Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-04-14
ADMIRAL PLANNING
TO JOIN SQUADRONS
TWO DIVISIONS OF RUSSIAN
FLEET WILL PROBABLY MEET
OFF CoCHIN-CHINA.
BATTLE MAY OCCUR IN
STRAITS OF FoRMoSA

Japs Close Port of Kelung to Foreign
Commerce-Will Probably Be Used
as Base for Togo-To Place Over
Million Men in Field.
st. Petersburg, April 10. - Whether
Vice Admiral Rojestvensky's battleshlp
division passed through the Straits OF
Sunda or the Straits of Malacca it is
practically certain now that he is NOV
ing to effect a juncture with the division
which passed Singapore April s. 1t is
possible that this may not take place
until the two divisions reach Cape
Padaran, on the east coast of Cochln-
China The dispatches from Singapore i
naming the ships which passed there
Saturday are erroneous in several par
ticulars notably in the case of the
Fuerst Bismarck, rechristened the Don.
which is still at Libau. The cruiser
Russ was fitted with captive balloon
for observation purposes and though
she left originally with RojestVensky |
at a trial off Gothland the rope con, |
Meeting the balloon with the ship parted
and the balloon was lost. The Russ, I
consequently, was compelled to return.
Later she went out with Admiral Bo-
trovsky's division.
Watched by Japanese Scouts.
According to the admiralty's infor-
nation the Japanese have had an OBJ
servation squadron in the waters off
Labuan, British Borneo, where they
took the same advantage OF British neu-
trality as Rojestvensky did of French
neutrality at Madagascar, and this
squadron is believed to have been sum-
mcned by japanese scouts to remain IN
touch with the Russians until they go
north to the Straits of Formosa, where
it is believed here a battle will occur.
Considering the vital nature of the Is
sue the admiralty is inclined to think
that Admiral Togo will not dare to send
ships to Vladivostok or leave vessels
behind him to cope with the Russian
vessels at that port, and that the Japan
ese coasts and the transport fleet will
practically have to shift for them
selves until the naval battle Is fought
The principal coast cities OF Japan are
well protected by Notifications and the
RaSsian cruisers at Vladivostok, not
being teeavily armed, could not at
tack them, but havoc could be created
among the 5as,e.c ese transports anu
commercial ships
SO far as ascertainable, NJ. es.se als..
has no intention of putting into So on'
the entrance to that port being narrea.
but it is believed he will remain in the
open sea.
The admiralty is not harboring any
delusions on the score of the opinions
of foreign experts based upon the the
DRY that Togo's ships are armed with
guns which were worn out at Port Ar
thur, as the officials here know that
there have been heavy shipments of
guns from England during the past few
months
Japs Close Port Of Kelung,
Washington, April IL. Minister
Griscom, at Toxic, has cabled the state
department that he has been advised of
the closing of Kelung to foreign ships
until further notice. Kelung is port
on the north end of the island OF For
mosa. 1t is believed here that the &C.
tion of the Japanese government in
closing Kelung indicates that this port
will be used by Admiral Togo as a base
for his fleet.
Supply Ships Sighted.
London, April IL. A telegram from
Singapore reports that four supposed
golfers passed there going east April
10. These are presumed in shipping cir
cles to be the advance guard of the 16
Hamburg American line steamers
chartered to act as supply ships to the
Russian second Pacific squadron.
To Preserve Neutrality.
The Hague, April ~. - The Dutch
East Indian squadron is said to have
been ordered to proceed to the Anam
has islands (where the Russian squad
ron which passed Singapore April is
anchored) with view to assuring the
observance of neutrality.
Ordered to Watch Movements.
Washington, April IL. = Admiral
Train, commander-in-chief of the Ash
attic station, has cabled the navy depart
ment that he has dispatched the cruiser
Raleigh, which has been at Labuan, and
several torpedo boats to the island of
Palawan, to observe the movements Of
the hostile fleets which must pass
through those waters This direction
was not given as the result Of any spe-
clal orders from the department, but
Under the broad instructions sent some
months ago to the commander OF the
Asiatic station to take all proper steps
to guard against any violation of neu-
trality by either belligerent in the Phil
ippines. There is no dock in the Philip
pines big enough to handle any of the
great Russian battleships, so that for
tunately it will not be necessary for the
state department to decide whether or
not the Russian vessels can dock in our
ports to clean their bottoms.
Jap Fleet Reinforced
Victoria, B. c., April 12.-Advices re-
ceived by the steamship Athenian say
that the Japanese fleets, with a base at
the Pescadores. off Formosa. whence