The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-03-09
ANOTHER REPLY TO RUSSIA
Continued from First Page.)

The imperial government declared that the allegations under this heading are untrue. The imperial government did not stop the delivery of Russian telegrams by the Danish cable, neither did they destroy the Corean govern ment's telegraphic communication. Re- garding the alleged sudden attack on the Sth of February on two Russian men-of-war in the port of Chemulpo, it is only necessary to say that a state of war existed and that Corea having given her consent to the landing of Japanese troops at Chemulpo the har- bor of Chemulpo thereby ceased to be neutral at least as between the belliger- ents.
 3. It is charged under this heading that in spite of existing international laws shortly before the opening of hos tilities Japan captured as prizes of war the Russian merchantmen which were in the neutral ports of Corea. The imperial government have estab- lished a prize court with full authority i to pronounce finally on the question of the legality of the seizures of merchant vessels. Accordingly, it would be mani festly out of place for the imperial gov ernment to make any statement regard ing the assertion under this heading. 4. It is asserted under this number that Japan declared to the emperor of Corea through the Japanese minister at Seoul that Corea would be henceforth under Japanese administration and warned his majesty that in the case of noncompliance Japanese troops would occupy the palace.
 The imperial government declare the charge under this number to be abso- lutely and wholly without foundation 1 in fact
 }. Under this heading it Is charged that the Japanese government flor warded summons, through the French minister, to the Russian representative at the court of the emperor of Corea to leave the country with the staff of the Russian legation and consulate''
 The imperial government deny the ac- curacy of this statement. No demand either direct or indirect was addressed by the Japanese government asking the Russian minister to retire from Corea. The French charge d'affaires called on the Japanese minister at Seoul and in- formed him verbally as he did after-
 wards in writing, that 1t was the de-
 sire of the Russian minister to leave
 Corea, and asked the opinion of the
 Japanese minister with reference to the
 matter The Japanese minister replied
 that If the Russian minister would withdraw in peaceful manner taking
 with him his staff and legation guard
 he would be fully protected by Japan ese troops. He did so withdraw of his
 own free will on the 18th of February
 and an escort of Japanese soldiers
 were furnished him as far as Chemul-
 DO. In this connection it may be re-
 marked that the Russian consul at Fusan remained at his post as late as February 18th. It is reported that he
 was compelled to stay that long in the absence of instructions which the Rus
 sian minister apparently did not care tc
 give to him before his own departure l When it was made known that neces- sary instructions had at last reached 1 the Russian consul and that he de- sired to leave F'usan as soon as possi- 1 ble, the Japanese consul at the same place offered him every facility for his I departure and his passage to Shanghai
 through Japan was arranged by the lat. 1 ter.