Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1904-03-18
BRITISH AND FRENCH FIGHT
cARRIsoNs OF BOTH NATIONS IN
CHINA sNARL AT EACH OTHER.
Serious Conflict May Occur Any Time
City Of Shan Hal kwan Will Be
Base Of British operations-Are
Drilling Hard-under Marching Or
ders-Japs Are Active.

alton In China. The french ana EnS-
lish garrisons at Shan Hal Kwan are
snarling at each other menacingly and
threaten to embroil the two great ma
tions. The soldiers of the two ma
tions stationed in that fortified city are
constantly on the verge of a serious
conflict Insults continually are band
led between the men and personal as
saults are frequent.
The Sikhs, who make up the British
forces, are drilled five hours every day,
and Shan Hal Kwan will be the Brit
ish base of operations in China. 1t is
La city on the Lao Tung gulf, about
half way between Tientsin and New
chwang, and just across the gulf from
the last named city. All the British
troops in north China are under march.
| ing orders.
Newchwang has become the point
toward which the chief interest in the
conflict between the Russians and
Japanese now tends. The Japanese
are about to strike there. They al
| ready have landed and are in force
at Feng Huan, 70 miles southwest of
Newchwang. 1t is expected that a
portion of the Japanese feet will ap-
pear before Newchwang within the
next "a hours. The Russians are pre-
pairing to evacuate Newchwang. They
retire to Mukden, which they have
strongly fortified. A collision between
the Russians and Japanese at or near
| Newchwang is momentarily expected.
The British troops are under orders
to march into Newchwang whenever it
is evacuated by the Russians. This
movement will be in the interest of
the protection of the property of Eu-
ropeans. The railway is prepared to
move the entire noncombatant popula-
ton of Newchwang to Tientsin as soon
as fighting begins.
But the backward movements of the
Russians-the retreat from New
chwang upon Mukuen-is likely to dis
turb the neutrality of China. The Chi
| nese army on the northern frontier is
eager to engage the Russians, and, as
told in a former dispatch, the most
severe measures are necessary to pre-
vent an outbreak of patriotic agitators.
A retreat by the Russians is likely to
cause the Chinese to strike.
| Evidently the Japanese are prepar-
ing for a great triangular ASSAULT
simultaneous movement against the
Russians on the Yalu. against Port
Arthur and against Newchwang. Trains
to the north are carrying small COM
panies of Japanese, of officers and of
men, and collision near Newchwang
must occur very soon.
Should the Japanese leave New
chwang they will in all probability de-
scend upon and sever the Russian line
of communications between Port Ar
thur and the headquarters and Muk-
den. Newchwang is connected by rail
with the Russian railway line. With
the force at Feng Huan the Japanese
| already may have made a sortie and
cut the railroad connecting the two
| cities. They then couIu attack Port
Arthur from the rear, just as they did
when they captured the place from the
Chinese.
| Japs Supreme.
AS already suggested in previous dis
patches the rapid development of JAP
anese sea supremacy may be consider
ed responsible for the present apparent
delay in the Japanese military opera
tions. Practical landing places are
hard to find. all inlets and bays being
filed with ice, while the recent re-
turn of wintry conditions adds to the
difficulties.
Japs In Excellent Spirits.
The Japanese army is in excellent
health and spirits. and are warmly
clothed
1t seems certain that no great land
operations can be expected for some
time, or until the weather conditions
are better than at present.
The late reports from scout steam.
ers which are covering every foot of
the Korean coast indicate that there
are no Russian craft in any of the in.
let's.
One Fort DismantIed.
A dispatch from Chefoo to the Lon.
O-. DS"AAJ HhoAl oldlSS IudI IQGlr cor
| respondent succeeded in approaching
In tug boat within two miles of the
entrance of the Port Arthur harbor
on Friday and again on Saturday with.
out any notice being taken of the craft
by the Russians. The correspondent
states that the fort on the western
side of the mountain, three quarters
OF mile from the harbor mouth, seem.
ed to be completely dismantled as a
result of the Japanese shell fire. The
same is true Of the forts along the
Tigers Tail peninsula.
sunken Ship.
On the east of the harbor entrance
there was visible the masts of a
sunken ship. while the harbor contain
ed many destroyers, apparently in a
damaged condition. The correspondent
reports encountering the British collier
Foxton Hall, which was in the harbor
during the bombardment. The crew
confirmed the report from Japanese
sources that the squadron on March 10
silenced all Of the Russian forts. The
crew declares that the Russian loss
on this occasion was 3S killed and