The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-03-15
PORT ARTHUR CLOSED
 BY RUSSIAN ADMIRAL
REPORT THAT MAKAROFP HAS
 BLOCKED HARBOR.

Occupied Dainy-Ths yindivostok 4 Squadron sfiiI Unsccounted For.
 London, March 15.-A correspondent f the Daily Mail at New Chwang says bat after the removal of the battleship setvizan forr Russian steamers. the [arbin, the Hailar, the Ninguta and he Sungari were anchored at the houth of the entrance to Port Arthur h proper position and sunk. leaving hIy small channel available, Vice Edmiral Makaroff having previously rdered the whole fleet to remain out de with steam up, economy in coal be- lg unnecessary.
 5 This dispatch, which is prominently isplayed by the Daily Mail, and which he correspondent says is lon Russian lformation,' is, if true, news of the rst importance. confirming the idea hat Vice Admiral Makaroff will adopt he offensive and make a desperate at empt to bring together Russia's scat bred naval forces, or endeaver to in lict damage on the Japanese navy. E The story must. however, be viewed autiously, the only approach to con rmation from any other quarter being "A dispatch from a correspondent of the Daily Telegraph at Yin Row, which |Aerely says ''Vice Admiral Makaroff las issued orders to the effect that the |aving of coal is unnecessary, but that Inc big gun ammunition in the forts |Aust not be wasted. Evidently this Ammunition is running short There is no other news to hand on he subject.
 The Daily Telegraph's Tokio cores |ondent sends an unconfirmed rumor the effect that Japanese marines ave landed and occupied Dalny
 It may be remarked that the British ewspapers all, regard Vice Admiral ogo's report that he has laid mines at ort Arthur as a mere bluff and they hy that such feat would be impossi- e under the fire of the Russian guns.
 The Daily Mail thinks that if Vice Ad- iral Makaroff closed the channel it as in order to prevent the ingress of japanese torpedo destroyers as he did
 Wei-Hai- Wei during the Chino-Jap- nese war. It is a subject of unceasing mark and conjecture that nothing has ben heard of the Vladivostok squad bn, and it is beginning to be believed tat at 1t 1t is really inside the harbor of ladivostok.
 The Standards Tokio correspondent hys that, according to a dispatch from en San the Russians are believed to withdrawing from the northern from CT of Corea and concentrating at '%ladivostok.
 SThe correspondent of the Morning Host at Tokio throws an interesting ght upon Japan's financial intentions ny says that it is estimated that Japan ill be able to maintain a war for eigh- len months without borrowing abroad. he policy is to retain the, gold in apan, and it is believed that it will bt be necessary to spend abroad more lan one-eighth of the cost of the war, is expenditure being chiefly on coal, prdite and steel. The fact that Port rthur is completely blockaded permits
 great saving, because Japan will be 31e to charter vessels at peace rates.
 St. Petersburg, March IA -Noon.-- here is no truth in the rumors that le Russians have abandoned Port Ar lur. Admiral Abaza, secretary of the ommission of F'arsEastern affairs, au- lorizes the Associated Press to deny he story. He says the situation at ort Arthur is unchanged and that pthing of importance has taken place lere in the last twenty-four hours.
 The Alexander committee announce hat in addition to the regular army ensions, supplementary pension of R5 year will be given to the widows nd orphans of the non n-commissioned ficers, and SPA to those of soldiers and Rilors killed in the face of the enemy
 Tien Tsin, March 14-The reported ccupation of Port Arthur by the Ja- anese is untrue, according to tele- ram received here at II o'clock, which fit Port Arthur at o'clock last ev- ming.
 The riot at Shan-si turns out to have cen unimportant.
 London, March 15.-The Seoul corre- pondent of the Times comments on the emarkably civil influences which Japan as brought to bear upon Corea without dopting an attitude of overbearing CO., rsion. The correspondent says that on he contrary. everything Is being done D conciliate the Coreans but he points ut that from Chemulpo to Seoul every ontrolling influence is Japanese-rail- Eay, police and telegraph. He adds that apan must have been laying the foun- ation for this condition of affairs for aany months.
 Paris, March 15.-The correspondent the Journal at Tien Tsin says that Folonel Munthe, aide-de-camp, and MT. .aville, counsellor for foreign affairs to he viceroy of Pc Chi Ii province, who re starting on a mission to Viceroy Alexieff. made to him the following tatement:
 'We sincerely believe that China will lot interfere in the conflict Doubtless ertain agitators at court are in favor f Japan, but General Yuan Sinai Kai, vho is the empress confidential man, he most powerful viceroy in China and Firtual chief of the Chinese army, is too prudent to expose his country to the consequences of such an adventure. The ispatch os reinforcemsnts to the from fer is genuine from which we conclude