The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-04-08
Urgent Efforts for Naval C0Rcen-
tratiOn at Port Arthur
TRYING TO RETRIEVE LOSSES
That Government Fully Realizes Strong
Footing of Japan and Probable
Capture of Port Arthur Un-
less Something is Done.

Paris, April THE Russian naval plan
for retrieving the reverses at Port Arthur
and Chemulpo has been communicated to
one of the embassies through official +
channels. The plan is explained as fol-
lows:
Russia recognizes that Japan now has
preponderatng naval strength in the far
east. Therefore, 1t is essential to re-
verse the present Japanese preponderanee.
This will be attempted by two distinct
moves
First, urgent efforts will be made to (
have n naval concentration at Port Ar
thur. the Baltic. Red Sea and Vadivo- {
stock fleets joining Vice Admiral Maka-
roffs command if possible. and thus Civ
ing the combined fleet preponderance over
Vice Admiral Toga,
Second 1t IS foreseen that 1t will be diff
cult and probably impossible to effect
this concentration as Admiral Toga may
intercept the Baltic fleet before its ar
rival at Port Arthur. In that event the
Baltic fleet. which is comparatively small.
will attempt the perious task of engaging
the large Japanese fleet in the hope of
disabling some the Japanese fleet and
thus reducing the Japanese effectively. Ac-
cordng to the Russian calculation the
Baltic fleet may suffer annihilation in
such an. unequal combat but will have
served a valuable end IL 1t Is able TO Grip
pie a sufficient number of japanese ships
to reduce Admiral Toga's naval strength
below that of Admiral Makaroff's.
The foregoing information comes from
creditable official sources as being tho
1pt pterunfDad ,fa
tics at Washington viii receive similar
| information later
First Line of Defense.
st. Petersburg April while the first
line Of defense against the Japanese ad-
vance from Korea Is strong position,
selected by General Kuropatkin near
! Fen Hnang Cheng 1t is believed the Rus-
slams Intend to hold as long as possible
at Antung, which commands the Pelliif
road. The place has many natural adj
| vantages for defense. General Koroku's
army according to Russian advices. Is
strong out along the road between Anju
and Wiju, It's advance being severely
impsded by bad roads
The Russians have entrenehed heavily
near Hai-Chang TO block the progress OF
| the Japanese In case they succeed in
| landing at the head of Lso Tung gulf
| ''~'H9~No idHopOTkCQs
| st. Petersburg, April s-Through the
| United States government Russia has
! again been requested by Japan TO allow
! the japanese refugees on Sakhalin island
| to be transported to Japan. The foreign
| office has already returned a favorable
response to this report, but the delay
| In the completion of arrangements Is due
| to the necessity of consulting the mill !
tary officers of the island The United
States government will proDaDiy send a.
neutral ship to take the refugees Off the J
island
Admiral Stark Honored.
| st. Petersburg. April S.--Vice- Admiral
| Stark reached st. Petersburg today simul-
| taneously with the announcement of his
| decoration with the Alexander swords,
which are conferred only for gallantry in
! the face of the enemy.
Harbn Is Unsanitary.
| st. Petersburg, April 7.-fne unsanftary /
condition of Harbln, which 1t is feared
| will lead to an epidemic, Is revealed In a ,
dispatch to the Novosu Harbin is the 1
| center of Russian military and civil au-
thority in Manehurla. All troops pass
through this point and all provisions and
medical supplies are taken there. I
| An arrangement has been made for !
Harbin to become the first station for the !
sick and wounded during the war. De- +
spite a dry spring and sumner and peaceful
| conditions In the territory last year,
| there were cases of cholera and typhoid,
| the further development of which wass
| stopped By frosts. The chief cause of !
contagion is the water Of So-s-air rivers
and the shallow wells which are sunk in
unsanltary places. Another source OF
| eontaglon Is that the filth of the winter
lies exposed above the ground in the
heart of the city the streets OF which
| are filled with refuse.
Russia Buys; Japan Captures.
Berlin. April IN. Inyoue. Japanese
minister. does not share the view that
the sale of the steamship Fuerst Bis-1
marck is a breech of neutrality "Froml
one view point. said the minister. we
are glad to see the Russians buy good
ships. The Russian buy them ara We
capture them"
| Yalu is Crossed.
Chicago, April IA cable TO the Daily
News from Toxic says reliable reports
were received today from Seoul 10 the eff
| feet that part of the Japanese fighting
| line had crossed the Yalu and established
Itself In strong positions there at several
important points
Russians Taking Border Towns.
Seoul April 7.--Telegrams have been
received saying that the Russians are
occupying six large border towns on the
| Iumen river IN uOrtne9SteIn lNoied. n
| Korean prefect. has sent In report that
the Russians and Chinese who We're at
Yongampho Korea. have withdrawn to
| Antung across the Yalu river Only
few merchants remain at Yongampho.
The japanese authorities have no con-
hrmation OF a reported engagement be-
tween Russians and Japanese at Xvi
Sung.
Can't Leave the Empire.
St Petersburg April THE dowager
empress who never before has failed to
be present at the festivities attending the
birthday of her father. King Christian of
Denmark will not be at Copenhagen to-
morrow, Il being the unwritten law OF
Russia that no member Of the imperial
family shall leave the empire in time Of
war
Troops In Good Spirits.
st Petersburg. April 7.-Gen. Huropat-
kim who arrived at New Chwang Wednes-
Say and inspected four thousand troopes
~~~-~~~--<>-~~~~~~~~~
| fcartinnAd an Second Paa~A