The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-03-18
AGAINST JAPS
Orders Have Been Issued That the
Saving OF Coal Is Unnecessary, but
Big Gun Ammunition Must Not Be
Wasted-Rumor that japanese Ma
rines Have Occupied Dalny-Rus-
slams Mobilizing Their Troops With
the Idea, ii Is Believed, OF Concen-
tration 1t VladivostOk.

LIN now. march lf.-Iue local NUS
sian authorities are apparently incens-
ed and manifestly much annoyed at the
solicitious inquiries OF the commanders
Of foreign ~gunboats. regarding the pro-
iected blocking of the Liao river, before
the arrival of the japanese. which lat
ter event is regarded as a foregone con-
clusion. Although the blocking of the
Liza and also the defense of the set
Element INC native town are regarded
as u~nattainable. it is certain that a
disposition Of guns a. been made and
a defense plan has already been ar
dratovitch a few days ago. however,
threatened to cause the abandonment
of the original intention
The best Russian information OBJ
tainable at Port Arthur and New
Chwang. admits the governments in
tention to fall back indefinitely, until
it can complete the mobilization Of 300,-
900 troops for the purpose of ~assaulting
and opposing the Japanese. and prob
ably 200, 900 to oppose the Chinese.
The same opinion asserts that Vice
Admiral Makaroff will fight hard. He
is determined to weaken the enemy at
any cost. and make the operation Of the
Baltic sea fleet in the far east feasible,
though it nay be necessary to light
without the Pallada. Czarevitch and
Retvizan. which, it is admitted, cannot
be fully repaired within six months.
On account of the uncertainty of sue
c~essfully constructing a mud-dock, in
which to repair the CZarevitch n
Retvizan. naval experts allow a year
for the work
Russians May Assume the Offensive.
London, March ia correspondent
OF The Daily Mail at New Chwang
says that after the removal of the bat
tleship Retvizan, four Russian steam
ers. the Hardin. the Hailar. h Min
guta and Sungari were anchored at
Arthur in proper position and sunk,
leaving only q small channel available,
Vice Admiral Makaroff having pre-
viously ordered the whole fleet to re-
main outside with steam Up, economy
in coal being unnecessary.
This dispatch, which is prominently
displayed by The Daily Mail and which
the correspondent says is ION Russian
information" is II true, news OF the
first Importance, confirming the idea
that Vice Admiral Makaroff will adopt
the offensive and make a desperate at
tempt to bring together Russia's scat
tered naval forces or to in
iict damage upon the japanese navy.
The story must. however be viewed
cautiously. the only approach to confir-
nation from any other quarter being In
a dispatch from a correspondent OF The
Daily Telegraph at Yin Kow. which
merely says:
"Vice Admiral Makaroff has issued
orders to the effect that the saving Of
coal is unnecessary, but that the big
gun ammunition in the forts must not
be wasted. Evidently this ammunition
is running short
There is no other news to hand on
the subject. r.
The Daily Telegraph's Tokio CORE
spondent sends an unconfirmed rumor
to the effect that Japanese marines
have landed n occupied Dalny.
1t may be remarked that the British
all regard Vice Admiral
Togo's report hat he has laid mines
at Port Arthur as a mere blum and they
say that such a feat would be impossi-
BILE under fire. The Daily Mail thinks
hat if Vice Admiral Makaron closed
the channel, it was in order to prevent
the ingress OF Japanese torpedo boat
destroyers as vas done at Wei-Hai-
Wei during the Chino-Japanese war.
1t is a subject Of unceasing remarh
anu Conjecture LID III hdS OCCL
heard of the V~ladivostok squadron and
it is beginning to De believed that 1t is
really inside the harbor Of Vladivostok
The Standards Toxic correspondent
says that, according to a dispatch from
General San. the Russians are believed
to be withdrawing from the northeast
frontier Of Korea and concentrating
at Vladivostock.
Port Arthur Has Not Eeen Abandoned
st. Petersburg, March 14.-There 4;
no truth in the rumors that the Rus
slams have abandoned Port Arthur
| Admiral Abasea. secretary of the
commission on Far Eastern affairs, au.
| thorizes the Associated Press to den.
| the story. He says the situation q
Port Arthur is unchanged and tina
nothing of Importance has ccur-
there in the las twenty-four hours.
Report That Port Artlmr Has Bee,
Captured.
Wei-HaiLWei. March 1.-THE Japa.
psea horo ron0rf that Port Arthur IN,