Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-04-22
THE WAR IN THE EAST.

The ships of the Baltic feet, at St.
Petersburg and at Libau, will be in com
mission and ready to sail next week.
The naval reserves Of the neighboring
provinces are arriving for distribution to
the ships.
All hope is given up of the recovery
of the body Of Vice Admiral Makarof.
II is believed to be beneath the over
turned ship. The official reports place
so as the number Of persons saved from
the Petropavlovsk.
Advices received from Alexandrof,
Island of Sakhalin, say it is believed
that 1000 or 5000 japanese employed
on the eastern and southern coasts are
disguised soldiers and sailors. Many Of
them have been arrested in the Korsa-
koff district with arms in their posses
sion. The families of officials and resi-
dents of Korsakof and Alexandrof, it
is added, are secretly secreting their
valusbles and fleeing into the interior.
rhe admiralty. it is announced, in
tends to fit out two 5hips purchased from
Germany, which formerly were in the
transatlantic service, together with a
number of ships of the volunteer feet,
with rapid fire guns and to send them
to the Pacific to prey upon japanese
commerce. The admiralty believes that
by this means it can prevent the resump-
ton of operations by the japanese COM
mercial fleet and strike a hard blow
against Japan's hope Of maintaining her
resources for the prosecution of the
war.
A private letter from Port Arthur de-
scribes a wedding which occurred during
bombardment. The wedding guests
were nearly stampeded, the carriage
horses tried to bolt, and shells were
bursting as the procession drove to the
church but after the ceremony 100
guests danced while shells we're flying
and bursting over head. The newly mar
ried couple, it is further asserted, were
quite happy.
The Toxic correspondent Of the LondC n
Daily Telegraph says that Port Arthur
undoubtedly is efectually blocked and
that events are eliminating around the
doomed fortress.
Russia has made new issue Of $l5,-
600, 900 in paper currency against free
gold in the State bank. At the Minis
try of Finance it was explained that it
was an ordinary issue and in no sense
was forced. Under the law paper is is
suable 10 double the amount Of gold upto
$3.50, 600, 00e gold, in excess of which pa
per issued must be covered rouble for rou
bic. In the State Bank there are, in round
figures, s4OO, 900, 600 in gold, which
would permit OF an issue of $3.50, 600 in
paper, but the paper issue at present
only amounts to $3.50, 900, 900.
The daily expenses are averaging
$500 and it is estimated that a
years expenditures for the war will
total $3.50, 600, 600. To meet this there
existed free balance of $50, 900, 900,
which was increased to $115, 900, 600 by
reductions Of the ordinary budgets,
leaving ostensibly Sl35, 900, 900 to be
found But portion Of the later is
made up by the increased earnings OF
the railroads owned by the government.
1t being in reality question of book
keeping, how the balances is to be raised
has not yet been determined. The
Ministry Of Finance believes it may be
easy to float an internal loan late in the
summer or fall.
The repeated disasters to the Russian
feet in the far East are plainly produc-
ing a most depressing effect in Russian
commercial circles The bulk Of the
trading community would be glad to be
out of the struggle tomorrow on any
reasonable terms Business men point
out that even If beaten in Manchuria,
Japan has Korea to fall back upon, from
which it would be no easy matter to
dislodge her. They ask where Japan,
if beaten in the long run, is to obtain
means to repay Russia her financial and
other losses. The prospects ofrelatively
insignificant japanese contributions,
spread wide over a period of generations,
does not attact them, and, moreover,
they do not share the confidence Of
military circles as to the final outcome
of operations in the field.