The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-05-13

st. Petersburg, Nav 1e.-S:0s a. m
The most important official news
from the front up to this hour Is that
telling of the complete re-establiSh-
ment of railroad and telegraphic COM
munication with Port Arthur. though
how it was brought about and whether
d battle was necessary to accomplish
it are mysteries which Viceroy Alexier
failed to clear up.
The elation of the authorities IS
sobered by official dispatches, showing
the activity of the Japanese in eastern
Manchuria. Kuang-Gen-Sian
Ting-Saig-TiangSai. fifty miles north
east of F'eng-Wang-Chen was occu-
pied by the Japanese and enabled an
advance along the bad roads to the
flank either at Lao Yang or Mukden.
The territory between the main road
to Feng Wang Cheng and the river
Tayang has been penetrated by sucn
a stron~ force of japanese as TO LEAD
to the suggestion that another army
has landed at TakuShan, of which
the outside world has not before
heard.
The activity of the Japanese, how
ever. has been expected, and there
fore has not diminished the satisfac-
ton felt at the opening OF communl-
cation with Port Arthur.
The people naturally wish for more
details concerning the re-establ1sh-
ment of communication with Port
Arthur. All they know definitely is
that the railroad has been repaired
and that at o'clock yesterday after
non the first dispatch passed over the
reconstructed telegraph lines.
ST. Petersburg, May lot is re-
ported that Lieutenant General Stoes-
sci, commander of the military forces
at Port Arthur, has successfully en-
gagged and driven off the enemy. The
general staff has no confirmation OF
this report and explains the withdraw
al of the Japanese from the railroad
as being either due to pressure from
General Stoessel or 10 the forces left
by General Kuropatkin at kai-Ping
and other points on the railroad.
While without definite information,
the impression here is that the
strength of the Japanese force landed
at Pitzwo was over estimated and that
either it was not strong enough to
take charge of the railroad or it moved
eastward along the Littoral to effect
a junction with the Yalu army.
The Emperor received the news of
the re-opening of communication with
Port Arthur last night and seemed
greatly pleased. He had a message
from Port Arthur an hour before, by
Pigeon Post via Lao Yang, reporting
that all was we'll at the fortress.
AS General Stoessel has not reported
the investment of Port Dalny, the re-
ports from abroad of it's capture by
the Japanese are now diSbelieved by
the general staff.
The admiralty heard to-day from
Vladivostok. Rear Admiral Jessens
squadron is there and reports all
well.
Seoul. Korea. May 9.-4:30 p. M
DELAYED in ransmission)-Ow to
the heavy purchases Of rice by the
japanese army, the price of that com
modify in the vicinity Of the American
mines at Unsan has doubled, and is
now quoted at three yen per 25
pounds. The forces of Korean cool
les in military employ are not affected
by this advance in prices on account
of the extraordinarily high wages they
receive but the mine laborers are
hard hit, and it has been necessary
to send some junk loads of rice north
to prevent threatened distress.
Seoul, April $3.50 p. m.-(De-
layed in transmissioii)-Th Japanese
authorities peremptorily refuse to
permit steamers to sail from Chemulpo
for Chinampo or to leave that port
st. Petersburg, May 10.-3:40 p. m.
THE following statement was made
to the Associated Press to-day re-
garding the reported epidemics at
Mukden:
There are some cases Of dysentery
and smallpox and several cases Of
tyohus in the Mukden hospitals. but
there has been no application for more
surgeons, nor for special remedies or
serum, and it is entirely misleading
to say that epidemics exist. Small
poX and typhus are endemic in Man
churia, and dysentery is inevitable
where large bodies of men are crowded
together. There is nothing alarming
in the SITUATION