The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-14
Will Great Britain be Drawn
in by Japan?
HOURLY MORE .MENACING
NJ. Lessar Announces to China That the Mar.
churisn Convention Has Lapsed---This is
Ridculed a! Yokahoma-.-S Situation
Rapidly Dark ms.
(By the Associated Press.l

Berlin, Oct. PA dispatch from Shang
hal to the Frankfurter Zeitung states that
news has reached there from Che-Foo, to
the effect that the Japanese have occupied
Masampho, and that an official declara
ton of war is expected. The relations
between Japan and Russia have reached q
crisis, according to the official view here
The exact nature of the diplomatic ex-
changes between the two governments
that brought out the present tensity ap-
pear to be unknown at the legations OF
the two countries here or at the German
legations at st. Petersburg and Toxic, al
is privy to Japan's movements.
London, Oct. 12.-Depreciating the ru.
mors of Japanese ultimatum to Russia,
Baron Hayashi, the Japanese minister to
Great Britain, in an interview today, said
he had no information of such character,
adding that had Japan taken this action.
''the Anglo-Japanese treaty would have
necessitated my being Immediately mott
fed so that he might inform the British
government.
In spite of the reassuring statements of
the Foreign Office and Baron Hayashi.
, the frequent reiteration, that hostilities
between Russia and Japan are imminent,
the mysterious movements of the Russian
and japanese fleets and the excited state
of public opinion in Japan, are beginning
to cause disquiet in Great Britain which.
by reason of her alliance with Japan, is
so intimately concerned In any action
which the latter may take in the Far
East. Only the most sanguine persons
believe that in the event of hostilities
they could be kept within the limits
which would free Great Britain from her
obligation to support her Jauanese ally.
Even Baron Hayashi, who heretofore has
rIdiculed all suggestion of war, is not so
optimistic today. Indirectly he admits
the possibility of war, by expressing the
hope that in the event of a crisis Japan
will have the active sympathy of her ally.
Great Britain
While refusing to credit the reports OF
an ultimatum having been delivered
Baron Hayashi admitted that the diplo
matte situation had changed since Octo
Der 9Th and that developments may have
arisen from the failure of the Russians to
fultil their engagement to eyacuate Man
~Ehuria on that date. He. however, had
heard nothing from his government on the
subject.
Chee-Foo the source of the latest
alarming news, is several hundred miles
from Ma-San-Pno. The reports OF
japanese military movements there are
likely to be repetition of similar stories
circulated last week. which later accounts
minimized.
st. Petersburg. Oct, 12.-Signifcance is
attached here to the fact that the off
cial Messenger and the Journal print the
Benin Lokal-Anzeiger's dispatch relating
to- the movements of the Russian fleet
and the possible coincident landing of
Russia and Japanese troops in different
parts of Corea Several newspapers puo-
lish reviews of Japan's military and naval
trength.
Paris Oct. 12.-Speaking of the Russo
Jaranese situation today, NJ Flourens,
the former Foreign Minister of France
said:
Japan must have another power be-
tween her and Russia or she will not
take the offensive"