The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-01-22
RUSSIA'S REPLY IS DRAWN
TENOR SAID TO BE COURTEOUS
 BUT FIRM.

by the eMtntsters-Note Maintains That
 Manchurfa Must Remain AmeBabIc,
 Politically and strasesicaiIy, to Rus
 sian fnfiuence-OnIy Concession is of
 Commercial Nature.
 London, Jan. 22-special dispatches from St. Petersburg to the Daily Tele- graph and the Daily Mail assert that Russia's reply to the latest Japanese note was drawn up at ministerial council held yesterday, at which the czar presided The tenor of this reply is courteous, but firm, and it was ap- proved without dissenting voice by the minist CTS, including M. Witte, pres ident of the committee of ministers. Nothing has been given out officially concerning this reply, but it is under stood, according to the messages from St. Petersburg, that Russia maintains that Manchuria must remain amenable, politically and strategically, to Russian influence, the concession made being only of a commercial character.
 "A oldtClllCil 10 publlOllCNA III A<OAA0SAA this morning, with an air of authority, to the effect that the question of neutral zone has disappeared from the Russo-Japanese negotiations. Although it is impossible to confirm this state ment, it agrees with other inspired statements that Russia has acquiesced to Japan's views regarding the integ- rity of Corea, and that the only trouble now remaining relates to Manchuria.
 With reference to sthe ordinances adopted by the Japanese privy council at the meeting of January 20, this statement explains that Russian men, of-war have had free access all along even to the Japanese ports of Naga- saki and Hakadate for coaling and other purposes; Japan therefore has taken precautionary measures looking to the possible necessity of putting a stop to such visits.
 It is stated that Japans domestic loan will amount to $50,OOOO00 and that her ordinary disbursements already amount to $15,0O0,0OO.
 Two identical cablegrams, originating with W. T. Stead and W. R. Cremer, M. F., were despatched tonight to the czar of Russia and the mikado of Japan. urging these potentates, if diplomacy failed, to submit the Far Eastern dis pute to The Hague tribunal.
 The messages are lengthy and they appeal especially to the czar as "the courageous originator of The Hague tribunal to take the initiative in re- ferring the matter to The Hague.
 The appeals were signed by sixty prominent English advocates of arbi- tratiaon. Among the signers are all the members of the labor delegation in par liament, Lord Avebury, Lord Hob- house, the Marquis of Bristol, F'reder- ick Harrison George Meredith, Sir Clifford, the Rev. R. J. Campbell and many labor leaders outside of parlia- ment
 The Pekin correspondent of the Times has cabled a corrected and minutely de- tailed list os all the Russian military forces in the Far East, east of Lake Baikal, in eastern Siberia, and includ- ing the frontier railway guards, which shows a total of 3, 115 officers, 147,479 men and 266 guns. The correspondent adds that the line of communication between Manchuria and western Siberia is a sim gle line of lightly constructed railway which traverses 1,50o miles of unfriend- ly country. He says further that the en- tire Russian fleet, with the exception of four armored cruisers at vladivos- tock, is now wedged in the harbor of Port Arthur. where but one dock is available for repairs.