Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-22
ISLAND OF FoRMosA MAY N
: SCENE OF NEXT GREAT
NAVAL BATTLE.
RUSSIAN MOBILIZE AGAIN
Russia Expects to Add 100000 Men "a
Fighting Force In the East - Mil.
tary Cadets to Go to Front - All 10
Quiet at Mukden.

st. Petersburg. Dec. 81. - While de-
clining to give details. the admiralty
admits that Russian advices Of the
partial wrecking of the Russian ships
in the harbor and the censor has been
instructed to permit the publication Of
the dispatches. 1t Is claimed that sew
able number of the torpedo boat des
stroyers are still seaworthy. -
Circulated for Purpose.
The reports that the Japanese squad.
ron of forty vessels had already sailed
to meet the Pacific squadron Is re-
garded at the admiralty as being In.
correct and as having been circulated
for purpose.
Togo Has Sailed.
London, Dec 21.-According to what
Is considered reliable authority, Ad.
miral Togo has withdrawn his main
fleet from Port Arthur, and his squad.
ron is now sailing to the south to meet
and give battle to the Baltic feet. Only
few cruisers and torpedo boats have
been left to guard the entrance Of tho
harbor and maintain the blockade.
1t is expected that the two fleets viii
meet south of the island Of Formosa.
The clash Is expected to take place
the first week In January.
In addition to information received
by the naval authorities here the Daily
Mails correspondent at Hong Kong
says he has learned from q trustworthy
source that a powerful Japanese squad
ron of battle ships and armored cruis.
ers Is proceeding south, accompanied
| by fifteen, colliers and transports, to
attack the Russian Baltic squadron.
According to the Shanghai corres-
pondent Of the Daily Telegraph. II: "a
reported that q Japanese squadron Of
eight warships and fifteen transports
is going south to meet the Russian
squadron.
Imperial headquarters published
list Of twenty-six officers killed and
forty-four wounded, presumably during
ress.o The report is understood to ro.
| Troops Are MobIilxed.
| st. Petersburg, Dec. 21.-Mobiliza-
| ton of the reserves has been an.
4 nounced In seven military districts.
i
mobilization Of the war, and will add
about 100000 men to the army In the
far east. 1t is thought the whole force
can be placed in the field by spring.
when the problem of food and fuel
will be easier met and the transports.
tion of the troops will create lesa
strain upon the Trans-Siberian rail.
way.
1t will bring General Kuropatkin's
effective force, roughly estimated, to
1 $4,000.
An imperial decree has been issued
ordering several detachments and cad-
cts Of the military school In the dis.
tricts of Warsaw, wilma, Keiff, Kazan,
st. Petersburg, Moscow and odessa to
be mobilized as re-enforcements fOn
the far east.
All Quiet at Mukden.
Mukden, Dec 21.-Deserters from
the Japanese army are arriving here
daily. They report there is much suf.
fering from hunger but more from
cold among the Japanese troops.
Many Chinese bandits In the service
of the Japanese are going to Mongolia,
which fact is regarded as indicating
that they are not being paid.
The Japanese are changing the ar.
rangements of their brigades, regi-
ments, and divisions, which makes It
more difficult to utilize information
4 brought to the Russian headquarters
Iby prisoners and deserters, but the
strength of the Japanese remains
about the same.
Excellent coal is being supplied for
the use Of the troops.
/ There was only occasional cannon.
aiding on the front today.