The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-30
RUSSIA EAGER FOR NEwns.
The People and Oflcials Compelled tu Depend on Jap Reports.

Bs terest is displayed in the Japanese re- ports of the Kin Chou batt1o. The people in the streets almost mob news boys to secure extras containing the dispatches. Crowds stood around the official bulletin boards awaiting the news, but none arrived. The ofiicial world as we'll as the public is entirely dependent on the Japanese for news. 1 Further details are eargler looked for especially regarding losses. The prevailing opinion here is that the Jap
 anese have carried Nan Shan at the- mondous sacrifice. The accounts of the heroically stubborn defense made by the Russians. notwithstanding their positions, subjected to the fire of arr tillery from the front and from war
 ships on the flank: are a source of the Russians say, could not have placed
 the fighting qualities of their soldiers fin better light than do those of the
 Japanese.
 Both the admiralty and the war of
 flee are without news and frankly con fess they do not expect to hear from the
 i've reports that drifted into head quarters at Liao Yang and were for warded here say that the Japanese lost
 many thousands. The impression in
 army circles Is that the Japanese will push operations against Port Arthur
 with the greatest energy. but 1t is al-
 so believed a manth or more will be re- quired to bring up siege guns.
 Col Novlslxy. of the general stan, in an interview. pointed out that Port Arthur. although generally denominat- ed a fortress is reality anu tetren- ched camp. where as Kin Chou was only an advanced improvised position. It would be unwise to judge of the
 strength of the permanent connected lfnrtihcations around Port Arthur by Kin Chou These fortihoations he said, support each other scientifical1y.
 Operations by them will require the most careful systematic preparation. ''The Japanese now before Port Ar thur said Colonel Novlsky, May pro ceed in three ways: First. an open att | tack after preparatory artillery fire; Second, a progressive seige. and third. ! blockade. think the Japanese will adopt the first course, as 1t Is not to
 their advantage to wait while Russian reinforcement are arriving. The se- cond method is a long and complicated operation that might last months. Port Arthur generally speaking. is impregnable, but impregniability is a
 relative term. Nothing in fortihcat- ions is really invincibie. Guns will de- stroy any structure. Cannon will de-
 feat each other. Sappers can remove 1 impediments outside and fill ditches
 Sealing ladders will overcome any
 walls. Mines can be met with counter mines. "A blockade would involve
 passive activity for many months and and enormous number of trips. There fore, I believe that the Japanese will
 attempt to carry the place by assault with the aid of their artillery.
 The Japanese are copying on lar | ger scale their campaign of 1894. While General Oku Is at Port Arthur, Gener- al Kuroki, after a junction with the
 advancing army landing at Takushan. will move on Hal Cheng and New l Chwang until they are occupied do not believe General Kurokf will move against General Kuroptkin's main po-
 sition until he has formed q base at
 New Chwang."
 One of the Associated Press Russian Icorrespondents has just returned from Port Arthur. He has been over and
 Is thoroughly familiar with the forts and defense there. His opinion Is ccpt by systematic seige operations and that will require many months.
 Unless the Japanase are able to
 carry 1t in less than three months" the correspondent says, they will be too late, as General Kuropatkin will then
 have enough men to send an army to
 relieve the garrison. Fock is a great fighter. Stoessel has 10000 men in-
 cluding the sailors In the warships. The
 garrison is provisioned for year"
 The correspondent also explains that
 the abrupt declivity in the rear of the
 position at Man Shan made 1t impos-
 sible for General Fock to take away heavy guns when he retired.
 The Novoesky says that whatever the Port Arthur squadrop does, it must not initiate the squadron at Sevastopol longer than to have good chance for open fight with the enemy. It was bet harbor.
 Viceroy Alexien has notified the na- | tive peasants in Manchuria not to SOW corn or other plants whose tall stalks might afford cover for the chunchuses A special envoy of the Ministry of Agriculture is at Liao Yang organizing l the planting of vegetables along the railroad to meet the requirements of the army.