Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-09

reduced by the occurrences in the Far
East. The Porte will give nothing
without heavy price.
Germany expresses no opinion on the
subject. The most Germany VIII 90
| in the presence of a bargain between
Russia and Turkey for the release Oh
the Black sea fleet would be to ln;iih-
| tain silence, neither advising nor as
sisting either party. The government
here is looking ahead. 1t can conceive
of time when it would be to Ger
many's advantage to have a portioii
| of the Russian navy locked up.
Austria and Italy are not moving at
Constantinople where all the powers.
therefore, except Russia and Great
| Britain, are quiescent. Russia Wouid
not use the Dardanelles now II she
| could in the opinion of experts here.
because her Black sea fleet IS not
ready for a Far Eastern campaign.
and If it were ready Russia would wait
until her Baltic fleet is thoroue My
| etpufppeu II 10 otiiCNtu 'ii''e AsN' '''''
could not hope for a decisive na val
success without the Baltic Black sea
and Mediterranean squadrOns uniting
and proceeding East together. as
otherwise they would be destroyed
| piecemeal
| ST. Petersburg. March S.-The where
abouts of Captain ReitZenstein's Vladi-
| r,,I1 n II
by the military authorities. but there
is n strong impression here that when
the seven Japanese warships appeared
| off the harbor. Sunday and yesterday,
| the Russian squadron was outside
| perhaps down the coast, cooperating
with the Russian land force near the
mouth of the Tuman river. If the
Russians We're outside and the Japa-
nese definitely aScertained that fact
| n big sea fight is probably imminent
as it is considered certain that the
| Japanese in that case will lie on and
| off at NladivoStock, to prevent the
Russians return, giving battle if the
Russians are caught in the open sea
All the harbors along the coast in
which the Russians might seek refuge
I are frozen ana lHe IHuSt
eventually be forced to return to
1Vladivostock for coal.
| Although the Japanese squadron is
superior in numbers and guns, con-
sisting of a battleship and four ar
mored cruisers. two of which are be-
lieved to be the Idsumo and the va
| kumo. and two unarmOred cruisers
the four armored cruisers under Cap
| tain RpitZpp stein tho RnSci.l CrnY1n-
bOi. Rurik and Bogatyr, are among tbs
finest vessels In the Russian navy
constituting as sister ships a homo
genous fighting unit, and experts her,
are not certain that they could not
| take the measure of Rear Admiral
| Urius ships.
| a naval service organ here argues
lengthily that the present japanese
naval disposition presaSeS a movement
| on n large scale in the sea of Japan
and the paper accounts for all the Jap
anese ships except the battleship va
shima and the armored cruiser Toki-
wa. one of the first-class protected
cruisers, and five second -class, reck-
| oning the battleships Fiji and Shiki
shima, the armored cruisers Iwate and
Asama and the protected cruiser Taxa
shiho as being injured.
st. Petersburg. March 8.-Viceroy
Alexieff has sent the Car the following
message:
"Mukden, March ST. have the honor
to communicate to Your Majesty the
following details of the events of
March 6:
The enemy's squadron approached
NladivoStock towards IL o'clock in the
morning. having passed near Asold is
land. After several maneuvers, which
involved changes in the squadrons or
der of battle. two cruisers were left
to the north of the island and the re-
naming vessels of the squadron
steamed along the coast of Ussuri bay,
parallel to the shore and keeping about
Is versts Approximately 10 miles,.
therefrom. Upon arriving off Mount
st. Joseph and the Ussuri bay battery,
squadron. preserving the same order.
made towards the battery. The ships
opened fire from both sides. evidently
first using blank cartridges in order to
warm their guns. At Las p. NJ, when
at distance of eight versts approx
imately 1-3 miles,, from the shore, the
leading ship opened fire with her for
ward guns and then the entire squad
ron steamed along the shore. firing
their port guns as they went. The en-
envy did not fire while turning. After
the third turn. the squadron, at 2.25 p.
NJ. ceased firing and steamed off to
the southwark about 10 miles to the
right of Askold island. finally dsap-
pearing at $50 P. NJ.
In all. the enemy fired about 200
shells with no effect. No damage was
done to the fortress or the entrench-
ments and in the town and at other
parts of the Qualifications, the damage
was insignificant.
The garrison is in excellent spirits
and the operations of preparing the
batteries for action We're carried out
in perfect order.
According to reports of the events
of March {. the enemy's squadron re-
appeared at s o'clock in the morning
near Nladivostok. They entered Ussuri
bay and proceeded along the coast
without opening fire. The squadron
then returned and headed for Cane Ca