Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1904-03-16
BRITISH AND FRENCH FIGHT
oARRisoNs OF BOTH NATIONS IN
CHINA sNARL At EACH OTHER.
Serious Conflict May Occur Any Time
City of Shan Hal kwan viii Be
Base o. erItisn opsrations-Ars
Drilling Hard-undsr Marching Or.
dsrs-Japs Are Active.

There 10 Q new menace In the stu.
alton In China. The French and Eng.
iish garrisons at Shan Hal Kwan ale
snarling at each other menacingly and
threaten to embroil the two great ma.
lions. The soldiers Of the two ma
lions stationed in that fortified city are
constantly on the verge of . serious
conflict Insults continually are band.
led between the men and personal as.
saults are frequent.
The Sikhs, who make up the British
forces. are drilled i've hours every day.
and Shan Hal kwan will be the Brit
ish base Of operations in China. 1t 10
q city on the Lao Tung gulf. about
naH way between Tientsin and New
chwang. and just across the gulf from
the last named city. All the British
troops in north China are under march.
ing orders.
Newchwang has become the point
toward which the chief interest In the
conflict between the Russians and
japanese now tends. The Japanese
are about to strike there. They al.
ready have landed and are In force
at Feng Huan. 70 miles southwest Of
Newchwang. 1t il expected that .
portion Of the Japanese feet will ap-
pear before Newchwang within the
next "a hours. The Russians are pre-.
pairing to evacuate Newchwang. They
retire to Mukden, which they have
strongly fortified. A collision between
the Russians and japanese at or near
Newchwang Is momentarily expected.
Tho British troops are under orders
to march into Newchwang whenever 1t
10 evacuated BY the Russians. This
movement will be In the interest Of
the protection Of the property Of Eu.
ropeans. The railway 10 prepared to
move the entire noncombatant popula.
ton Of Newchwang to Tientsin - soon
~ fighting begins.
But the backward movements Of the
Russians-ths retreat from New.
chwang upon Mukuen-is likely to dis
turb the neutrality Of China. The Chi.
nese army on the northern frontier Ia
eager to engage the Russians. and. rs
told In q former dispatch, the most
severe measures are necessary to pre-.
vent an outbreak of patriotic agitators.
A retreat BY the Russians 10 likely to
cause the Chinese to strike.
Evidently the japanese are prepaf-
ing for . great triangular assault-a
movement against the
Russians on the Yalu. against Port
Arthur and against Newchwang. Trains
to the north are carrying small com.
panies of Japanese. Of officers and Of
men. and . collision near Newchwang
must occur very soon.
Should the Japanese leave New.
chwang they will In all probability de-
scend upon and sever the Russian line
Of communications between Port Ar.
thur and the headquar,ers and Muk.
den. Newchwang 10 connected by rail
with the Russian railway line. With
the force at Feng Huan the Japanese
already may have made sortie and
cut the railroad connecting the two
cities. They then cou.u attack Port
Arthur from the rear. Just - they did
when they captured the place from the
Chinese
Japs Supreme.
Al already suggested In previous dis
patches the rapid development Of JAP
anese sea supremacy may be consider.
ed responsible for the present apparent
delay in the japanese military opera.
tions. Practical landing places are
hard to find. all inlets and bays being
filed with ice, while the recent re.
turn of wintry conditions adds to the
difficulties.
Japs In Excellent Spirits.
The japanese army 10 in excellent
health and spirits. and are warmly
clothed.
1t seems certain that no great land
operations can be expected for some
time. or until the weather conditions
are better than at present
The late reports from scout steam.
ers which are covering every foot of
the Korean coast indicate that there
are no Russian craft in any Of the in.
lets.
One Fort pismantisd.
A dispatch from Chefoo to the Lon.
don Daily Mail states that their cor.