The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-03-30
ANOTHER NAVAL
BATTLE REPORTED.
Japs Attaek Port Arrhur--. --.Bombart
The Forts and Sink Russian
BattIeships.
The Invasion of Manchuria-Is Pro-
crossing Rapidly---Japa'ese
Are Moving Forward Sys-
tematically and Care
fully.

fully.
Toxic, March 23.-A special dis
patch from Moji Opposite Shimono-
seki, Japan) says the japanese feet
made another attack on Port Arthur
March 18, bombarded the city and it's
defenses and fought furious engage
ment with the Russian fleet outside
the harbor, destroying one Russian
battleship. Seven Japanese casual
ties are reported There is no infor-
nation concerning the Japanese fleets
condition.
This is the first announcemnt Of an
engagement off Port Arthur on March
| Is. Special dispatches received in
| London this afternoon contain the
sane details of an engagement being
given as March %, which probably is
correct.
The Associated Press dispatches
from St. Petersburg last night gave
full details of the fight at Port Arthur
March %.
JAPANESE WE'LL ORGANIZED.
London, March pa series of mes
4 sages dated between March 10 and
March II sent by a correspondent OF
The Daily Mail at Chinampho, Corea.
describes the perfect organization and
arrangements of the japanese in
Corea. Elaborate preparations have
been made for landing troops and
advancing them through the country
and pontoon bridges and stables are
built wherever they are found to be
necessary. The greatest difficulty
facing the japanese is the eommissa-
riat, as owing to the poor food sup,
plies of Corea it is only possible at
present to maintain 80, 600 men.
The japanese hold two enormously
strong positions, at Ping Yang and
on the Miokak-San range, between
Hwang-Ju and Seoul. The latter,
the correspondent says, is probably
impregnable and secSres Seoul from
land attacks from the northwest.
In the event of defeat it is intended
to hold the passes at Kazan, thus
protecting the Ping Yang Valley. The
japanese troops are suffering FROM
| dysentery and pneumonia and many
of the cavalry horses, which the cor
respondent says are poor: have died.
but the army is full of spirit
There probably are 20, 00o japanese
at Ping Yang, which the correspon-
dent points out might easily have been
taken when the Russian scouts first
arrived, there being then only 25C
japanese soldiers there.
The Russians intended to make
Anju their base but owing to the de-
! lay in the arrival Of reenforcements,
they were afraid they would be cut
off and SO retired. Meanwhile the
japanese advanced to Ping Yang by
forced marches, the troops being
almost without equipment.
| According to this correspondent,
the Russians are preparing to prevent
the japanese landing at Pak-Chon,
20 miles west of Anju, and he says
| the japanese sailors admit that Port
Arthur is so protected by mines anc
| torpedoes that it would mean death to
approach it.
WILL LAND AT NEW CHANG.
London, March 24.-The Times this
1 morning prominently publishes al
/ opinion of a correspondent that Japan
1 will land her main army at New
Chwang, which will be formed into
a magnificent base. and that she also
probably will seize. Hal Cheng "a
! miles eastward and on the railroad
as an additional base, and that, with
out seriously attacking either Port
Arthur or Vladivostok, the war will
be fought on the plains OF central
| Manehuria
! It is almost certain, ia the CORES
pondeot's opinion, that the war will
be long one and that at the worst
! japan will retain way to retreat
overland into Corea. If she secures
| New Chwang. he says, her pestige will
be established and he adds that the
waterways of southern Manchuria will
be of inestimable value in counter
balancing the weakness of Japan in
her cavalry.
THE RUSSIAN PLAN OF CAM
PAIGN.
st. Petersburg, March 24.-When
Gen. Kuropatkin reaches Mukden it
is understood that the emperor's forces
at the theatre of war will be divided
into three armies-one in the penin-
sula including the Port Arthur garrl
son under Gen. Stoessel, military
commander at Port Arthur; central
army under Gen. Linevitch and a
northern army under Gen. Baron
Stackelburg Any idea that Gen.
Kuropatkin's arrival will be signaliz-
ed by aggressive tactics is discouraged
in the highest military circles, where
attention is called to the generals s
repeated injunctions-" Patience, pa
thence, patience.
1--WE can afford to wait whether or
not the japanese can, is the sentl-
mnet among the believers in Gen.
Kuropatkin. He expects to force the
japanese to fight him on grounds OF
his own choosing. There will be no
forward movement into Corea. On
the contrary, the Russians at the faln
are now screening their concentration
to the westward and they probably
! will retire as the japanese advance