The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-02-13
.JAPAN'S
OBJECT
Lines of Battle between
Russians and Japs.
FIGHTING AT PIT. ARTHUR
Russians Succeeded in Sinking
an Unarmed japanese
Steamer Yesterday.
FIGHTING AT PIT. ARTHUR

LONDON, Feb. 13 --latest reports
from the scehr of hostilities in the faI
east indicate that the center Of activity
at present is Port Arthur and its vicin-
ity. The japanese warships are report.
ed to be bombarding the city, while
troops of the mikado are trying to land
from transports at Dalny AID attack
Port Arthur in the rear. This base OF
supplies for the Russian warshps and
land forces is evidently the chief OBJ
ject Of the japanese.
The British government has advices
that Port Arthur is likely to he in pos
session of Japan within a week. and in
well informed japanese circles in Lon
don the opinion is expressed that the
war will be over in July.
y Chefu dispatch says the British
steamer Fu Ping when leaving Port Ar.
thur was fired upon by Russians, and
three Chinese members of the crew
We're wounded. The Russians after
ward apoogized for firing on the YES
sell The Flu Ping upon its arrival at
Weihaiwei filed a protest with the
British commissioner. The American
consul has reported to United States
Minister Conger that the Russian au-
tnorties have refused TO allow the
American steamer Pleiades to leave
Port Arthur The Pleiades sailed from
Seattle on Feb with a cargo of -four.
\ late dispatch from St Petersburg
says Viceroy AleXeieff reports that the
Russian torpedo transport Yenisei has
been blown up as the result of acciden-
tally striking a mine at Port Arthur
The Yenisei sank. and Captain Stepa-
noif, three officers and ninety-one men
were lost
The Yenisei was built at the Baltic
works in 1899 She was of $500 tons
displacement and could make sixteen
knots. Her armament consisted Of five
twelve-pounder and six three-pounder
quick firing guns.
\ cablegram from Tokyo says:
Two small japanese merchant ships,
the Seensho Maru and the Nakon Oura !
Maru, while on their way to Otara. a
port on the western coast Of YeZo is
land, from Sakata, a port on the north
ern coast OF the main island of Japan,
were fired on Feb. II by four Russian
men-of-war Off the coast of Aomori |
prefecture, and the latter was sunk, |
while the former had a narrow escape.
The Russian men.of-waT are still seen |
nFf NI,, t,rt.t, or C1a
They are supposed to be the first class
cruisers which have been shut up at
Nladivostok and tried some time ago to !
Join the main squadron at Port Arthur. !
Minister Conger has cabled the state !
department in Washington that the
Chinese government would immediate
ly issue proclamation of neutrality.
This will prevent the threatened inva-
sion of Manchuria by the Boxers and
also the use of Chinese soil by Russian
or japanese troops.
A fleet of Japanese warships is
watching near Chefu for the Russian
squadron on its way from Europe to
Port Arthur. They Will attack it and !
hope to make its destruction complete
Other japanese men-ofwar are report
ed on the way to give battle to the
Russian fleet thought bottled up by the
Ice Mt Nladiyostok, but which Is re-
ported to have bombarded HakOdate
the capital Of the island of Yezo, at the
northern end of Japan, on Tuesday
The feet may now be making its way
along the coast destroying other places
1t is reported that the Japanese
troops are advancing rapidly toward
the Yalu river, where they expect to
engage the Russians. They expect to
be able to drive them back and occupy
Mukden.
st, Petersburg advices say that Rus
sic is evidently not prepared at this
time to give an answer to the United
States to Secretary Hays note on the
subject of the neutrality of China.
As previously stated, hostilities having
begun, the military authorities must
be consulted, and the czar doubtless
will refer the matter to Viceroy
Alexeieft If he has not already done so.
Russia, 1t can be said, is certainly as
anxious as the United States that the
,,.or oo,oa no rfsinug or dicordo,.s Il,