The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-12-29
WANTS WARSHIP
Russia Will Not Consider ths Hand-
ing of Troops to Corea as a -
friendly Act-DiplOmatic OrcAns en
St Petersburg Express CeaAAenuc
That an AmicabIe Settlement Oaa
be Reached-Japan is Negotiating
for the Purchase of Chilean WHY
ships.

Paris. Deoember 2S.-It was sanr1ea
! in authoritative quarters tcAay that
| Japan Is about to send a large nnitAIy
/ force to Corea. for the purpose o1 re-
] storing and maintaining order at ehe
disturbed ports. The departure Of this
! force is imminent. 1t will probably
consist Of a division Of 1900 men
Japan has been assured that Russia
Will not consider the sending OF troops
to Corea to be an unfriendly act or 3
, cassus belli 1t is anticipated that the
departure of the troops will revive the
war rumors, which however, It Is
pointed out in authoritative quarters
will be unjustified, in view OF Russil's
acOuieSenCe.
During the recent exchanges Of COM
munications between Russia and Japan
the former fully recognized the need sf
the presence Of a strong military aH-
thority in Corea and conceded thas
Japan was in the best position 10
promptly send troops to the disturbed
points. The sending Of the troops.
nevertheless, is construed as having
an important bearing on the present
negotiations. as it will be the first cor
SplcuouS evidence Of Japan's actual
exercise OF paramount authority over
Corea- 1t is further said in the same
quarters that the preparations for this
great activity at the Japanese arsenels
and stockyards, which, it Is asserted,
has been enormously aScribed to prep
arations against Russia
Information has also been received
here that Foreign Minister Iamsdorf
has personally received Japan's reply.
and that in view of its terms. he ~
said to have expressed surprise at the
reports Of Japans belligerent attitude
This. it is added, is regarded az clearly
showing the amicable spirit in whlsh
the negotiations are proceeding
London. December 26-Japa~ IS ne
gotiating for the purchase Of two
Chilean warships. the armorel cruiser
Esmeralda and another, probably tfse
battleship Captain Prat, which are for
sale. II is now only Il matter Of lrfee
Negotiations with other South Amer
can governments for the purchase OF
WarshlpS are also in progress
Baron Hayaspi the japanese naink-
ter to Great Britain said TO q reDre-
sentative Of the Associated Press to-
day. relative to these negotiations:
We want more ships. OF course.
this is only a precautionary measure
and it may be lot of expense fer
nothing. L have no indication Of tee
! nature Of the Russian reply. Persoo-
ally. L scarcely expect it will be deliv-
cred for some little time There rs no
truth whatsoever, in the report that
Japans last note stipulates . Anne
limit"
Asked anent the dispatch from Ber-
lin. OF December oath saying the British
government had represented TO the
car that Great Britain deemed ia.
pans demands just and earnestly ex-
| pected that Russia would grant them. .
Baron Hayashi, while he won not
aware of the precise action taken by
/ Great Britain at St Petersburg, said:
| The British government fs well
! aware that Japan will be obliged to 90
/ TO war unless Russia modifies the posi-
| ton she has taken up in her last note.
Al the foreign office here. nothing IS
yet known Of the probable astara ar
the Russian reply.
ST. petersburg, December %.-Dipio-
matte circles here eYpraor p-,otor -