The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-18
Refuses the Japanese Invitation
to Surrender.
CREATES NO SURPRISE.
1t Is the Course st. Petersburg
Expected Him to Pursue.
Japan'S Ultimatum to China
May Stir Up Trouble.

Japanese legation from 4OAAO 60
nounces that a reply was received
from the commander of the Russlan
forces at Port Arthur yesterday re-
fusing either to surrender to the be-
sieging force of japanese or to seno
out the non-com batants-
Expected 1t.
St. Petersburg. Aug. is, 1920 p. m.
The report that General Stoessel,
the Russian commander at Port Ar
thur. declined to capitulate in response
to the japanese summons creates no
surprise. The war office would have
been amazed if he had yielded
MobiIizing the Reserves.
St. Petersburg, Aug. 1S--Vice Ad-
miral ROjestvensky, commander OF @ IIe
Baltic fleet today announced his nag
and stan appointments Captain
Clapier is made chief of stan
The demand for naval officers is SO
pressing that all the officers detalIeu
for duty at the naval college have been
ordered on active service and the col
lege has been closed
The mobilization of the reserve
troops in five of the seven dlstricts i'lis
of the province of St Petersburg has
been completed and the mobilization
of those of the Russian capital itself
is expected to be announced in Few
days.
Probably 10000 men will be taken
out of the population and called to
the coIors- Many factory and mill
hands will be included, but the effect
industriaIly will be lessened because
most of the manufactures were al
ready running on short time.
Two Cruisers Are Safe.
St. Petersburg, Aug. 1s.-11:10 a.
MT is learned from official sources
by the Associated Press that the cruis-
ers Gromoboi and Rossia have reached
Vladivostok after the battle off Tsu
island Both ships were considerably
damaged In addition to the loss OF
the cruiser -Rurik, two officers were
killed
There is no confirmation of the re-
port that the cruisers Pallada and Di-
ana have reached Vladivostok and the
admiralty had no news this morning
bearing on the whereabouts of the
other vessels of the late Rear Ad-
miral Withoff's squadron.
Their Only Consolation.
st. Petersburg, Aug. 1s.-12:1s p.
the newspapers were allowed to print
the fact that the cruiser Rurik had
been sunk The news was held back
until the government had received Of
ficial confirmation from Vladivostok-
The tone of the press comment is
summed up by line in the Russ:
THE Rurik died a hero's death.
That is the only consolation we have"
Berlin Looks for No Trouble.
Berlin. Aug. 1S.-The foreign Of
ture between China and Japan in con-
nection with the repairs to Russian
war vessels at Shanghai expresses the
view that Japan may send a small
warship into the harbor to ascertain
whether the disarmament of the Rus
sian ships has occurred. But the of
hcials here do not beIIeve that the
matter has reached a critical stage or
that a serious situation will result
The German view naturally is that
China should take the same course
toward the Russian vessels at Shang-
hal as Germany did towards those
which sought refuge at Tsingtau.
Japan's UItimatum.
Paris. Aug. 1S-The news that Japan
has practically sent an ultimatum to
China concerning the Enforcement of
her neutrality in the case of the pro-
tected cruiser Askold and the torpedo
boat destroyer Grozovoi, causes sur
prise but no alarm here, the impress
sion prevailing that China will be only
obligations. especially when such a
course favors Japan. Well Informed
circles consider that China's refusal O
comply with the Japanese demand is
most improbable, unless under strong
pressure by foreign cOnsuls but it is
not denied here that China's refusal
followed by violent action on Japans
part, would entail serious complica-
tions.
Russian Finances
St. Petersburg. Aug. 1S.-Referring
TO the issue of a new loan in the
FORM of state rente notes. amounting
TO $3O,OOO,00O. the Official Messenger
points out that the official return is
sued May 13 showed that upwards of
S1SO.OOO,0 900 was available for mill
tary purposes at the beginning of the
war. Up to August 16, the military
expenditures had absorbed only S12S,-
725,0OO, and therefore the money OBJ
tanned by the recent loan of S16O.OOO
600 taken up by France is not vet
touched The Official Messenger adds
that the new issue is explained bv the
fact that in time of war the punct11aI
especially important and rente notes
are a popular form of security, en-
joying wide circulation and not be-
ing liable to fluctuations
Russia VIII Yield.
St Petersburg. Aug. 1S.-It is un-
derStood that Russia will recognize
the validity of the American and Brit
ish view differentiating between condi-
tional and absolute contraband of war
and that the Russian reply will be
couched in this sense. Specific claims
ures of vessels and cargoes will prob
ably be reserved for later considera-
ton.
Cruisers Were RiddIed.
St. Petersburg, Aug 1s.-6:05 D. m.
A later official dispatch from vladi-
vostolx shows that every officer on the
Rossia and Gromoboi was either killed
or wounded. Rear Admiral lessen
narrowly escaped the fate of Admiral
bridge of the Rossia when it was
wrecked by a shell. The two Russian
cruisers We're literally riddled. their
guns and engines being partially dis