Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-02-22

The great provinces just to tn,
north and east of Manchuria there
fore have been Russian but forty year,
and prior to that time were virtual,
parts OF Manchuria. Russia possesse.
a number of important strongholds il
this locality and the names of thes,
are likely TO figure prominently in tn,
| war dispatches from the far East as
soon as the land movements OF the
contending powers are well unde,
| way.
| Aigum up to recently was the Chi
nese outpost from which the Russians
50 sre watched. 1t is a city of several
thousand inhabitants, and military
post rather than a trading point The
| scene of battles and treaties in ear
lier Russo-Chinese wars, 1t has fgur
| ed prominently in history. 1t is about
| twenty miles down stream from SAX.
halin. A Chinese telegraph line ex-
| tends north through Manehuria to All.
| its terminus.
Further north is Blagovechensk, the
finest and most modern city of Siberia
| except Nladivostok. Founded by the
Russians when the Chinese yielded
the Amur in 1858. it has been an i'm.
portant military post from the first.
The growth of traffic on the Amur and
the remarkable gold discoveries up
The Zela, which flows into the Amur
from the north at Blagovechensk.
have made 1t a city of more than so.
900 inhabitants. with modern opera
house and hotels, wide streets lined
with excellent brick buildings and
stores in which are sold European fab.
rics and American canned meats.
fruits and vegetables. The garrison
at all times numbers several thous-
and Cossacks, and in the present war
the railway has been rushed to com
pleion. II Is along this spur of the
line that sane important military de-
velopments may be looked for short
ly. Besides making a great strong
hold of Port Arthur the southern ter.
minus of the road, the Russians have
strongly intrenched themselves at
Mukdon, point not quite half way
from Port Arthur to the juna,ion with
the main line at Harbin. her i'm
portant fortified places are ew Tsur.
ukhaitui, where the line crosses from
Siberia into Manchuria, and at Onon
where 1t branches from the Siberian
railway.
the city is likely to be made an I'M
portant base of operations.
When, in 1898, it became known
that Russia had obtained the privilege
of carrying the great Siberian rail
way across Manchuria instead of fol
lowing the northern curve OF the
Amur, this fact coupled with the leas-
gave notice to the world that Man.
churia had become virtually a Rus
sian province. The treaty carried
with 1t the right to police" the line
with such forces as should be needed
to guard it, Russia to be the Judge oil
necessity. Acting under that priv
ilege Cossacks by the thousands have
been poured into the province. Al the
same time the Port Arthur branch of
ST. PETERSBURG, Feb 19.-The
carnival season in Russia is closing
and amid gloom and depression, for
no stories OF Russian successes have
come as were expected The cZar's
manifesto Of apology for the fleet dis
asters has already reacted and in
creased the forbodings. 1t is even be
ing questioned whether Russia has the
required 100000 troops in the far
East and whether the soldiers there
are adequately equDped for long
hard war People today are cheering
The department troops. but there is no
enthusiasm in the cheers and the
slough of despondency viii only be
dispelled by the announcement of
decisive Russian victory.
TOXIC, Feb. 19.--The mikado has
issued denials of the stories. which
he declares emanated from Russian
sources. to the effect that the Japan
ese had been repuIsed while attempt
ing TO land troops on the mainland.
The mikado is especially incensed for
he story that $50 Cossacks had rout.
ed 1900 japanese at Pigeon bay and
killed 600 of them He declares there
is no truth whatever in this report
He denies that no japanese force has
as yet attempted to land at any point
where there were Russians, and ex-
presses the hope that the public will
not be influenced by reports sent out
expressly for the purpose of giving
Impressions.
LONDON, Feb. 19.-Lloyds today
ask a premium of thirty per cent
against outbound vessels owing to the
fear of an Anglo-French war within
the next ninety days. The high rate
is caused by the French ordering war
ships and marines to the far East
and the further fact that the Russian
squadron is still anchored at Jibutil
in the Rea sea.
PARIS, Feb. 10.-An official an.
nouncement Is made that the French
possessions in the far East are being
reinforced owing to the unrest among
the Asiatics since the japanese vic
tories have taken place
ROME. Feb. l9.-The Italian crpis.
er Ligurian, in command of the Duke
dAbraczi. has been ordered to the
far East.
ONION Eah 1grna,ah yr,,..