The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-02-01
ANSWER EARLY THIS WEEK
CULTIVATION OF EAR EAST
 CRISIS AGAIN DELAYED.


 Will be Blade Within Few Days-st-
 Petersburg niaksng Extreme Efforts
 to Meet Japan's Demands.
 Washington. Jan. S1.-Information re- ceived at the state department is to the effect that the Russian reply to Japans last note on the far eastern question will be made the early part of the present week. The tenor of the pro- spective communication is not known here.
 Paris, Jan. S1.--Another delay has oc- cured in framing and forwarding the Russian answer to the latest Japanese note, and this will result in further averting the continuation of the crisis until the middle or the latter part of this week.
 The official advices received here from St Petersburg to-day, although somewhat negative, gave definite de- tails of the status of the note and the programme it was intended to follow. Count Lamsdorff, the Russian foreign minister, had expected that the ex- changes going on would have permitted the final drafting of the answer so that it could have been presented to the czar yesterday for his approval; these expectations were not realized, and, as matter Of fact, the answer has not been finally drafted. It was therefore determined to defer it's submission to the czar until next Tuesday or We'd nesday. Efforts are still being made to So shape this answer as to prevent a rupture.
 This new delay is interpreted as slightly improving the situation, as it indicates that Russia is making ex- treme efforts to bring the answer with in limits acceptable to Japan.
 Owing to the fact that the Russian answer is not completed it is pointed out that the reports concerning it's gen. eral terms must be taken with allow ance, as the delay indicates that some of the points which presented the most serious difficulties may yet be recon ciled.
 Throughout the past week the au- thorities here have been kept fully ad vised of the general tendencies of Rus sia, but they have been ignorant as to. whether or not these tendencies would be incorporated in the answer by which f Russia would irrevocably abide. It is understood that the Empress of Russia, besides being in a delicate con- dition, has an affection of the ear which may necessitate an operation This fact is considered as having some bearing upon. the time when the answer will be submitted to the czar for app proval In any event, officials here are confident that definite results will be known next Thursday.
 Owing to the feeling that a final eff fort toward reconciliation was being made the tone of official sentiment on the matter was somewhat improved to- day.
 London, Feb. 1.-Baron Hayashi, the Japanese minister to Great Britain, in formed the Associated Press last night that his government did not know what Russia's answer would be, and that it was therefore impossible to say wheth- CT war was probable or not. The fact that the Russian reply had not yet been dispatched showed. according to Baron Hayashi, that Russia's decision had not yet been taken, as it was hard l ly probable, if a decision had been reached, that the note should be de- 1 layed.
 l A semi-official denial has been issued at St. Petersburg to the reports that the czar presided at council at which l the Russian reply was decided upon, and it is explained that no conference, except the one at which Grand Duke Alexis presided, has been held in con- nection with Russo-Japanese affairs. 1 A dispatch received here from Tien Tsin says Russia is purchasing large quantities of Kaiping coal for immedi- ate delivery at Port Arthur, where the stocks of coal are believed to be run ming low
 l The correspondent of the Daily Mail at Che Foo cables that he has learned l that the Japanese naval reserve was inobilized last week, and that the first army reserve was partly mobilized with great secrecy, the troops arriving at their destinations disguised as coolies. Over one hundred transports have been requisitioned for, the correspondent | COLI dllu LWcfily -SlStlt U dllS pOl to and thirty-eight warships are lying at I Saseho, twenty-five miles north by
 west of Nagasaki. Forty transports l filled with the Kumanato division are
 lying in Takeshilzi harbor, in Tsu l Shima, ready for invasion. The des-
 tination of these latter vessels is be- lieved to be Chung Yu, whence the iso-
 lation of Corea could be easily effected. '"The Russian and Japanese authori-
 ties" the same correspondent contin-
 ues, profess ignorance of the Argun l incident, but learn that the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda signalled the Argun to
 stop, and, as no notice of this was talk en, fired across the bows of the Argun,
 whereupon the Russian steamer, which
 was beyond neutral waters, stopped,
 and the Chiyoda sent search party on board"
 1 On January 50 the Daily Mail pub lished a despatch from it's Che Foo cor respondent saying that foreigner had reported that the Russian steamer Ar gun, upon which he was a passenger ] from Nagasaki to Port Dalny had been fired at by Japanese cruiser outside
 of Chemulpo harhor.
 ] The correspondent Of the Morning Post at Che Fee cables that a British vessel and some others engaged in a regular service to Port Arthur had
 been stopped when about to enter that port.