Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-05-19
CONFLICT IN FAR EAST

ll0 buSSlduS nave HOI DiOW1 w
their warships at Port Arthur.
Joint Attack on Port Arthur.
Shanghai, May IA. - The Japanese
are closing in on Port Arthur. The
Russians have begun to leave Sung
yang for Tienling. They are commit
ting depredations west of the Yalu,
forcing the villagers to supply them
with cattle and foodstuffs and commit
ting outrages. The Japanese troops
are marching on Hsuyen, with the OBJ
ject of eventually proceeding to Tasch-
ichiao. It is expected that the third
and meet the first army.
Joint Attack Nearly Due.
Chefu, May 14.-After cruise along
the eastern coast of the Liaotung pc
ninsula the Daily News dispatch boat
Fawan returned to port this morning.
The whole of the coast in the vicinity
of Port Arthur is carefully patrolled by
the Japanese feet. Torpedo boats are
protecting the landing Of troops.
Transports are still engaged in
near Pitsewo. 1t is estimated that 41,-
600 men have already disembarked.
The Fawan was forbidden to approach
the coast and warned against floating
mines. Six of these dangerous neigh
borse were sighted.
Fighting is in progress daily on the
peninsula, but the details are kept
secret. 1t is said, however, that the
Russians are offering very ineffective
resistance. One of the Japanese Off
GERS who boarded the Fawan said that
he understood from some Of the army
men that the Russians showed up
poorly as fighters. I'VE are amazed at
the Russian army" he said. ut is no
better than the Chinese"
A joint naval and militar yattack on
Port Arthur is expected about May 16.
Russians Destroy Dalny. !.
st. Petersburg, May IA. viceroy
Alexieff has telegraphed to tn eczar,
announcing that the Russians have
blown up the docks and piers of Port
Dalny, LiaoTung peninsula, presuma-
bly, to render more difficult Japanese
landing at that point.
Later kilograms received here indi-
cate that the whole of Port Dalny has
been destroyed by the Russians.
Vladivostok in Bad Way.
Berlin, May 14-Although dispatches
from Vladivostok reports no Japanese
in sight, private advices assert that the
fortress is in state of siege and that
the section of the civil population not
driven out by fear of the famine prices
of necessities has received official no
tice from the commandant as follows:
All the strength and resources, not
only of the army, but also Of every
resident of Vladivostok, will hence
forth be used first of all in carrying
out the military tasks confronting us.
No resident, therefore, should any
longer depend on the resources of the
fortress for individual subsistence,
but must prepart at any moment to de-
prive himself Of his own supplies,
which may be confscated by the mill
tary authorities"
NiuchWang Practically Evacuated.
Shanghai, May Id. The Russians
virtually have evacuated Niuchwang.
They are dismantling the forts and OBJ
literating the intrenchments and are
preparing to destroy the siege guns.
The majority of the troops have al
ready withdrawn toward Liao-yang.
The Russians asked the Chinese to
Police Niuchwang. The Chinese re-
fused on the ground that they have
not enough men.
Great Battle impending.
st. Petersburg, May 49, Gen. Kuro-
patkin's dispatches indicate that the
main bodies of the Russian and Jap
anese armies are approaching clash
in the central section of the southern
province of Manchuria.
The battle is likely to be fought
about Liao-yang, with the Russian re-
serves operating from Mukden and the
and southwestern en- en- en- cmmmm
Japanese reserves from southeast and
southwest Of the point of contact The
struggle is expected to be tremendous
and temporarily decisive Several days,
possibly much longer time, must
SldpSc DSlOIC tue engagement DS,S1US.
Gen. Kuropatkin's energies are bent
on disentangling the wings Of his
army from the menace OF
Japanese Attacks.
The policy demands concentration at
considerable distance from the flank.
ing coasts that have hitherto SO ia
yored the mikado's forces. The Rus
sian commander realizes that the Jap
anese do not intend to permit him to
concentrate while they scatter his
army. He sees that the enemy is con-
verging on Liao-yang and means to
give battle only after his troops have
been merged into q solid force, prop
erly based, and supported for heavy
fighting. 4 r 8.s
The chief anxiety Of the Russians is
lest Kuropatkin should lack sufficient
troops to resist japanese attempts Oh
the wings of his army without expos.
ing his center to successful assault.
Chinese are warning the Japg az the