The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-17
Japanese Commander Sends {
Message to Gen. St0esselj
Calling for the CapituIatiOn OF
the Fortress.
KUROKI is CLOSING In
On the Army Of Gen. Kuropat'
kin in the North.
VladiTOstok Cruisers Have Not
Yet Been Heard From.

Toxic, Aug. 17.-10 a. m.-The COM
mander of the army besieging Port Ar
thur reports that Major Yamaka, a
member Of his staff, was dispatched
under a flag of truce to the outpOsts of
the Russians where he delivered to a
Russian staff officer the offer of the
emperor of Japan granting the remov-
al of noncombatants- He also demand
ed the surrender of Port Arthur. An
answer is expected today.
Closing in ON Kuropatlxin.
Mukden, Aug. 1.-THE japanese have
occupied Tsian hill on the Russian ex-
treme left.
A small force of japanese infantry
occupied Dapindu pass August Is. The
Russian outposts retired
Disabled Cruisers Still Out
London, Aug. IA dispatch to
news agency from st. Petersburg says
that up to yesterday neither the armor-
ed cruiser Gromoboi nor the armOred
cruiser Rossia of the VladivOstok squad
ron. which were engaged on Sunday
with a Japanese squadron commanded
by Admiral Kamimura, had succeeded
in reaching Vladivostok and that their
whereabouts are unknown
Another Steamer Held Up.
-AjacciO. Corsica, Aug. 1.-THE
British steamer Scotian, coal laden,
from the Tyne, arrived here today and
reported that she was stopped August
II by two shots, followed by a shell
from the Russian cruiser Ural, for
merly the German steamer Kaiserin
Maria Theresa. After an examination
of the Scotians papers she was allow
ed to proceed.
a Russian officer said that the Ural
was seeking for over two hundred
steamers carrying contraband for
transhipment in Spanish and Italian
ports
Expect Stoessel to Fight.
St Petersburg, Aug. 17.-2:56 p. m.
The announcement of the mikado's
offer to allow norfcombatants to leave
Port Arthur, coupled with the demand
for the surrender of the garrison,
causes a revulsion of feeling here. The
original report that noncombatants
would be permitted to depart before
the storming operations began was re-
garded a humane and considerate
act The war office is without official
confirmation of the summons served
upon General Stoessel. but not the
slightest idea exists in military circles
that he will yield, so long as food and
ammunition hold out without fight
even to protect defenseless women
and other noncombatantS from the
horrors of bonn bardment-
General StOessel, as an independent
commander, would have a perfect
right under the Russian military regu-
lations to surrender at discretion"
said a member of the general staff to
the correspondent of the Associated
Press, but it may safely be assumed
that a man of Stoessel's temper will
not create a new precedent in Russian
history. Our military annals do not
show a single case where a command
er yielded a fortress upon the demand
of the enemy in order to avoid a fight. |
Sebastopol was taken by storm"
Awaiting the Shock.
st. Petersburg, Aug. 17.-1:O5 D. m. |
"A dispatch from General Kuropat-
kin, dated from Anshanshan and con-
veying the congratulations of the ar
my the emperor on the birth of
an heir to the throne, says:
I'VE await a decisive battle with |
the Japanese army advancing upon us, |
gladly anticipating meeting the foe |
and proving our fidelity to our en-
peror and country.
When Rear Admiral Rojesensky |
hoisted his flag on the battleship Suv-
aron, Sunday, as commander Of the
second division of the Pacific squad |
ron, Admiral Bierbileff, the comman- |
der at Cronstadt. signalled him as
follows:
May God bless your voyage and |
may it be to the glory and honor of |
mined
Admiral Rojesyens<y replied:
''Sincerest thanks"
The Russ today argues that a neu-
tral power has no right to demand |
the disarmament of belligerent war
ships entering a neutral port in need
OF repairs and that consequently the |
RyeShftelni- at Chefoo, and the Rus
sian warships at Tsingtat We're entitled |
to enjoy the hospitality of those Dorts
A naval critic in the Invalid Russ ex-
presses the opinion that the Russian
cruisers after the sea fight of August
10 sailed south to draw off the pur-
suit from the battleship division
which he thinks is on its way to
Vladivostok.
Japan Is Confident.
New York. Aug. 17.-Japanese Jour
mails in commenting upon the Ryeshi-
not intend to have a repetition of the
sunboat Mandjur incident saws a |
Times dispatch from Toxic.
Japan, ii is declared. can not break
up her fleet for the purpose of watch
ing Chinese ports where Russian YES
sells take refugee. Confidence is ex-
pressed by the papers that when the
facts in regard TO the Ryeshitelni are
known Europe will endorse Japan's pro-
cedure-
Japan Won't Apologize.
St. Petersburg, Aug. II, 4 p. NJ
received in St Petersburg
foreshadows that Japan will decline
to restore the Ryeshitelni or make any
and that. on the contrary
she will contend that Russia in send
ing the destroyer to Chefoo on an
important military mission herself
of China's neutrality, which Japan at
the opening of the war promised to
respect to the extent which Russia
did. Nevertheless il is understood
that Great Britain, the ally of
Japan, has advised her to apologize.
II is believed that Japan realizes this
course will please the western powers, I