The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-12-02
CORRESPONDENT VILLIERS
TALKS ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

Port Arthur with General Baron Nogi
Army, Mr.. Frederic Villiers, the famous
artist-war correspondent and the Far
East representative of the illustrated
London News. has returned to Yoko-
hama, where he will remain for a few
days before setting out on his journey
for London, which he hopes to reach
by Christmas.
Interviewed as to his experiences,
Mr.. Villiers had a very interesting story
to relate.
THE PRESS RESTRICTIONS.
Speaking of the regulations imposed
upon the war correspondents, he said,
from a military point of view they were
indeed very sound There was not one
irksome condition to which he could
honestly object, all were tactically ne
cessary. Among the regulations was
one that they were not to mention the
numbers of regiments or the calibre of
the guns. Having subscribed to these
conditions they were required to notify
headquarters if they wished to visit diff
ferent parts of the lines and their re-
quests were invariably granted. They
were free to 90 to any part with any of
the divisions and to visit any of the
brigades or regiments. Also they were
allowed to carry cameras and photo
graph anything except the Japanese
guns, especially guns in position Even
this restriction was eventually removed
Some of the correspondents said Mr..
Villers. objected at first because they
were not permitted to send the name
of any regiment that, for instance, per
formed some heroic act, but they after
wards saw that the restriction was an
absolutely necessary military precaution
as it might have been the means OF i'll
| forming the Russians of the reinforce
ment of some particular division. We
had no difficulty, and no Instructions
were offered to Our moving about the
various position Asked why he was
leaving Mr.. Nilliers said 81 have been
for three months before Port Arthur,
| have exhausted all the material there,
and it is now only question OF sketch
ing the interior OF Port Arthur and
the march in of the Japanese Army.
| have already made arrangements for
sketches to be sent to me of the final
events, and | consider this is the time
to get back to England with the story
of the japanese Army before Port Ar
thur"
TINE CONDITION OF DALNY.
But to begin Mr.. Villiers's interesting
story from the beginning After leaving
Japan the correspondents were taken tC
| Dalny and chartered in the Hotel DalnS
there. This building had been previous
ly looted by the Manchurian bandits
who had about 80 hours in the towr
before the Japanese occupied it, when
of course, order was Immediately re-
stored The briPands had ripped up all
the furniture and destroyed lot OF
goods. The Russians in leaving the
town hastily set fire to the more i'm.
portant buildings, and there is no doubt
the bandits set fire to some of the pri-
vate dwellings. But the town was il
very good condition in the circum.
stances Some of the fine buildings were
intact. as were also many private dwell
ling houses.
"Of COURSE continued Mr.. Villiers
the Russians destroyed all the bridges
These were magnifcently constructed
of masonry. In fact, | do not think
any line could be better built than the
railway from Dalny to Port Arthur, all
the culverts and bridges being splendid
ly constructed of stonework.'
TOURING THE BATTLEFIELDS.
at was August 4th when we arrived
at Dalny. and for some days we made
that town the centre, and visited tn,
battlehelds of the neighborhood. w,
saw the sites of the battles of Nanshar
and Kinchow and of the battles in The
direction of Port Arthur. We left Dial
ny on the 18th and marched to Bando
| There | saw for the first time very
excellent tent which was in use by the
| Japanese there and which was invented
| by Lieutenant Colonel Ushiro, comman-
! dant of Bando. 1t was very light, spa
cious, airy and in many ways a most
, serviceable tent
From that place we went to see a
very strong position which the Japanese
! had rushed and captured from the Rus
SLAMS. Afterwards we started for Eel
JOSH (Yingchengtz) where we remain
ed for few days. Receiving message
from headquarters, which were then al
Saidiko, we set out thence and were re-
ceived by General Nogi, who was eX
ceedingly kind and fatherlv. He sale
that it was his intention we should SEA
everything in connection with the opera
7 tons before Port Arthur What h,
wanted to impress upon us was to keel
! our health, that there was some sickness
: as naturally there would be with al
army, some dysentery owing to the keer
winds and TO the water of the country
and that directly we felt al all i'll W,
were to report ourselves at once to the
/ Headquarters Hospital, where We
should have the best medical advice
The General then dismissed us saying
he was afraid he would not be able to
F, see us for two or three DAYS as he wa:
LII. .i.ra.A.n..r