Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-11-11


and Japan fearfully. Japan is a
frugal nation. The ordinary ex-
penses of the Empire are only $780,
100000. To provide for war bills
taxation will be increased S45,OOO.-
600 and it is proposed to raise $685.
100000 by loans.
The movement of tie Russian
forces on the Swedish border has
caused great uneasiness in Swedish
circles. 1t is feared that in order to
permit her decent withdrawal from
the Japanese dilemma Russia is plan
ming to create a dispute with Norway
and Sweden, and then seize an At
lantic port.
Marshal Oyama, chief of the
Mikado's Army, is said to be, in
features, the ugliest, and yet most
magnetic and greatly beloved man
in the little Island empire. With a
large and badly Scared face Oyama
physically is giant among the
little Japanese. Six feet tall and
weighing nearly 800 pounds, he is
the national patron of wrestling and
OF workmanship and the idol of
the army. Notwithstanding the
recent honors won by the foreign
trained generals, Kuroki, Oku, Nodzu
and Nogi, this representative of the
samurai class is the idol of the
nation, which regards him as the
embodiment of the spirit of old
Japan.
General Kuropatkin has lost his
famous charger, lie Marechsl, a gift
to him from the Gar. LIE Marechal
is a son of Lohengrin, the English
thoroughbred. He has all throush
the campaign displayed sympathy
with the japanese, and is now un-
doubtedly serving as mount for some
Japanese officer. General Kuropat-
kin had thrown the bride over his
arm, and was patting the horse on
the neck when it kicked, tore away
and galloped toward the enemy.
-Four Cossacks Immediately pursued,
but their horses were no match for
the Generals thunderer and the
riderless animal got clear away. At
last the Cossaoks came back, ex-
hausted and afraid to show their
faces. The soldiers have generally
taken this to be an i'll omen.
THE NORTH SEA INCIDENT.
The verdict of the Hull INQUEST is
to the effect that two persons, while
out fishing with the proper marks
and with the regulation lights burn
ing, were skilled by shots fired with
out warning or provocation from
certain Russian war vessels at dis
lance OF about quarter of mile"
The witnesses were all asked as to
the presence of foreign vessel or
torpedo boat. All with positiveness
denied "that at any time preceding
or during the firing there was a
japanese, British or other foreign
vessel seen by them or the accom-
panying fishing fleet" 1t was also
stated that there were no japanese
among the crews, and that none of
the trawlers carried arms of any
description.
The Gar did not know how. well
he planned when his scheming
brought about the Hague tribunal.
His fleets "criminal blunderv will
come before such a tribunal, and it is
safe to predict that the Russian will
get of easy. All of Europe is envious
and afraid of England, and the
British incident, like the depreda.
tons upon the commerce of neutral
nations,will pass off lightly. England
has indeed been magnanimous in the
whole OF this unprovoked aggression.
The inquiry will take long time.
Russia will undertake before the
commission to prove that the Japa-
nese Minister to Holland actually
organized an attack on the Russian
squadron, most ludicrous conten-
ton as viewed by disinterested diplo-
mats. In the meanwhile Russia has
not the slightest intention of humil-
lating her fleet to suit England.
Rojestvensky has now been promoted
to the rank of vice-admiral and aide
de camp to the emperor, while the
Grand Duke Alexis, as grand admiral
OF the feet, has issued an order of
the day thanking the officers and
crews of the commerce destroyers for
their brilliant services.
AS an indication of the utter de-
moralization the Russian nayy is suf-
fering under it is now stated that
the vessels of Rojestvensky's fleet
misunderstood the signals. Two
rear torpedo boats were hurrying up,
when perceiving they had misunder-
stood the signals they put about to
return. The rest of the SQUADRON,
installing them for enemies, opened
hire and sunk fishing vessels that
were on the same course.
The Baltic fleet, which has already
gained such an unenviable reputa-
ton for itself, has stormy future
at best, and it will require almost an
impossible record of Success to wine
out the stigma of incompetence and
panic-stricken fear caused by the out
rageous attack on the British fishing
fleet. The enormity of the offence
and the blind terror or drunkenness
of the commanding officers grows
worse under closer inspection. The
squadron consisted of seven first
class battleships, two armored cruis-
ers. six protected cruisers, twelve
torpedo destroyers, nine auxiliary
cruisers, two repair ships, three
golfers and hospital ship. This is
one of the largest and most powerful
fleets that has ever gone to sea,
measurably both in fighting strength
and cost, the latter estimated at not
less than 8S5- 7h0 600 In addition