Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-08-23
Anxiety in st. Petersburg.

6trucllOnS Will De carried out, both IN
letter and in spirit, but If for any rea-
son a final sortie proves to be i'm
possible the admiral is to destroy his
ships and make sure that their wrecks
shall be absolutely irreparable.
Baltic Fleet Ready to Sail.
In the meantime Vice Admiral Ro.
jestvesky's Baltic squadron, including
the battleship Orel, is standing OF
Cronstadt with steam up. 1t is pop.
ularly expected that the squadron will
sail at any hour and it is quite true
that it is ready for almost Immediate
departure, but regarding the question
of sailing there Is difference Of opin-
ion among the naval authorities. It ia
held on the one hand that the immedi-
ate sailing Of the squadron would be
the best policy, on the theory that
should 1t arrive Within two months II
would find Vice Admiral Togo's feet
in an infinitely worse condition than
If the Japanese were allowed the whole
winter to repair and refit the ships.
The advocates Of an immediate sailing
hold that the port of Vladtvostok ID
capable Of receiving the squadron, even
should entrance to Port Arthur prove
to be impracticable and they wish to
treat the Port Arthur squadron for the
present as negligible quantity. letting
the Baltic sea vessels meet the Japan.
csc In the present weakened condition,
without relying for any certain assist
ance on Vice Admiral Oukotomsky OF
Vice Admiral Skrydlon. Other ofiiciali
hold that 1t would be unwiss to rish
sending the Baltic squadron to the faz
east until the situation at Port Arthur
has been cleared and until 1t is known
what conditions the squadron would be
likely to find on IT'S arrival.
Must Disarm or Leave.
Washington. Aug. 20.-Consul Gensr-
al Goodnow has cabled the state de-
partment from Shanghai that the Chi
nese taotai there has reported against
the claim Of the Russian consul general
and decided that the torpedo boat de-
stroyer now at that port must go out
or disarm by the goth inst, and that
and that the cruiser must do likewise
by the 21st inst
Sunk by Mine.
Toxic, Aug. 20.-A Russian gunboat
of the Otvajni type struck mine and
sank of Laoti promontory, the extreme
southern point Of the Kwang Tung pc.
ninsula on which Port Arthur is stu.
ated, at eight o'clock Thursday night
The Otvajni is an armored gunboat Of
1900 tons displacement, launched II
1894, and carries one 9-inch gun, one
6-inch gun and ten quick-fring guns
She has two torpedo tubes, has speed
of IL knots and carries crew of LAP men
Japs Seize Steamer at Chefoo.
Washington, Aug. 20.-The state de.
partment has received a cablegram from
Chetoo, dated Friday, as follows: "Thif
morning seven Japanese destroyers en-
tered the harbor Of Chefoo. Opposite
the entrance they met an unknowl
steamer entering and took possession o.
her. There are two cruisers outside"
The dispatch is so worded as to leave
in doubt one of the most important
points connected with the seizure, name
ly, the exact spot at which 1t took place
and whether without or within thu
three-mile limit. Naval officers familiar
with the harbor of Chefoo state thai
there are two entrances from opposit,
directions and 1t is inferred from thu
above dispatch that the Japanese squad
ron approached through one OF these en-
frances to find the unknown steamer re-
ferred to coming through the other en-
trance. The impression here is that con
sequently the seizure took place within
the Chinese territorial waters. The in
cident is regarded as an evidence Of thu
determination Of the Japanese naval Of
fcers to disregard niceties in dealing
with this question of Chinese neutrality
Coupled with the reported refusal Of thl
Japanese government to release the Rye
shitelni, also seized in Chefoo harbor,
Is thought that the seizure indicates tina
while the Japanese may not assert th'
right Of seizure In the international cour
at Shanghai they will not hesitate to at
tack and cut out any Russian ships tina
lie in Chefoo harbor, provided they ar
not dismantled to the absolute satisfao
ton of the Japanese naval officers.
-~----