The San Francisco call., 1904-02-29
Japanese Forces Totaling I2O, 900 Men Are
Advancing Through Korea.
the NeE Herald Publishing

CHEFU, Feb. 2s.-Following is the
substance of numerous cable dis
patches received here from Seoul:
One hundred and twenty thousand
Japanese troops have arrived at Seoul
up to the present time, consisting OF
cavalry and Infantry but with no ar
tillery. Altogether $4,000 men have
passed through Seoul and 10000
through Wasan within fortnight,
northward bound. via Pingyang.
The harbor of Chemulpo and the ap-
proaches to the mouth of the river
leading to Seoul are filed with sub
merged torpedoes. the army base being
thereby protected from a sea attack
Japan fully controls Korea and the
Government is rendering every assist
ance to the military operations. The
Korean army barracks and also the
disused imperial palace have been
made into quarters for Japanese
troops. There is much talk of an Of
fensive and defensive alliance between
Japan and Korea
Five Thousand Russians. with four
teen guns. have appeared on the Ko-
rean frontier and are now making
preparations for the arrival of large
reinforcementS.
MOVEMENT WELL HANDLED.
The Japanese arrangements show
great perfection of detail. The infantry
is well equipped. but the cavalry is
poorly mounted. The daily arrival at
Chemulpo-of large fleets of unprotected
transports indicates Japan's absolute
control of the Yellow Sea.
The Japanese authorities have issued
paper war currency, redeemable in sill
Yer for use in Northern Korea.
The Korean telegraphs are controlled
by the japanese military authorities,
and severe censorship is exercised.
Absolute order is maintained here
and foreigners are in no danger. The
construction of a railway from Seoul
to Wiju has been undertaken in con-
nection with the Seoul -Fusan railway,
and this gives a railway system
throughout the entire length of the Ko
rean peninsula absolutely into Japanese
control.
ADVANCE OF JAPANESE.
LONDON, Feb. 29.-The Times Che
mulpo correspondent, under date of
Weihaiwei by De Forrest wireless tele-
graph. says that the Japanese disem-
barkations of the last few days were
confined to supplies for the transport
corps and to $500 ponies. The total
number of troops landed is 10000, in
Guiding the first division and portion
of the second division. The guards that
have not yet arrived at the armory
consist of six BATTERIES belonging to
the twelfth division. Another dsem-
barkation. believed to be on a smaller
scale is taking place Immediately south
of Haiiu. whence the troops will ad-
vance parallel to the railroad, joining
those now in the neighborhood of
Hwangju, thus effecting a gain of five
days in the march.
The Daily Telegraph's Shanghai cor
respondent expresses the belief that
the Russian report of the hanging of
three Japanese officers in connection
with the Sungari incident is fiction.
The correspondent gives report
that the Japanese have destroyed
large Russian store of provisions and
forage at Kinchow, thirty miles from
Port Arthur.
According to Seoul reports the de-
cision of the Koreans to join the Jap
anese in the field is due to the killing
of some Koreans in North Korea by
Russians. who justify the attack upon
the Koreans by the fact that Korea
had concluded a treaty with Japan
WAR PLAN OF RUSSIANS.
PARIS, Feb. 29.-According to the
St Petersburg correspondent of the
Echo de Paris, the Russian naval gen.
eral staff is convinced that if the jap
anese attack Port Arthur, Vice Ad-
miral Stark, commanding the naval
forces there, will allow the vessels to
approach the port, confining himself to
defensive operations, unless an attempt
is made to land troops. in which case
the Russian torpedo boats will make