The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-05-24
JAPANESE
CONDITIONS REPORTED BY
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY
ACTIVITY OF COssACKs
Japs Slowly Moving To-
ward Port Arthur.


On Board the Steamer Haimun, At
Sea, by De Forrest Wireless Telegraph
to Wei Hal Wei, May 23.-Uondon
Times. )-tWhile the Japanese COM
manders are still enforcing their order
that no vessel equipped with wireless
apparatus shall be permitted 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 japanese camps.
General Kuroki is still at Feng
Huang Cheng where he has found 1t
necessary to hold his columns until ev-
erything is prepared for the advance
across the mountains upon the Russian
position at Lao Yang. In the mean
time 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 Russian position.
The Japanese lines of communication
have suffered severely during the past
week owing to the asgressiveness of
several bands of Cossacks who have
attacked the escorting parties which
have been moving supplies from the
Yalu to Feng Huang Cheng 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.
The Russian columns which are upon
General Kurokis front are keeping his
outposts busy and both sides have suf-
fered severely from the constant snip
ping between the pickets.
During the past week there have
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.
General Baron Oku's army shows
but little success because 1t has en-
countered a very desperate resistance
from the Russian columns which are
endeavor to prevent the Japanese cap
turing that stronghold.
General Oku's divisions are planted
across the narrowest part Of the penin-
sula and are slowly 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 dismantled of
their guns, which have been mounted on
the land side of the town and will be
used to resist the general attack of the
Japanese.
While the ultimate fate of the fort
ress is not hard to foresee it will not
be taken without great loss and the
movement to reduce 1t, 1t is said. will
cost the japanese an enormous num-
ber of men. So far as 1t is possible
to ascertain, the Russian garrison
amounts to 10000 soldiers and 1000
blue Jackets The-e are plenty of
supplies so thu. the garrison cannot be
starved out 1t Is estimated that the
japanese have in southern Manchurla
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 undertake
an offensive forward movement. 1t Is
said that all Of the newly constructed
defenses of Port Arthur can be reached
by shell fre from the sea and Admiral
Togo's fleet is expected to be of very
great benefit to the attacking column
wnen the general assault is decided
upon.
The Russians in Port Arthur have sc
filed the adjacent waters with float.
ing mines that navigation is absolutely
dangerous for every sort Of craft. No
only have mines peen anchored off the
harbor entrance but junks have beer
sent out under cover of the fog thai
has shrouded the shores lately ant
have strewn the open sea outside o.
the three-mile limit with floating ex
plosives In the hope that they will
drift down near the Japanese base ant
destroy some of Admiral Togo's craft
Yesterday the Haimun passed two
very large mines floating within 81,
miles of Wei Hal Wei.