Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-03-04
WAR IN THE EAST.

Matin says that a detachment of Jap
anese cavalry, commanded by Uitchenko,
has entered Noah -fur-chan, South
Manchuria, close to the Korean border.
1t is alleged that 10000 japanese have
now been landed at Wonsan, their OBJ
jective being Manchuria.
In Korea the weather is cold, and
there is snow. The sea is still rough at
Port Arthur.
The detachment of $500 japanese
troops, without artillery, which arrived
at Song-chin, Plaksin bay, on the north
west coast OF Korea, February 10, landed
from three steamers, escorted by three
warships, at night, and started immedi-
ately on a march to Maoh-fur-chan,
South Manchuria, close to the Korean
border.
The landing is believed at st.
Petersburg to be the origin of the
recent reports of japanese landing at
Possiet bay, and is considered to be an
attempt to outhank the Russian advance
from the Yalu river.
The japanese, according to Gen. Plug,
have gone to point whence a mountain
pass leads to the headwaters of the Yalu,
eighty miles distant. Marching i'll that
mountainous region is declared by eX-
perts to be almost impossible. The
absence of roads, it is added, will COM
pletely upset the japanese plans, the
only good road in Korea, leading through
Ping.yang, being already in possession
Of the Russians.
Since the disappearance Of the Japan
ese feet from before Port Arthur the
Russian authorities have been awaiting
anxiously for the next move of the Jap
anese on sea. There is an inclination to
believe that the japanese have been dis
couraged by the failure of their attacks,
and perhaps by losses they have not an
nounced.
The Russians are preparing to leave
Mukden.
The japanese consul at Seoul reports
scarcity of foodstufis, and recommends
the reopening of the regular steamship
lines. Cossacks have seized the telegraph
offices at Ningpyong and An-ju,, and
have imprisoned the head man at ANU
and carried off the local archives.
The railway has been torn up for
distance of two kilOmeters between
Kharbin and Nikolsk. A AdOcument was
officially issued February 5 by the gov
ernor of the Amur territory ridiculing
japan as paltry nation and declaring
that it was Russia's heaven-sent duty to
crush her as representing the yellow
peril and thus to render service to hu-
manity.
A ST. Petersburg dispatch quotes
Russian staff officer in reference to the
possible evacuation of Port Arthur
"What!" exclaimed the officer, 'evacu-
ate Port Arthur? What wOr,e disaster
could befall the Russian army? Such an
act would imply the capture or destruc-
ton of our squadron. 1t would mean
the loss of one end of our railway, dams
la gueule du Japanais, with the prospect
of his swallowing the larger piece. The
loss of Port Arthur would be terrible
blow to Russia, from which it would
recover with great difficulty. Our
army might continue to. fight while re-
ceding in Manchuria and might conquer
in the end, but to evacuate would be re-
treating, and no advance would be pos
sible before Port Arthur was recaptured.
Therefore in should not be evacuated.
That is an operation never forseen nor
studied by the Russian staff and we don
believe the japanese can take the place
by main force"
The feeling at St. Petersburg is grow
ing more tense. The rapidity of the Japa-
nese military movements and the COM
} prehensivenes of their plans have made
I no less a sensation than the naval vigor
and the initiative steps taken by them.
An Intrigue en- the part of the opposl'
ton at Seoul against the conclusion OF
the Japanese Korean protocol eliminated
in the throwing of bombs at the resi-
dences of the foreign minister and his
secretary early Thursday morning The!
1 escaped uninjured.