The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-03-31
RecOunts the Bravery of
Men Killed in Action at
Port Arthur.
Commander HirOse Struck
by a Shell While Leaving
Sinking Vessel.
Movement Is Instituted to
Erect a Monument to
His Memory.

TOXIC, March 30 = Admiral Togo's
report of the attempt to block the en-
trance to Port Arthur harbor last Sun
day gives the following additional de-
tails:
Commander Hirose and Boatswain
Sugino. who were killed, displayed re-
markable courage. Boatswain Sugino
was just going down to light the maya
zine on the Fukui Maru when the ship
was struck by an enemy's torpedo.
which killed him.
Commander Hirose, after causing
! his men to take TO the boats and not
| finding Sugino, searched through the
! ship three times for him. Finding his
ship gradually going down, Commander
-Hirose was compelled to give up the
| search and enter a boat. AS he was
| rowing away under the enemy's fire a
shell struck him on the head. His head
and part of his body were blown away.
! Only a piece of flesh in the boat was
all that remained of the brave officer s
4 body. Commander Hirose was always
a model officer and he leaves a meri-
1 torious example, the memory of which
will be everlasting.
The crews aboard the Chiyo Maru
and the Yahiko Maru were taken on
board the destroyer Tsubame. The crew
of the Yoneyama Maru escaped in three
/ boats and were rescued by the destroy
ers Misasagi and Karigane. The crew
of the Fukui Maru was taken on board
/ the Kasumi.
ell Il
stroyers participated in the movement:
The destroyers Shirakamo, Kasumi,
Asashio Akatsuki, Akebono, Oboro,
Inazuma, Aodaka, Tsubame, Ikatouchi,
gJsugumo, Sazanami and Shinonome;
! torpedo boats Karigane. Misasagi,
/ Manadzuru and Hato."
The Emperor has conferred the order
I of Kyle and the order Of the Rising
/ Sun on Commander Hirose, who was
I killed during the attempt to bottle up
the Russian fleet. A movement has
been instituted to erect monument to
the memory OF Commander Hirose.
WAR TAX BILLS PASSED.
The special Diet concluded its Iabors
yesterday, finally passing the series OF
war tax and financial measures pro-
posed by the Government. Almost the
entire financial programme submitted
by the Cabinet was approved, although
several changes were made. The
amount 30 be raised by special taxation
was reduced from $34, 900, 900 to SS1, 900, =
O00 The Government plans to make
up the deficit thereby created in the
estimates by cutting down the adj
ministrative expenses. Another change
!
sanction the creation of a salt mo-
nopoly.
An interesting feature of the financial
legislation is the passage of an act
authorizing the banks to issue savings
prize debentures. The total issue OF
these debentures is limited to SIS, 0O0, 900
\ per year. The rate of interest, the
amount of the prizes and a lottery
drawing scheme are limited. The whole
plan ends when the war is over. The
Government has the right to borrow
the money realized by the sale of the
savings prize debentures but the man.
agement, sale and redemption of the
debentures is entirely in the hands OF
the banks.
The changes in the customs tariffs
become effective after six months The
articles affected include confectioneries
preserves in sugar. silk fabrics, alcohol
kerosene, sugar, molasses. syrup, crepe
de chine, satins, manufactured to-
bacco. Chinese spirits, ordinary sake
and all alcoholic beverages containing
more than so per cent of alcohol. Con-
sumption taxes are levied on wooden
fabrics and kerosene oil.
The tobacco monopoly was passed
The compensation to be paid the man.
ufacturers will be a sum equal to the
amount of their sales for three years
RUSSIA LODGES PROTEST.
The Russian Government, through
the French Minister here, has lodged
a protest with the Japanese Govern
] naent against the destruction of the
quarantine station at Sanshantao dur
ing the fourth Japanese attack on Peri
Arthur. The protest is based on article
twenty-five Of The Hague internationa
peace convention, a copy of which /.
submitted with it.
Responding to the protest Baror
! Komura, Minister of Foreign Affairs
/ Informed the French Minister that tn,
japanese Government has received n,
report from Vice Admiral Togo con
, corning the destruction of the quaran
, tine station: but, whether the station
had been destroyed or not, the artlcl,
of The Hague convention quoted re-
lated only to land battles, the conveii
ton having left the question of nava
commandments unsettled.
japanese military and naval officer.
who are familiar with Sanshantao de
clared that the quarantine station Their,
did not exist before the war.
: Whale CoIlides With a Mine.
VLADIvOSTOK, March 80. - One q