The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-31
KURoKI SCREENS OKU.
Present Objective Point of Japaneme
 Operations Is Port Arthur.

Operations is Port Arthur.
 St. Petersburg, May 30.-According ot information received by the Asso- ciated Press from a high source. inn portant news regarding the Japanese plan of campaign, which has reached the Russian authorities since the bat tie of Kin Chou, -compels the convic- ton that the advance of General Ku- roki and the activity of his scouts northwest and southwest of Feng Wang Cheng, are part of we'll exe- cuted feint to prevent General Kuro- patkin from detaching a strong force to hamper General Oku's operations on the Liao Tung peninsular. Under cover of General Kuroki's screens. 1t is added, part. of the Japanese landed at Taku-Shan will be moved southward into the peninsular while Kuroki at tempts to make Kuropatkin believe that he intends to force a decisive en- gagment with him.
 This information would tend to prove that the main object of the Jap anese campaign all along has been Port Arthur and once that fortress Is in their hands. unless an exceedingly favorable opportunity offers to attack Kuropatkin. the Japanese plan is sim ply to make their tenure secure and force the Russian commander to as- sume the offense. Moreover. there is information to the effect that the Jap anese propose to storm Port Arthur with the briefest possible delay, after having first closed the harbor to rem der the egress of the Russian ships impossible at the last moment, thus forcing the Russians to destroy them without subjecting the Japanese to the inevitable losses which must occur if the Russian squadron gets out for a last fight before going to the bottom. The previous repeated efforts of the Japanese to cork" the harbor have been as much with the view of this ultimate situation as for protecting landings.
 Nothing is known here of the Che Foo reports of fighting at In-Chen-Tse. fourteen miles from Port Arthur, but the general staff hardly believes the enemy could have advanced so rapid ly.
 The admiralty denies the report of the loss of two Russian torpedo de- stroyers, while laying mines which de- stroyed the battlesship Hatsuse. AAe officials say Port Arthur has been heard from since the Hatsuse was blown up and if the report of the loss of the torpedo boat destroyers was true they would have known it.
 No surprise is expressed at the ad- miralty at the Tokio report of the ev- idence contained in intercepted Rus. sian dispatches that the Hatsuse was blown up by Russian stationary mines In this connection a naval attache oi great power declares that his govern ment is in possession of the best in. formation to the effect that the Japa. nese used driving mines" bunchine them to drift below the surface anC thus causing the loss of the Russian battleship Petropavlovsk.
 prominent diplomat said: '-Th, Russians are fully justified in using mines to repel the enemy's invasion O their coasts. There is no law to pre- vent that country from doing anything it pleases to keep the enemy from it. shores. If Great Britain was at wa and she chose to fill the channel wlut floating mines for the defense of he coast no power could raise any ob 5ection."
 Owing to it being a holiday it is i'm possible to obtain official opinion re rarding the announcement made to dav by the Tien Tsin correspondent of the Daily Express of London, tha The Russian minister at Pekin, M. Les gar had informed the Chinese govern ynert that Russia will finally evacuat New Chwang provided China grants concession for a railroad across Chi nose Mongolia, and that Russia vii n,,acuste Nanchuria outright if tn Chinese leases the Hi. or Kooldja ter rJtorv to Russia. But in diploma .. circles the report is regarded as ab surd. Ii is pointed out that Russia al ready owns the greater part or the Il +erritorv and that three-fourths of tn course of the river. which empties int lake Balkash. flows through Russia territory. The upper waters of tn Iii are of no commercial or strateglca importance and the only real value such an agreement to Russia would ? the acquisition of the portion or Chl nese Central Asia comprising Lasgha and Yarkand. It is impossible to sur pose that Russia. while the war is pro ceeding, is making offers to e&chahg Manchuria for this region.