Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1904-05-27
BIG BATTLE EXPECTED SOON
JAPANESE PREPARE TO ATTACK
THE ENEMY.
Third Army Will Soon Be in Touch
With kuroki-Cossacks Alert-Se-
verely Harass Japanese Lines of
Communication in Skrmishes-
Hard Job for General Oku.

On board Steamer Hainum, at Sea,
by De Forrest Wireless Telegraph to
Weihaiwei, May 24.-Whils the Jap
anese commanders are still enforcing
their orders that no vessel equipped
with wireless apparatus shall be per-
mitted to enter the zone of operations,
we have been able to search the coast
and secure an exact statement of the
conditions which prevail in the Japan
ese camps General kuroki is still at
Fcngwancheng, where he has found it
necessary to hold his column until the
division is prepared for the advance
across the mountains upon the Russian
position at Laoyang. In the meantime
the third army is being landed and will
advance northward along the coast to
selected objective point, where 1t
will be able to cooperate with General
Kuroki in his advance against the Rus
sian position.
The Japanese lines Of communica-
tion have suffered severely during the
past week, owing to the aggressive
ness of several bands of Cossacks, who
have attacked the escorting parties
which have been moving supplies from
the Yalu to Fengwancheng and as a
result, practically an entire army corps
has been landed at Antung and sent to
occupy the Pekin road, along which
the Japanese supplies are being moved.
MI. h;pI,
General Kuroki's front are keeping his
outposts busy and both sides suffered
severely from the constant "sniping"
between the pickets.
During the past week there have
been several heavy falls of rain, which
have rendered the country in front
of the Japanese position very swampy
and there has therefore been quite a
little sickness in the Japanese ranks.
Hard Tack at Port Arthur.
Baron Okus army showed but little
success, because it has encountered
very desperate resistance from the
Russian columns which are operating
north of Port Arthur in an endeavor
to prevent the Japanese capturing that
stronghold General Baron Okus di-
visions are planted across the narrow
est part of the peninsula and are slow
ly moving southwark toward Port
Arthur. They will have much difficulty
in taking the fortress, as all of the
Russian ships that are not seaworthy
have been mounted on the land side
tnu uil m tn rouict tho
general attack of the Japanese. While
the ultimate fate of the fortress is not
hard to foresee, it will not be taken
without great loss and the movement
to reduce it is sure to cost the Japan
ese an enormous number Of men.
Japs Ready to Move.
So far as 1t is possible to ascertain,
the Russian garrison amounts to TO-
900 soldiers and 1000 bluejackets.
There are plenty of supplies, SO that
the garrison can not be starved out. 1t
is estimated that the Japanese have in
southern Manchuria today not less
than $50, 900 men.
Before the end Of the current week
the Japanese army on the peninsula
will be in readiness again to under
take an offensive forward movement.
1t is stated that all of the newly con-
structed defenses of Port Arthur can
be reached by shell fire from the sea
and Admiral Togo's feet is expected
to be of very great benefit to the at
lacking column when the general as
sault is decided upon.
The Russians in Port Arthur have
so filled the adjacent waters with float
ing mines that navigation is absolute
ly dangerous for every sort Of craft.
Not only have mines been anchored
off the harbor entrance, but junks
have been sent out under cover of the
fog that has shrouded the shores lately
and have strewn the open sea outside
Of the three mile limit with floating
explosives in the hope that they will
drift down near the Japanese base and
destroy some of Togo's craft. Yester-
day the Haium passed two very large
mines floating within six miles of Wei
haiwei.