The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1904-03-25

complete by May Is, and that on that
date Gen. Kouropatkin will havea field
force of $40. 900 infantry, cavalry and ar
tillery at his disposal. 1t is stated fur
Their, and by ofhcial sanction. that Russia
will not begin the serious land campaign
until June, and that q decisive battle
need not be expected before August.
Not since the Turko-Russian war of
1882 has any European power sent SO
large an army into the field. France
fought Prussia in 1871 with SOC. 900 men.
Russia sent scarcely 100000 against
Turkey in 1873. England fought the re-
cent Boer war with 100000. No power
in Europe ever transported an army of
$4,000 men SO great distance as Rus
sia is doing in the present conflict with
Japan. The transportation obstacles are
enormous. -
Cause Of Order.
Paris, March 22.-The Russian order
stopping entry into New-Chwang with
out permit is understood in official
quarters here to be q military. precau-
ton due to the uncertainty as to which
of five places the Japanese will choose
for their first extensive land operations.
The five points are the Yalu river. New
Chwang, Port Arthur, V}adivostok and
Pigeon Bay. II The Russians, being I'M
able to determine where Japan will
make her main attack, are making prep
arations and taking precautions at all
i've points. 80: - .-..'-
To Bottle Up Port Arthur.
: London, March 22.-Japan, it is re-
ported, is about to make sensational at
tempt to bottle up Port Arthur. Fifteen
large steamships are being prepared at
Sasebo for this new effort. They are
loaded with stone and will be linked to-
gether with chains and wire cables.
They will steam toward. Port Arthur; in
line, and If not sunk by Russian guns
they will be blown up by their crews.
In either event they will block the en-
trance to the harbor completely. .
Russians Deny Reported Victory.
st.Petersburg, March 22.-The re-
ported Russian victory on the Yalu
river, in which It was claimed 1900 Jap
anese had been captured, frankly is de-
clared to have beenimpossible. Atmili-
tary headquarters it is pointed out that
to infiict such q crushing defeat on the
Japanese the Russians would have had.
to have been numerically enormously
superior 10 the enemy, which. the Rus
SLAMS in Korea are not. 4, 49,.
~ Nay Eject Juncture.
st. Petersburg, March 22.-The where
abouts OF the Vladivostok squadron is
profound official secret, but there are
those her& who believe that the japanese
may WAKE up some morning to find that
the two divisions of Russia's Pacific
squadron have effected 4 juncture. It
is betrayhg no confidence to state that
both the admiralty and Vice Admiral
MakaFoffI before he left for the far east,
regarded the fact that the divisions were
Is most unfortunate for Rus
sia's chances of success at sea. Real
ling that offensive naval operations are
Impossible under present conditions, 1t
rs believed that no opportunity will be
neglected to repair this initial misfor-
tune. even should it involve consider
able risk: r g.s- :' 2 = .. - 49, H.. ~
!: .... .sss J. ; ! Japan's Ambition.
n, st. Petersburg, March 22.-Vladivo-
stok papers, which have just arrived
here, say that = member Of the Japan
ese consulate declared on the eve Of
his departure. that II was Japan's am.
.bitipn TO drive the Russians, across the
;Amur; restore Manchuria to China and
annex Korea. - S. :sE5z, ;: 4