The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-16
EMANATEs FROM TOXIC.
Story of Russians Giving Up Port Ar.
thur Absurd

thur Absurd
St. Petersburg. March 15.-From the
highest official quarter the Associated
Press has received information that
there Is absolutely no foundation for the
rumors persistently sent out from Toxic
that the Russians are abandoning Port
Arthur
1T is the vericst nonsense" said the
official informant of the Associated
Press. Nothing has Concurred there
To warrant such reports. The Japanese
fleet has not been seen for fOTty-eight
hours. The motive of the Toxic gov
eminent in spreading this story is
probably TO influence public feeling i'm
Japan for the purpose OF creating en-
thusiasm while war loan is being
fioated."
The newspapers here manifest the
greatest indignation over the report,
the BOerse Gazette characterizing it as
autr0geaJis and British Invention. At
tcntion is redireCted 90 the order of the
day issued by Lieutenant General
StoeSsel. commander at Port Arthur,
in which he declared that that place
never would be surrendered. as repre-
senting the Russian position. Relative
10 this point a military officer said TO
the Associated Press:
Too Absurd to Discuss.
This mere statement carries its own
TefutatiOn. unless we meant to heat an
ignoble retreat all along the line. II
we abandon Port Arthur we leave our
feet there to be doomed. IL is too alb
sUTd 20 discuss"
General Kuropatkin expects TO reach
Mukden March 26. Everything viii be
sidetracked i'm order TO get him 10 the
front on schedule time
The general may proceed on "A flying
visit on his duties as cOmmander-in-
chief of the ManchuTian army. He
bears az autograph letter from the en-
peUor to NiCcroy AlcXieff. 10 whom he
will report. 1t is understood that the
viccroy then viii turn over the entire
direction Of the land operations TO Cen
eral Kuropatkin. who will transmit his
reports to the emperor through the
viccroy but practically this II the only
point on which NicerOy AleXief viii
maintain superiority.
General Kuropatl1in had his plan Of
campaign practically perfected before
he left here for the FAR east. He re
turned to St. Petersburg quietly from
his country home. and his presence here
was not known for four days. These
four DAYS ne devoted to the elaboration
of his plans. in connection with his staff
and with the aid of the Information in
uossession of the ministry Of war, as
we'll as Of the special reports from the
titlF VI W
Somewhat SupeTstitiOus.
4 Superstitious idea prevails here shat
General Kuropatkin Will sgnaliZc his
birthday. which viii occur on March
81. and which is also his patron saint $
day. with some important act.
ON account of the difficulty Of hous-
ing the vast number of troops poured
into Mukdeu. $4,000 have been sent for
ward within the past few days toward
the Yalu river as reinforcementS fer
the 1000 troops already at Kusan and
Anju. and the stream OF soldiers from
European Russia is now being held 1T
Hardin. The housing problem viii DIS
appear with the advent OF warmer
weather but in the meantime the gov
eminent is hurrying forward large
numbers OF portable collapsible wooden
quarters. 500 Of these having already
been dispatched from St. Petersburg
and 1900 from MOSCOW.
Napoleon's Command.
Price Louis Napoleon has gone to
Caucasus. accompanied by Prince Mar
at. Prince Louis will relinquish his
command of the cavalry division Of the
Caucasus and then proceed to the far
cast. where ne viii take supreme com
mand OF the cavalry under General
kurops tkin-
General Neidermueller has gone 90
the front 10 take charge of the military
communications and will be response
BILE for the regular movement of mill
tary trains.
The dOwager empress today inspected
her owr Red Cross detachment, which
is proceeding TO the front.
The statement of General Zilinsky
that the Russians found poisoned
swords left by the fleeing japanese has
aroused much comment. Similar
swords were used by the Chinese dur
ing the Boxer rebellion. especially in
Manchuria, ana the slightest wound
inflicted by them proved fatal. The
uS2 Of such weapons is prohibited by
to Geneva and The Hague conVen-
tions.