Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1905-06-02
TENSION TREMENDOUS
Naval Circles at st, Petersburg on
Saturday Excited.
RUMORED SEA FIGHT
IL Was Claimed That the Movements
Of HOiestvensky We're as Mnch
Mystery to the Russians
as TO the Iaps.

st. Petersburg. May 29.-The tension
In naval circles Saturday was very
great. News from the Russian and
Japanese fleets was expected hourly. A
dispatch from Toxic to the Associated
Press saying II was rumored the Heafs
had already engaged in the Straits OF
Korea aroused intense interest at tho
admiralty. but nothing confrmatory
had been received there up to the time
this dispatch was filed The majority
OF officers are inclined to doubt the ac-
curacy of the Toxic report. believing
Rojestvensly, with his fighting ships,
was heading northward for the east
ern part OF Japan. Others. on the con-
trary. considered 1t quite likely that
Rojestvensky. after passing out OF the
Pacific. doubled back via Luchu Is !
lands and TO take n straight course for
Vladivostok. Rojestvensky. they point
ed out, Is believer In strategy and
mystifcation, and his cruise in the
Pacific might have been not only 10
avoid the danger of mines and torpe-
doboat attacks I'm the shallow waters
OF the Straits OF Formosa, but to de-
ceive the Japanese into the belief that
his objective was either Tsugara or
La Pourse straits, while I'm reality he
changed his course and headed for the
Straits of Korea. As a matter of fact,
Rojestvensky seems to have mystifled
his own admiralty as much as the Jap
anese On one hand. the appearance
of Russian GOLFERS and converted cruis-
ers off Shanghai is taken as being
confirmatory of the theory that Ro-
jestvensky's fighting division headed
back after circling the Island of For
mosa, and, on the other hand, the
presence of golfers and converted
cruisers Off Shanghai was regarded as
a blind to confuse the Japanese. Or
ders sent Japanese merchant vessels at
Chefoo to await instructions before
sailing were considered to strengthen
the former view. indicating that Ad-
miral Togo had received ir 'ormation
that Rojestvensky had altered his
course and thereupon ordered all Jap
anese merchantmen to remain In port
The sighting of Admiral Rojestvensky's
fleet of the Tsu Islands seemed to in
dicate that the Russian commander
was determined to take the boldest
course, and instead of skirting Japan
and eptering the Sea of Japan by Tsu-
CARA or La Perouse straits, meant to
push direct through the Straits of Ko-
rea and try to reach Vladivostok, which
is about $40 miles from the Tsu Is
lands. That he would be able to do 50
without at least being harrassed by the
Japanese seemed improbable. and the
report circulated at Toxic that the twn
fleets were engaged in the Straits Of
Korea II was thought might turn out
correct. There is now a possibility that
the course of Rojestvensky might have
deceived Admiral Togo, the latter be-
ing still at the base he established to
the north of the Island Of Formosa. in
which case a general engagement. IL
was said, might not take place before
the Russians reached Vladivostok II
was also possible that the RUSSIA
vessels sighted in the straits of Korea
were only to ftrm a rort;an OF thn
Russian fleet