The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1904-03-18
BRITISH and French FIGHT.
oARRIsONs OF BOTH NATIONS IN
CHINA sNARL AT EACH OTHER.
Serious Conflict May Occur Any Time
City Of Shan Hal kwan VIII Be
Base Of British Operations-Are
Drilling Hard-Under Marching Or
ders--Japs Are Active.


snarling at each other menacingly and
threaten to embroil the two great ma
tions. The soldiers Of the two ma
lions stationed in that fortified city are
constantly on the verge of a serious
conflict. Insults continually are band |
led between the men and personal as
saults are frequent.
The Sikhs, who make up the British
forces, are drilled five hours every day,
and Shan Hal Kwan will be the Brit |
ish base OF operations in China. 1t Is
city on the Lao Tung gulf, about
half way between Tientsin and New
chwang, and just across the gulf from
the last named city. All the British
troops in north China are under march
ing orders.
Newchwang has become the point
toward which the chief interest in the
conflict between the Russians and
Japanese now tends. The Japanese
are about to strike there. They al
ready have landed and are in force
at Feng Huan, 70 miles southwest Of
Newchwang. 1t is expected that a
portion of the Japanese fleet viii ap-
pear before Newchwang within the
next "a hours. The Russians are pre-
pairing to evacuate Newchwang. They
retire to Mukden, which they have
strongly fortified. A collision between
the Russians and Japanese at or near
Newchwang Is momentarily expected.
The British troops are under orders
to march into Newchwang whenever it
is evacuated by the Russians. This
movement will be in the interest of
the protection OF the property of Eu-
ropeans. The railway Is prepared to
move the entire noncombatant populs-
ton OF Newchwang to Tientsin as soon
as fighting begins.
But the backward movements of the
Russians-the retreat from New
chwang upon Mukuen-is likely to dis
turb the neutrality of China The Chi
nese army on the northern frontier is
eager to engage the Russians, and, as
told in a former dispatch, the most
; severe measures are necessary to pre-
vent an outbreak of patriotic agitators
A retreat by the Russians is likely tC
CAUSE INC O0lu6be 10 blIlhc.
Evidently the Japanese are prepar
: ing for a great triangular assaults
simultaneous movement against the
Russians on the Yalu. against Por
Arthur and against Newchwang. Train!
to the north are carrying small com
panies of Japanese, of officers and o
men, and collision near NewchwanI
must occur very soon.
Should the Japanese leave New
chwang they will in all probability de
scend upon and sever the Russian lint
of communications between Port Ar
thur and the headquarters and Muk
' den. Newchwang is connected by raj
. with the Russian railway line. Witt
the force at Feng Huan the japanese
already may have made a sortie ant
> cut the railroad connecting the TIVE
: cities. They then couIu attack Por
i Arthur from the rear, Just as they di,
when they captured the place from tn
l Chinese.
Japs Supreme.
AS already suggested in previous dis
patches the rapid development of jar
> anese sea supremacy may be consider
= ed responsible for the present apparen
delay in the Japanese military opera
: tions. Practical landing places ar
. hard to find, all inlets and bays bein
filled with ice, while the recent re
. turn of wintry conditions adds to tn
, difficulties.
4 Japs in Excellent Spirits.
l. The Japanese army is in excellen
g health and spirits. and are warml
clothed.
1t seems certain that no great Ian
operations can be expected for som
n time, or until the weather condition
Il are better than at present.
The late reports from scout steam
r ers which are covering every foot {
r. the Korean coast indicate that ther
are no Russian craft in any of the il
lets.
One Fort DismantIed.
A dispatch from Chefoo to the Lol
y don Daily Mail states that their co
respondent succeeded in approachin
, in tug boat within two miles of Ii
q entrance of the Port Arthur harbC
III on Friday and again on Saturday wit
out any notice being taken of the era
by the Russians. The corresponds
. states that the fort on the westel
:. side of the mountain. three quarte
:, of mile from the harbor mouth, seer
!. ed to be completely dismantled as
= result Of the Japanese shell fire. TT
same is true Of the forts along II
Tigers Tail peninsula.