Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-13
JAPs' ADVANCE MYsTIFIEs.
Believed at st. Petersburg That Move
ments Are Feints.

ST. PETERSBURG June 49, 2:05 pm
The japanese advance of columns north
and south of ngWang- -Cheng is causing
considerable mystification. The preponder-
ance of military opinion still inclnes to
the belief that the movements in both di-
rections are feints, although the opinion
that General kuroki has begun a serious
advance by both ianks against Liao-Yang
does not lack supporters.
Renewed skirmishing is reported in the
neighborhood of Siu-Yen, but there Is no
confirmation, officially, of the engagement
reported by a CORES spondent of the Asso-
ciated Press at Hai-Cheng last night, as
having occurred thirty miles southeast or
Hai-Cheng, in the direction of Feng-Wang-
Cheng road, which was reported to have re-
Quilted in the loss of two japanese battal-
ions.
Should this report turn out to be true 1t
would show that the Japanese are ad-
vancing toward Hai-Cheng by two roads,
as the column reported engaged must nave
been different from the one which drove
out the Russians from Siu-Yen on the road
further south.
Reticent Over Military Situation.
Absolute confirmation is not obtainable
of the report that General kuropatkin is
dlspa tching troops from Mukden against
the enemy's right. Extreme reticence Is
manifested at the war office regarding the
military situation. which is generally in
terpreted as foreshadowfng important de-
velopments in the immediate future.
While the mminence of a decisive battle
between the two main armies is distinctly
discouraged news of fighting of rather
heavy character is anticipated. The lack
of official dispatches from Kuropatkin dur
ing the last forty-eight hours Is regarded
as significant.
Sk1ydloff at Vladivostok.
The London Standards st. Petersburg
dispatch saying that a telegram had been
received from Vice Admiral Skrydloff an
nouncing that he recently left Vladivostok
with the Russian squadron and engaged
Japanese squadron off Port Arthur, is
denied at the admiralty. No such dispatch
has been received from Skrydloff, whose
squadron, according to the last advices, is
still at Vladivostok and in its neighboring
waters.
The government has no advices of re-
newed fighting before Port Arthur, but 1t
is regarded as not unlikely that fighting
of a more less serious character on the
Kwan-Tung peninsula may be in progress,
although the office is convinced that
no serious assault on the fortress is yet
possible.
Russia's Naval Program.
Russia's naval program (inally approved
Saturday at the meeting between Emperor
| Nicholas. the Grand Duke Alexis, the high
| admiral and Vice Admiral Avellan, chief
of the admiralty, for the next ten years in
| cludes twenty battleshps, ten armored
| cruisers. ten first-class and protected
| cruisers and a number of torpedo boats
| and submarine boats.
In view of the criticism on the part of
foreign naval experts of the battle ship
| type after the destruction of the Russian
| battle ship Petropavlovsk and the Japanese
! battle. ship Hatuse the subject was given
| the most careful consideration. the decision
being in favor of the continuance OF the
| construction of battle ships.
10000 Men for Kuroki.
A cablegram from Rome says: A dispatch
| from Seoul says that 10000 men have been
| sent to reinforce Gen. kuroki. He is still
| at Feng Wang Cheng. but has pushed his