The San Francisco call., 1904-02-16
KEEPING RUSSIAN FLEET
BUSY WHILE ARMY LANDS
Attacks Upon Port Arthur Made to Prevent
Interference With Japan's Military
Programme.
Programme.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15.-Informa-
ton has reached here that nearly 10000
Japanese troops were landed at Che
mulpo yesterday, the first division Of
a large number which will be thrown
into Korea as rapidly as possible in
the effort to thoroughly occupy the
strategic points in the Korean empire,
while the Russian fleet is bottled up
in Port Arthur. BY one conversant
with the Japanese plans it is said that
the repeated attacks upon Port Arthur
are not for the purpose of seizing that
place at present, unless an unexpected
weakness in the fortihcations there
should develop. They are part of a
well defined plan for the harassing Of
the Russian fleet until Korea can be
occupied. The bottling up of the fleet
there enables the landing of troops in
Korea without the convoy of a large
number of warships. The reports Of
disorder in various parts Of Korea has
tened the operations of the Japanese,
in order that they might obtain posses
sion before anarchy became prevalent
and foreign interests were menaced in
consequence.
The taking of Port Arthur will form
the second number of the war pro-
that the Japanese propose TO cut the
line Of communication well up on the
railroad running from Newchwang to
Port Arthur. 1t is expected a large
Japanese force will land at NeWchWang
shortly for this purpose.
The Navy Department denies posi-
lively that any American naval officers
were aboard the Japanese ships in the
fighting at Port Arthur. 1t is said
=
sion of both Russia and Japan to place
an American naval officer with each of
the fleets, not as a combatant, but
purely in the capacity Of an observer.
While neither power refused the re-
quest outright, still they did not ac-
cede.
The War Department is having
equally bad luck in trying to place
military observers with the land forces
Of Russia and Japan. Eight officers
were selected for this duty and re-
quests were made that they be per-
mitted to accompany the forces in the
field, but a favorable response has not
yet been received, and it is feared that
ii will not be-
Takahira, the Japanese Minister,
called upon Secretary Hay to-day, and
it is understood that the reported de-
tention of about 100 japanese subjects
II.
There seems to be a lack of positive
information on the subject and until
the facts are known the State Depart
ment is inclined TO go slowly in repre-
sentations TO Russia. 1t is bound to
make them, however, if Japan formally
requests it, as the department has un-
dertaken to represent Japan so far as
the interests Of Japanese subjects in
Russia are concerned.
Taking notice of the reported escape
from Port Arthur of the American
cargo ship Pleiades, under cover of a
storm, the department officials are in
clined to believe that she may have
brought away some of the detained
japanese. 1t is said that large license
is accorded by international law to
military commanders in such cases as
those and they freely exercise discre-
tionary power as to the ingress and
egress into and from towns practically
besieged, like Port Arthur, of persons
who might carry damaging informa-
ton to the foe.
The Insular Bureau of the War De-
partment is informed that the value
of the Mexican dollar at Hongkong to-
day was ASIA cents, a jump of two
points since Saturday noon. This places
the coin on a practical parity with our
! own silver Philippine peso. The Mexi-