Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-15
Russians Open and Sustain a
Fierce Bombardment OF the
japanese Position
lhTRENcHMENrs SANE JiAPs
Huge Siege Guns Brought Into Play,
Ordinary Artillery Being Of No Ef.
seot-Russia Reiterates Her Deter
minatIon to Continue tho War on
Ever Increasing Scale.

Nukden, Nov. 15.--An unbroken can
nonade Of siege guns, throwing fifty
and sixty shells hourly, against the
Japanese position III the region of the
shakhe station, early this morning,
and at night fall, when more than haf
Z thousand big contact shells had been
thrown into the Japanese army's
strongest position, is plainly for the
purpose of demoralizing the work OF
Notifications concentrated at that
point for the past four weeks. To-
days bombardment was the most SER
ious attempt yet made by the Russians
large guns and 1t WAS made on account
OF the apparent determination of the
Japanese to make Shakhe station im-
pregnable and defensive of the rail-
way behind. Both sides have so dug
themselves into the ground. night and
day, that artillery fire is practically In
effective and ammunition nearly who'll
" wasted, both sides recognizing this
and resorting to the competition of big
guns, the regular Held artillery being
only occasionally engaged.
Abuse of Chinese imperial customs
transit passes for merchandise and
baggage into Manchuria via Sinmintin,
thereby making recent traffic abuse of
contraband regulations and neutrality
has caused Pekin authorities to refuse
further passes. This has cut off large
supplies of foreign food and other
products has raised prices. A reign
OF mercantile lawlessness exists but is
controlled by the care of Russian au-
thorities In their transactions to keep
prices and international conditions nor
NAL. Distress of the natives has so
Increased as to render previous incon-
venience and loss of profits, caused
by extinction Of foreign trade and to-
tai annuling of communication between
north and south of Manchuria insignifi-
cant. Native officers are working
In harmony to relieve the distress and
are also working with foreign aid So
Cieties and feeding 10000 REFUGEES
daily at Mukden.
st. Petersburg, Nov. 15.-The con-
tinued suggestions from abroad re-
garding peace are treated like their
predecessors as unworthy Of serious
consideration. Mere mention of me-
diation arouses the ire Of those in au-
thority. Reiteration of the statement
that President Roosevelt, having the
support of Great Britain and France.
had already been approached by Japan
and was ready, to offer his offices, in
View Of Russias position, is not con-
sidered to be friendly act. Russia
will push the war on an ever-increas-
s1ng scale and preparations to do so are
being made everywhere. Trouble with
the army reserve men continues in
various places, especially Poland, but
the authorities are making efforts to
allay the cause of discomfort and
many Of the abuses complained of
have been corrected, Progress of the
Russian second Pacific squadron in
which so much of Russia's hopes is
centered. is followed with intense in !
terest. Two cruisers and seven tor
pedo boat destroyers are leaving
Libau this week to join the squadron.
In the public mind deep-seated sus-
picion exists that if the squadron ar
rives close to its destination in an
efficient condition Great Britain will
In some way find pretext to block its /
further progress, and some newspapers
refer to the necessity for mobilizing
troops on the Indian frontier, where
Russia now has two army corps, as a
counter threat to guarantee safe pass
lge Of the squadron. Unfortunately
the utterances of the press of both
countries are constantly tanning
feeling of mutual distrust.
CONFERENCE NOT DEFERRED.