Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-10
SEA FIGHT
But No Attack by Land on Port Ar.
thur.

The war office is in possession of in
formation which the officials declare
warrants a contradiction of the re-
ports brought by Chinese fugitives to
Che Foo of a four days land and sea
attack on Port Arthur and of extern
sive damage to the forts. An official
dispatch from Rear Admiral Witt
scott, June I. reports that the enemy
has bombarded Port Arthur inter-
mittently from the sea but does not
mention serious operations from the
land side The general staff seems GER
tain that the enemy's siege gun, has
not yet been brought up.
Discussing the Chinese reports
brought to Che Foo, q member of the
general staff said:
1--WE have had our own experience
With the unreliability of Chinese re.
ports. The idea of the explosion of
mines by n thunder storm is absurd
and the Chinese statement that the
whole garrison has gone to the front
is wild nonsense, betraying the deepest
ignorance of the conditions governing
the safeguarding of fortress.
1.-The troops contesting the adj
vance upon the fortress are a
few regiments of rifemen, which
have the time been on Kwan-
tung peninsula for this purpose, In
this connection an official dispatch
from Port Arthur to one of the
ministries. not the ministry of war nor
the ministry of the navy. says that
only one regiment of infantry, the
nth, participated in the defence OF
Kin Chou.
The admiralty is not disposed to
credit the report that the Port Arthur
squadron has left Port Arthur or the
rumor of it's juncture with the Valdi-
vostok squadron, although this is evil
| IDENTIFY part of the program. If it comes
to the worst, the Port Arthur squad
ron will go out and give battle.
At the admiralty the reported action
Of the Japanese warships in Smelling
| the coast near Kai Chou will be in
terpreted If confirmed. as a demonstra-
ton to discourage the sending Of q
strong force south against Gen. Oku's
rear.
The mystification concerning tbs
strength of the force sent south con-
| tinues. The war Office, which seeming
ly, is not fully advised in regard tC
| Gen. Kuropatkins plans, says the COM
mander in chiefs ability to detach ar
| adequate force will depend upon the
number Of troops at Gen. Kuroki's dis
posal, concerning which, apparently
| there Is no accurate information here
| although the belief is that the Japan
csc commander has about 4S battalion:
at Feng Wang Cheng and 36 in the
vicinity of Takushan. The latest in
| telligence received at the war office i:
| to the effect that Japanese have aban'
doned their advance north of Fens
| Wang Cheng and west of Siuyen. Tht
| Russians are holding Siuyen an(
| SaimatsZa.
While declining to furnish specific
information on the subject it seems
certain that the Russians are now II
wireless communication with PORT
Arthur. BY no other way could the re
ceipt of Admiral Wittsoefts dispatch
of June Z, reporting the intermittent
| bombardment of Port Arthur from the
sea, be accounted for.
While the above presents the officia
view regarding the reports and the ma
ture of the fighting around Port Ar
thur. this city is full of all kinds OF
wild stories and the public is inclined
to credit the idea that the enemy has
already begun serious work against
the fortress.