The weather is bitterly cold, and the population as a whole is completely demoralised, Tho losses sustained have driven more than one wellknown man out of his mind, and several suicides among military and naval officers have been reported. 1 should say there are 10,0(10 Russian soldiers in tho place to-day. Ho far the forts have not sustained material damage, but a laigu num bcrof business houses have been razed to the ground, and several outbreaks of lire have boon caused by tho shelly, and proved troublesome to extinguish. There is enough ammunition hero to last a year even if there were I a bombardment overy day, The feeling against the Chinthe is I'ran. tically intense, audit would hi'.ve' been well for them could they have all got away before hostilities com ■ mencod, They are all considered as spies, and are maltreated on Iho

slightest pretext, As an illustration of this 1 will mention that companies of soldiers liavn been told oil' and instructed to seize every Chin. 'obo !!■■■■>• cnil'l lity tlieir hands on, and twist to find out if it were real, or if its owner wero a Japanese spy in disguise, A dozen of the latter have been discovered and shot on tho spot, their bodies beim; left to rot where they fell."