Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-07-01
THE RUSSO JAPANESE WAR,
EVENTS OF A WEEK In The FAR EAST CONCISELY TOLD

| Russia has given her guards orders
"to shoot first and investigate after
wards" any one found proving
around her navy yards.
The Russians are said to be very
much disheartened. Their officers
are fighting and quarrelling among
themselves.
The Japs are drawing the lines
closer around Port Arthur. They
this week captured three more of the
outer forts.
The transport Sado, recently sunk
by the Russian Vladivostok squad
ron, had on board million in gold,
which was thrown overheard by the
Japs as the vessel was sinking.
The entire Japanese nation is sub
sisting on short rations in order to
help defray expenses of the war. The
Mikado himself has but one substan-
tisl dish per day on his table.
All the st. Petersburg papers feel
ingly call attention to the chivalry
of the Japanese in burying the Rus
sian dead at Nan Shan, but the news
that $40 Russians are prisoners at
Toxic oomes.as bitter pill.
The Russians are pouring into
Korea. behind the japanese advance.
The country is being rsvaged by
them and women maltreated. The
Japs will return an army to Korea
to drive the Russian foragers out.
The war correspondent from In
diana, who attempted to get into
Port Arthur, was captured, blind
folded and put in prison. He has
since been released by the Russians
and put upon Chinese soil.
While a Russian force of 5000
under General Konradovitch was
traversing a ravine, it was surprised
by concealed Japanese artillery. The
Russians lost heavily, their casualties
being 1900 in number. General
Konradtsvitch extricated his men
and led them in good order to an in
trenched position"
Speaking of the battle of Vafangou
last week Russian officer said no
soldiers in the world could withstand
the Japanese as they have been fight
ing. Their artillery fire, he claims,
is marvelously effective. The Rus
slams fought stubbornly, but were
unable to Withstand the enemy's
dashing persistenoJ.
OVER A DAGGER OF sAMURAI.
In the first number of the Far
East, Japanese magazine published
in New York, are printed the follow
ing anecdotes of and tributes to Ad-
miral Togo "On February 5 came
the intelligence that war had been
declared and that the fleet under
Vice-Admiral Togo was to proceed
to Port Arthur without delay and
attack the enemy's ships at that port.
When the message arrived the Ad-
miral summoned all his officers by
signal to the flagship. They as
sembled as swiftly as might be, aud
when all were gathered together they
were ushered into the Admiral's
presence. He stood silent, as usual,
and before him was the 'sambo,' a
tiny table of pure white wood, upon
which lag the three and half
inches the short sword or dagger of
the Samurai. No word was said on
either side. Still as death the Ad-
miral and his captains contemplated
the emblem OF honorable death
before them. This dagger meant
victory, and it spoke to these men of
modern Nippon as clearly as it had
spoken to the Samurai of old. After
while the Admiral spoke. Gen
tlemeu,' he said, 'the feast at which
you gave me the honor of your pres.
ence two days ago was the parting
feast. Never could the sailors of
Nippon have reveled thus with their
wives and children about them un-
less it had been that parting which
is the end. Tonight we sail to at
tack the enemy and from that voyage
there Is no return. Be in readiness
to weigh anchor at the signal. Good
day. That night the fleet sped
ghost-like ont into the Yellow sea.
Vice-Admiral Togo is q Satsuma
Samurai, therefore the lust of battle
must be his in fullest measure, but
he is also disciple of Yomei, there.
fore no treacherous wave of emotion
may ever stir the tranquil sea of his
SOUL"
ABOUT WAR CORRESPONDENTS.
Ina very sprightly little publica-
ton of Denver, Colo, known as
Georges Weekly. We find the follow
ing reference to a certain class of
special correspondents:
"The difference between the Jap
anese war and the late Yanko-
Spanko war is this: In Japan and
Russia the generals map out their
battles and fight them before calling
In the correspondents of few cheeky
yellow journals. In our war Richard
Harding Davis mapped out the line
or battle, sent the news on to his
newspapers, and then ordered Shafter
to carry out the programme. Such
cheeky individuals are meeting with
flood of grief in the Orient. When
ever they attempt to butt in the
military authorities give them few
swift kicks under the coat-tail and
throw them outside the lines. This
is as it should be, and if we have
any more trouble, the American
military authorities would do well to
copy the tactics of the Russians and
Japs In their deals with the news
paper fakirs."
10000 REPORTED KILLED.
Officers arriving at Niuchwang
from the front say that the battle |
fought on Thursday at Simenting. |
about 40 miles east of Kaiping, was
the hardest blow the Russians have