The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-25
RUMORS KNOWN
TO BE BASELESS
Alarming Reports From Far
East Continue.
SITUATION IS UNCHANGED
RUSSIAN REPLY TO JAPAN NOT
YET READY.

OT. PETERSBURG. Jan. 2s-Reports
y Of an alarming nature Of the sit
uation there continue to pour out
OF the far east These include the
statements that The japanese are land
ing an army at Masampho Korea, and
that 3,000 Russian troops are crossing
the Yaiu river. The reported dispatch
Of "a Chinese army of soldiers trained
by European officers beyond the great
wall TO preserve order in Manchuria
cannot be confirmed here, and the re-
ports of the japanese at AiasamphO and
the Russians a the Yalu are discred-
tied at the foreign office here and by
NJ. Kurino, the japanese minister To
Russia NJ Hartwig. u departmental
chief OF the Russian foreign Office. yes
terday spoke feelingly TO NJ Kurino re-
gardiug the harm being done by ex-
aggerated and often utterly baseless
reports.
Japan's Right Admitted.
While the Russian government IN
derstands the situation in Korea to
be disturbed and possibly threatening,
ID has no information Of d situation
grave enough 10 warrant the landing
OF a large japanese force there. Rus
STA freely admits .Japan's right, under
existing conventions, TO land ia Korea
81 reasonable number Of soldiers to
preserve order, but the landing of an
army at this stage of the negotiations
could not be viewed with eqUanimity
NJ. Kuriuo is in no way anxious be-
cause Of the delay In Russia's response
TO the latest Japanese note, and says
that Japan is not pressing for an im-
mediate reply. Russia viii be given
II . -e--a.
is quoted as saying.
VIII Not Surrender All.
The statement published by the
NOvoe Nremya that because Russia de
sired peace she cannot surrender all,
comedies with the distinct impression
gathered by the correspondent of the
Associated Press at the foreign Office,
that Russia viii continue to maintain
that the question of the sovereignty of
Manchuria is solely a matter between
Russia and China.
The Svket and the St. Petersburg
Listoe have raised an cutlery over the
reported sending Of Chinese troops 10
Manchuria, and the latter newspaper
declares that if il is true that these
troops go without purpose Of threaten
ing the railroad between Port Arthur
and VIadivostock. It means war with
China and not with Japan.
China Not Belligerent.
In an interview 500 Wei Teh. the
Chinese minister to Russia is quoted
as SAYING.
The talk Of China going 10 war with
any one is absurd. We have no in
tention of fighting. If Chinese troops
are being sent north il is solely for
the purpose OF inspiring confidence IN
our own people, who are alarmed and
who would become panic-stricken IN
the event of hOsuIities between Russia
and Japan. Personally, I have no
knowledge Of this reported movement,
but the fact of it, would not neees-
s8rily be communicated ri me
The Russ has attacked the NoY06
Vremya for what it terms its col
leagues stupid mistake about the desti-
nation of the American Asiatic squad
ron, the NOVOe Nrernya having said
the American warships were going 70
Yongampho, when actually their desti-
nation was Olougapo in the Philip
pines and for presaging American i'm
tervention in the far east. The Russ
declares that as the interests of Ameri-
ca are commercial. the American gov
eminent requires friendly relations
with Russia.