The Washburn leader., 1904-03-19
BEAR TAKES
The OFFENSIVE
RUSSIAN ADMIRAL LEAVES PORT
ARTHUR AND BLOCKS
ENTRANCE.
WILL GO AFTER JAPANESE NAVY
MAKE DESPERATE EFFORT TO
BRING TOGETHER CARS
NAVAL FORCES.
WILL GO AFTER JAPANESE NAVY
JAP TROOPS OCCUPY OAlNy
RUSSIANS LEAVE KOREA AND
CONCENTRATE At VIA.
DIvosTok. -


DIvosTok. =
London, March ia correspondent
Of the Daily Mail at Neuchwang says
that after the removal Of the battle
ship Retvizan four Russian steamers,
the Vardin, the Hailar, the Ninguta
and the Sungari. were anchored at
the mouth of the entrance to Port
Arthur in proper position and sunk,
leaving only small channel available,
Vice Admiral Makaroff having previ-
ously ordered the whole fleet to re-
main outside with steam up, economy
in coal bein unnecessary.
Will Take the Offensive.
The dispatch is prominently dis
played by the Daily Mail and which
the correspondent says is ION Rus
sian information" is, If true, news of
the first importance. confirming the
idea that Vice Admiral Makaroff will
adopt the offensive and make des-
perate attempt to bring together
Russia's shattered naval forces or en-
deavor to inflict damage upon the
Japanese navy. The story must be,
however viewed cautiously, and the
only approach to confirmation from
any other quarter being in q dis
patch from correspondent of the
Daily Telegraph at Yin Low, which
merely says:
| "Vice Admiral Makaroff has issued
orders to the effect that the saving OF
! coal is unnecessary, but the big gun
ammunition in the forts must not be
wasted Evidently this ammunition is
running short"
Japanese Occupy DaIny.
There is no other news to hand on
the subject. The Daily Telegraph's
Toxic correspondent sends an uncon-
firmed rumor to the effect that Jap
anese marines have landed and occu-
pied Dalny.
It may be remarked that the Brit
ish newspapers all regard Admiral
Togo's report that he has laid mines
at Port Arthur as mere bluh and
they say that such feat would be i'm
possible under fire. .t.
The Daily Mail Thinks that IL Vice
Admiral Makaroff closed the channel
it was in order to prevent the ingress
of Japanese torpedo boat destroyers.
as was done at Wei Hal Wei during
the Chinese-Japanese war.
Russians Are Concentrating.
It is a subject of unceasing remark
and conjecture that nothing has been
heard of the Vladivostok squadron.
and it is beginning to be believed that
it is really inside the harbor of Via
divostok.
The Standards Toxic correspondent
says that according to a dispatch from
Gensan the Russians are believed to
| be Withdrawing from the northeast
frontier of Korea and concentrating at
| Vladivostok.
Japanese Finances. ~
The correspondent of the Morning
Post at Toxic throws light upon
| Japanese financial institutions and
says it is estimated Japan will be able
to maintain war for eighteen months
| without borrowing abroad. The pol
ic7 is to retain the gold in japan and
| it is believed it will not be necessary
to spend abroad more than cne.eighth
of the cost of the war. this expendi-
ture being chiefly for coal, cordite and
steel. .3 ...,,. s,t j,
The fact that Port Arthur is com.
pletely blocked permits great saving
for. Japan, as she will be able to
charter ships at peace rates. ~.
Japs Fall Into Ambuscade.
St. Petersburg, March , .16. - Gen.
Zilinski telegraphs as follows under
yesterdays date:
ION March patrol discovered. four
of enemy's posts on the Chong Chen.
yang railway and a troop of cavalry
acting as scouts near Patetchen,
northwest of Anil. A Japanese cav.
airy patrol fell into an ambuscade pre-.
pared by our patrol and were dis.
persed, losing one killed The Japan.
ese left behind them a quantity of
gun cotton and some swords and
blankets.
"The population of Manchuria is
quiet.
"On the night of March IL the en-
emy's ships explored Helena bay and
the short opposite Senutchin with
search lights.
According to information which
has been verified the Japanese have
| not made any attacks north of Cen
sen.
"The population along the Tumen
| river is favorable to us"
Seoul Hears Rumors.
London, March 16. - Bennett Bur.
leigh, in a dispatch to the Telegraph
dated Seoul, Monday. says: ''Persis.
| tent reports are current here that the
Russians have burned and evacuated
Port Arthur and Dalny and are retir.
ing up the peninsula"
Caught Signaling.
Chefu, March 16. - According %
trustworthy news from Port Arthur
! Of recent date twenty Cinnamon and