The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-03-18
the EXPERTS VIEWS,
They Doubt the Stories of Japanese
Force in Manchuria. as
Reported.

London, March 14.-Most of the
newspaper commentaries on the far
eastern military and naval situation
content themselves with pulverizing
the report Of the Japanese invasion Of
Manchuria and of the renewed bonn
bardment of Port Arthur. The mill
tary correspondent Of the Daily Tele-
Sraph however, writes:
1T Is more than probable that the
successive alarms at Possiet bay n
Lao Chen were only designed to Gre
ate scares that would keep the Rus
slams in uncertainty at every point Of
the long line, in order to more easily
effect u landing where the Japanese
had made no demonstration.
therefore, on the whole. l incline
to think it probable, though still I'M
certain. that the news Of yesterday
will so far be substantially confirmed
that we shall find that the Japanese
nave landed virtually unopposed some
where on the northern shore OF Korea
bay, probably in the neighborhood Of
Taku Shan, and that from there they
have advanced to Feng Wan Chung,
pushing on an advanced detachment to
Ia Tung Ling"
The Daily Mail believes that the al
legged presence Of Japanese at Feng
Wa Chung is finally disproved by
news that there has been an important
CiltoullLeh wv JdpdlltSe dllu nus
sian scouts near Ping Yang, $50 miles
to the south Of Feng Wan Chung. The
military critic of the Daily Chronicle
believes the whole story must at pres
ent be received with caution, but adds:
However, the game is in itself quite
probable, and the withdrawal of the
Russians from northern Korea and re-
ports Of their movements behind the
Yalu appear to confirm it. In any case,
they would not be able to remain OH
the Yalu With the Japanese in their
rear, and unless they a effect a COM
binatiOn with the garrisOnS Of cOncen-
tration their position may be very seri-
Gus. The Japanese force, If sufficiently
strong, will attempt to act on interior
lines and strike the Yalu force while
it is still isolated"
Mr.. Spencer Wilkinson, writing in the
Morning Post, says:
Wilkinson in Doubt.
II am disposed to regard with a GOOD
deal Of reserve the reports of a Japan
csc force at Feng Wan Chung and at
Hsiu Yen or the Ia Kung Ling pass.
Such troops must have come from the
coast or from the Yalu, Feng Wan
Chung is forty miles from Takushan
and at least an equal distance from any
point at which the Japanese could have
crossed the Yalu unopposed.
In the present probable condition of
the ground forty miles means two
marches. Feng Wang Chang is nearly
forty miles from the Yalu at Wiju. 1t
is on the best road from Wiju to Lao
Yang and might well be the headquar-
ters of a Russian general. No japanese
commander would attempt to place be-
hind the Russians on the Yalu a force
not strong enough to win in battle. To
land anywhere between Port Arthur
and the Yalu is a difficult matter and
requires time.
THE other hypothesis is that the
Japanese have reached Ting Wang
Chung from the Yalu. What Japanese
troops would these be, for, in the alb
sence Of wins, they must have walked
there. We have heard Of three Japan
csc divisions landed, or to be landed
at Chemulpo, or other harbors in west
ern Korea, but not of any advance in
force beyond Ping Yang. From Ping
Yang there is a main road by Anju and
Wiju, but on that route the japanese
must have met the Russians. They can
not have gone that way without a fight,
of which we have heard nothing