Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-08
RUSSIANS LOSE HEART
See the Uselessness of Re-
sistance at Port Arthur.
HOPELESS OF RELIEF
TERMS OF SURRENDER OFFERED
TO THE SOLDIERS.
Operations Of the Japanese Said at
Operations of the Japanese Said at
Tokyo to Be Proceeding Salts
factorily, Though Slowly.

CHEFOO, November S.-The Japanese be-
sieging Port Arthur, ignoring Lieut. Gen.
Stoessel, the commander of the Russian
military forces there, have offered terms Of
surrender to the Russian soldiers. according
to advices leaving Port Dalny yesterday. In
the meanwhile the ceaseless activity of
picks and spades continues. The Japanese
are gradually advancing their trenches,
which spell fate to the watching Russians.
A Russian prisoner captured October 20
said the troops composing the garrison OF
Port Arthur were in want and dispirited.
They saw the fruitlessness of the struggle.
Hopeless of relief. with food scarce and
medicine and hospital supplies insufficient,
it was admitted by the Russians that a
Japanese victory was ultimately inevitable
The soldiers. according to the prisoner, see
no reason to prolong the resistance. which
brings glory to their officers, but chiefly
hardship and death to them.
Letter to the Russian Soldiers.
Upon hearing the prisoners story Gen.
Nogi assembled his staff, discussed the mat
ter briefly and then under the light OF a
bicycle lantern drafted a letter to be cir
culated among the soldiers themselves. the
prisoner having promised to deliver 1t in
mercy to his comrades. The letter related
Gen. Kuropatkins retreat and his inability
to make an impression on the army of the
Field Marshal Oyama, to say nothing of
breaking through his forces and relieving
Port Arthur. The letter also pointed out
that the second Russian Pacific squadron
has just started on its slow voyage. Con-
tinung, 1t called attention to the resistless
advance of the Japanese trenches, making
1t matter of weeks when the Japanese
would walk into the main Russian strong
holds. In closing the letter offered humane
treatment to all who surrender, saying it
was in the interests of humanity to prevent
further, useless slaughter In the darkness
of the early morning of November several
copies of the letter, written in Russian,
We're given to the prisoner, who regained
the Russian lines unobserved by his officers.
Sentiment of the Russians.
That night the Russian returned, saying
his comrades would answer within a few
days. He said the temper Of the men
seemed to show that while they were mu-
tinous toward fate, they also did not like
the idea of an unofficial surrender The
letter did much. however to dispel among
the Russian troops the impression fostered
by their officers that a massacre would fol-
low Japanese victory. The company to
which the prisoner belonged originally num-
bered 800 and now totals thirty men.
As the Japanese are sufficiently near the
submits of the hills to render tunneling
highly practicable. much of this work is
now being done. The Russians are building
counter tunnels. Whichever side finds its
tunnel under the enemys. blows up the
iatter's tunnel To prevent explosives be-
ing rolled down into their trenches the Jap
anese have made ranges or hillocks of
earth above the trenches.
Five Russian mine-sweeping steamers
have been sunk by japanese shells.