The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-09-19

CdEfO, sept. 1e.-AccOrd1ng to
Lieutenant Prince Radzivil of the Rus
sian army who reached here last
night from Port Arthur, bearing dis
patches from Lieutenant General
Stoessel, the commander in chief of
the forces in the Russian stronghold,
to General Kuropatkin, the temper of
the belligerents at Port Atruhr has
reached an absolutely merciless stage.
Prince Radzivil served with the
British in the Boer war, and he says
that until he became aware of the
state of affairs at Port Arthur he had
no idea war could be so horrible.
1t was set forth in these dispatches
some weeks ago that serious sus-
picions were entertained by each bel
ligerent that the other was misusing
the Red Cross flag. These suspicious
have been increased by the commits
sion of various acts by the soldiers of
both armies, until now even flags of
truce or surrender are not respected
by either side.
Prince Radzivil declares that the
men of both armies are absolutely
venomous in their antagonism. Lieu
tenant General Stoessel has addressed
his garrison, saying that the present
mood of the japanese indicates
clearly the necessity of resisting
them to the last drop of Russian
blood, because If the Japanese SOL
diers entered the fortress, it undoubt-
edly would be impossible for their Of
fcers to control them and prevent
massacre. For this reason Lieutenant
General Steossel is making no objec-
ton to civilians leaving Port Arthur.
When the 500 women who are in Port
Arthur, engaged in hospital work,
were advised to leave, they replied
they would rather face the possibility
of massacre than desert their posts.
WOUNDED ARE LEFT TO PERISH.
In consequence of the fact that flags
Of truce are ignored, numbers of Jap
anese dead, which have been lying on
the slopes of the hills of the northeast
defenses for weeks past, are still un-
buried, and the stencil in Port Arthur
from decomposing bodies, when the
wind is in the right direction, is al
most uncomfortable. The Russian SOL
diers, who are in some cases posted
ing dead, have constantly to wear over
their noses tandkerchiefs soaked in
camphor, as otherwise they would be
unable to remain at their posts.
In the course of the assaults which
took place in the four last days of
August two companies of Japanese
soldiers, according to Prince Radzivil,
found themselves at the mercy of the
Russians and hoisted white flag. To
this, however, the Russians paid no
attention and continued to volley rap
idly into the helpless ranks of the
enemy. In the meanwhile japanese
troops in the rear of the companies
that had raised the white flag saw
what their comrades had done and eX-
pressed their disapproval of the surren
der by firing into their rear. AS a. re-
suit of this fire from friend and foe
500 men were annihilated. The dead
fell among the decomposing bodies Of
previous assaults.
For days afterward the wounded men
In this area raised fiuttering handker-
chiefs in their hands in plea for help,
but the Russians were afraid to ven
ture out to give succor. Within week
the last arm had made it's last un-
regarded prayer for help, and the sham
bles was a quiet but CHASTITY field of
horror.
Among the heaps of dead the Prince
saw two soldiers, one a Russian and
the other a japanese, lying locked in
a death embrace. The teeth of the Jap
anese were sunk in the Russians
throat, while the Russian had forced
two Of his fingers into the eye-sockets