Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-11-18
RUSSO JAPANESE WAR.
Persistent RumOrs That KuroM Is
Dead.-Stiii Struggling And
SIaughtering at Port Ar.
thur.-0n The
of Big fiel
The North.
The japanese loan has b,

ifiS NOft1.
The japanese loan has b,
scribed in London ten times
financiers are also cage. -
lend money TO the little kingdom.
William K. Curtis said that Baron
kodama, formerly minister of war
and now Gen. 0yama's chief of staff,
is the real genius of the Japanese
army in the war with Russia. "Ko-
dama," the lecturer says, "years ago
planned the campaign which is now
being fought in Manchuris. Kuroki |
and the Japanese generals know
Manchuria better than the Russians.
They have for the past eight or ten
years studied its geography. They
know every road and mountain path,
every well and stream and camping
place. They have in their visits to
the country before the war secured
personal acquaintance with the in
habitaots. No army vas ever better
equipped in this respect than Japan.
Kodama's assistant, Fikushima, who
made reputation by riding across
Siberia on horseback, is said to be
able to draw chart of the country
with his eyes shut" Mr.. Curtis said
the Japanese soldier was far more
intelligent and patriotic than the
Russian soldier. The death list
among the Japanese is appalling,
but it is not because of reckless
disregard of death, but comes from
cool, unfinchlng courage. The Mi
kado's army, he said, is Democratic,
one-third Of it's officers being of
peasant birth, promoted from the
ranks.
Unofficial representations to Rus.
STA, looking to peace. have been made
by Japan and have resulted ia failure
and the step, even privately, is not
likely to be repeated. Although the
suggestion of a pacific settlement
was made unoficially, it actually had
behind it all the weight of an offer
by the japanese government. 1t was
made direct to Russia. No power
acted as an Intermediary. The
proposition was put forward tenta-
lively and unofficially, SO that the
japanese government would be in a
position to deny any report that it
was suing for peace. The failure of
these direct negotiations has resulted
in bringing intervention within a
measurable distance. There is q
definite impression that later the
initiative will come from President
Roosevelt, though Count Cassini,
Russian Ambassador in Washington,
has stated that "Russia will pursue
the war in the Far East to the bitter
end-that is, until Russia has con-
quered." His declaration is accepted
as reply to the recent rumors of
possible mediation by the United
States and Great Britain.
Is GEN. KURoKI DEAD?
A Russian war correspondent of
the Associated Press, telegraphing
from Mukdep, says the reports Of
the death of Gen. Kuroki are con-
firmed, According to his version,
the splinter Of shell struck Gen.
Kuroki, tearing out a portion of his
breast. He died October 4, at Liao-
yang, and his body was sent to
Japan. The japanese Army staff
pronounces the report to be absurd.
Kuroki is the "Stonewall" jackson
of Japan. His death would be sin.
cerely mourned by all nations save
Russia. 1t is feared the report is
to some extent true-that is, that
the great Japanese commander is
wounded, and so badly that he is not
in the field. Absence of reports as
to his movements in the late battle
of Shakhe river would seem 10 con-
firm the report to the extent that he
is disabled, if not dead.
THE HULL INQUIRY.
Britain, in taking testimony as to
the firing upon fishermen on the
Dogger Banks, off Hull, England, by
the Russian fleet, declares there is no
testimony that even suggests the
presence of any Japanese torpedo
boats. Russia is said to have wit
nesses who swear torpedo boats were
present.
Russia is acting very ugly and in
bravado style over the matter since
she has found shelter under a Hague
tribunal. She resents the idea of
Furnishing her officers. Her papers
indorse Emperor Nicholas message
to Admiral Rojestvensky of faith
and hope in him and "my dear
squadron" and say the good wishes
and approval of the whole nation
accompany the squadron. They
style England a ''shylock." and call
upon the nations to resent her
demand of "pound of flesh" By
impartial judges England is consid-
cred as having shown wonderful
forbearance throughout the whole
affair.
AROUND PORT ARTHUR.
The Russians are outstanding their
ammunition and fire only during
assaults. Practically the whole
Russian garrison is living under
ground in bomb-proof caves. This
indicates that even if the Japanese
obtain possession of the commanding
points this does not give them pos
session of the fortress, but they will
have to fight until the last inch of
ground has been occupied.
Both armies are tunnelling. The
japanese lost 200 men in the latest
assault, but carried and hold some
meats and forts.
In one of the former desperate
assaults out of 2,7O0 effective men
the Japs lost $500. Only six
officers snd 200 men came back from
one of the most terrible struggles in
the history of war. Such fighting
as this is dishesrtening to the most