The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-06-11
NEARING THE END
BELIEF AT SHANGHAI CLOSE OF
WAR is IN SIGHT.
W. George Bayne, President of Mu-
nicipal Council, Talks of Situa .
ton i'm Far East. Believes Japan
Has More Surprises In Store for
World.

tCdteic, Juuc O.-1 nat ptdCt ONtI-
lures will be made to end the present
Russian-Japanese conflict within the
next three months, and probably ac-
oepted by the defeated Russians, is the
statement made by w. George Bayne,
president of the municipal council of
Shanghai. Mr.. Bayne arrived in this
city Saturday morning from the far
East. He is exceedingly optimistic as
to the final success of the Japanese
forces, and ventures the assertion that
their advance from this time on will
be an astonishing revelation to the en-
tire world. He says:
Port Arthur must fall. The place
cannot hold ont much longer. The
stories that have been SO widely circu-
lated that Russia's Gibraltar on the
Pacific was capable of withstanding a
long siege are pure fabrications. Starv-
alton is certain to bring the inhabit-
ants to their knees, and the Japanese
by their remarkable energy and shrewd-
ness, have surrounded the boasted i'm
pregnable citadel from all sides.
when left Shanghai the general
impression was that the war must soon
be brought to a close. There was a
strange and prophetic unanimity on
that point. No one believes for an in
slant that the Russians can recover
from the telling attacks that the little
brown men have Inflicted. With tire
less energy they have swarmed through
and over positions that were regarded
as impossible; have sent their foes
retreating time and time again and
without delay, and they have contin-
ued this battering process from the
moment hostilities opened. There can
be but one outcome, and that is Rus
sia's defeat
From careful survey of present
conditions, | think Port Arthur will
fall within the next two weeks, and
that the Japs will advance, possibly as
far as Mukden, where they will be in
a position to dictate terms of surren-
der. There can be no loophole of es-
cape for the forces of the GEAR. Re-
moved 80 far from the base of opera
tons, they must face the issue and
eventually haul down their standards.
"The japanese will offer very favor
able terms; conditions that will un-
doubtedly be a revelation i'll humane
warfare. They are themselves eager
to end the terrible conflict as quickly
as possible. They are not naturally a
fighting race, but their fatalism has
led them to brilliant campaign that
has so far been irresistible, and will
prove so to the end. The Russians,
on the other hand, are facing internal
disturbances from annexed sections
that will blaze into actual revolt un-
less the issues with the Japanese are
brought to a speedy close.
Russia's Serious Mistake.
1.-The Russians made one serious mis-.
take in regard to their campaign, and
the Japs, with remarkable sagacity,
have picked out this vulnerable spot
in their tireless and finally successful
attempts to bottle up Port Arthur.
The place was piled high with guns
and millions of rounds of ammunition,
but the food supply was overlooked,
and there is undoubtedly fatal short.
age now. This is one reason why the
non com batants were shipped out &c
unceremoniously when the campaign
commenced. The truth has been kept
partially concealed, but among com.
mercial men in Shanghai, who were
in a position to know this, the fact has
been patent and generally commented
upon.
"The japanese have remarkable
advantage over their enemies in the
attacks on Port Arthur. Their ships
are armed with long range guns that
can shell the town from distance
where the vessels cannot be reached
by the land Notifications. This itself
will be sufficient to cause the fort to
fall in short time, and with the
forces advancing from the land side
that fate will be accelerated. There
.ouxot x,oasih ly ia any other raSult ~