The Bourbon news., 1904-08-12
A SEVERE BATTLE.
Russian Fleet Emerged From Port
Arthur and Was Attacked.


st. Petersburg, Aug. 9.-The citv is
full of wild rumors that Port Arthur
mas fallen, due to reports from Che
Foo or another assault in which the
fortress was tsken by the combined
land and sea forces, though the jap
anese lost two warships.
London, Aug. 1O.-The only addi-
tional war news appearing in the Lon
don newspapers Wednesday morning
takes the form of sensational rumors.
For instance, it is reported from
Shanghai that the Russians are re-
treating northward from Anshanshan.
The Daily Telegraph's Che Foo CORE
spondont reports tnat great land and
sea fight occurred at Port Arthur on
August s and that the Japanese were
repeatedly repulsed. Over a thousand
Russians were killed, the correspond
ent says. The Russian troops have
now been reinforced by the civilians
who remained at Port Arthur.
Toxic, Aug. 1.-THE Russian fleet
emerged from Port Arthur Wednesday
and a severe engagement with the
Japanese fleet lasting all day followed.
The Japanese deStrOyerS attacked the
Russians at night. The results of the
engagements are unknown The Rus
sian battleships Retvizan and Pobieda
were seen outside Port Arthur Thurs
day morning.
st. Petersburg, Aug. 11.-Again the
chance of a decisive battle between
Gen. Kuropatkin and the commander
OF the Japanese armies seems to be
disappearing. According to a state
ment issued by the general staff We'd
nesday night, rains are again falling
over a wide area in Manchuria, with
the prospect of impeding operations,
but even more important is the in
formation reaching here from an ex-
ceptional source that the Japanese
have once more delayed too long.
Gen. KurOpatkin has now with
drawn the bulk of his army safely
north of Lao Yang, leaving only
strong rear guard line southeast of
Liao Yang to. contest the advance
when it comes.
According to this information, the
Japanese have about 100000 men in
the armies operating against Gen. Ku-
ropatkin, rendering it too hazardous
for him to risk a general engage
ment
Discounting the fall of Port Arthur
and the disastrous defeat of Gen. Ku-
rnnotIyiF1 OF ho dc Of tho 0H
Japanese armies, some diplomats are
already speculating upon the situation
in which the combatants would be left
and the question as to whether it is
possible that way would be opened
for peace. The almost unanimous
opinion is that with her present rec
ord of victories combined with the
financial difficulty of continuing the
war indefinitely, japan would well
come peace, and the almost equally
unanimous verdict is that Russia
would adopt a contrary course. Even
should every Russian soldier be driv-
en- out of Manchuria the diplomats
believe that Russia could not afford
to yield, but would be compelled to
doggedly continue the war, collect an
other army in Siberia and take the
offensive next year.
Several keen diplomats are how
ever, of the opinion that Japan by a
clever coup in the event of Kuropat-
kin being routed might perhaps force
the powers to intervene in way that
Russia could not resist. One diplo-
mat representing European power
at the court of Emperor Nicholas
said: Secretary Hays note opening
a way for the guarantee of the ad-
ministrative entity of China to which
all the powers subscribed in principal
may after all become the means of
bringing about peace. If Japan, push
ing the Russian military forces out
of Manchuria and obtaining undis-
puted possession should then formally
relinquish the province to China its
real owner and call upon the powers
under their guarantee to protect the
entity of the Celestial empire, do
not think the powers could escape re-
sponsibility"