The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-01-07
KOREANS
AN Outbreak 81 Seoul Hap
Prove WaR Torch.
RUSSIAN FLEET FOR PORT lRIHUI
HOstIls Preparations COAtiAue-RS.
ported Japan Can Concentrate
5000 Men In MAnchuriA to
Oppose Russia's 200, 900.

At Vladiyostok are reported to have
sailed, probably for Port Arthur. Rus
sia's reply has not yet been received by
Japan. There is a strong, widespread
tendency to doubt the reports Of the
alleged conciliatory character of the
reply"
The idea of the possibility of peace
has pretty well sunk to zero. The pub
lie mind is prepared at any moment
to hear of an armed collision arising
from the landing Of japanese troops
in Korea, to prevent which purpose
the fusileer battalion has been dis.
patched from VladiyostOk.
No threats whatever will cause Rus.
STA to recede. No further diplomatic
correspondence will be admitted con.
corning Manchuria or Korea.
Adyices from the far east all have
an ominous tone, with Korea the CEN
Ter of interest, as the landing of Amer
lean marines at Seoul has added inter.
est in view of Il possible clash in that
territory between Japan and Russia.
The Koreans are FESTIVE and threaten
an outbreak. While the Americans at
Seoul have not been reported actually
menaced, their safety is matter of
concern To which the government has
given full weight
The Japanese minister in an inter
view here said he looks for a victory
for Japan in the event of war The
minister said his country was in pc.
sition to rapidly center 100000 men in
Manchuria, while Russia could with
difficulty send there only 100000 men.
He said that the naval forces Of Japan
were numerically superior to those of
Russia and from a military standpoint
were worth double.
IF war breaks out" said the minis.
ter, ut will last for only a few weeks"
An official cable says Russian lega.
ton guard of thirty has been landed at
Chemulpo, but the Japanese railway
has refused to transport it to Seoul.
1t is reported that preparations have
been made for the emperor Of Korea
to find an asylum at the French lega-
ton in>the event of serious trouble. 1t
Is expected that France and Germany
will send marines here to guard their
legations.
1t is reported that the Germans at
Kiaochau are supplying the Russians
with coal and gunners and that Admi-
raj Alexleff's agents are offering large
sums to induce American and British
gunners to desert and go TO Port Ar
thur.
A report from Shanghai says Japan
has learned that the Russian squadron
at Bizcrta has been instructed to shad-
ow Japan's new cruisers and be in
readiness to attack them in the event
of war being declared.
The cruisers Niasin and Kasaga,
which were recently bought at Genoa
from Argentina, will be taken through
the strait of Gibraltar by English OIL
GERS and English crews instead of by
the Suez canal in order to avoid a pos
sible attack by Russian naval forces.
A nkyO dispatch says the Russian
reply to the japanese proposals has ar
rived at the Russian legation here, and
it is supposed it has been communicate
ed to Baron Komura, the Japanese for
eign minister, at a long conference
with Baron de Rosen, the Russian min.
lister, but that nothing is known re-
gardng it.
The Korean foreign minister here
refused to give his consent to the send
ing of American marines to Seoul, but
he could not make an effective protest.
An urgency meeting of the japanese
cabinet has been called for today for
the purpose of considering the reply Of
Russia TO the last japanese note, and
the British cabinet has been sum-
moned for Saturday for the purpose of
discussing the attitude of Great Britain
in the light of the Russian reply
This question is beginning to be most
anXiously discussed by the British
press
The papers are almost unanimous in
admitting that, even if the war should
be confined to Russia and Japan, Great
Britain cannot possibly see Japan
crushed and that although not called
upon to interfere by the terms of the
AngloJapanese treaty and that while
hostilities may be confined to the two
nations, yet in the event of Japan suf-
fering a great naval defeat Great Brit
ain would be almost compelled to go to
her assistance.
\ Tokyo official of the government
when interviewed said: 1.-THE definite
occupation by Russia of Manchuria
would be a permanent menace to the
independence of Korea, which Japan
must prevent at any price. for Korea is
an advance post of Japan's line of de-
Tense, and the safety of Korea is a con-
dition sine qua non of her own security.
an struggling with all her force
against the pretcnsions of Russia in the
far east Japan works not only for her
self but for all nations. Japan does
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