Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-05-11
RUSSIANS HAVE
NEW CONFIDENCE
from Hope That Two Fleets
Have Effected
JunCture.
COMPARISON WITH WATERLOO
Nebogatoff is Referred to as Butcher
Of Situation - Claim That If Fleet
Once Reaches vladivostok Supren.
acy of the Sea Will Be Theirs.

st. Petersburg, May S.-Admiral
Nebogatoff's junction with Vice Ad-
miral Rojestvensky is now considered
by the admiralty as practically assur-
ed. and hope for a successful issue
in the approaching struggle for mas
terry of the sea is greatly encouraged
thereby. Nebogatoff is regarded as
the Butcher of the situation and, In.
deed he is said to resemble him great
ly In temperament. He may lack his
strategy and finesse. but like the
Prussian he has bull dog courage
and is born fighter who goes straight
for the enemy.
If Vice Admiral Kamimura. like
Grouchy at Waterloo, fails to prevent
q junction of the japanese fleets, as
the admiralty here believes he has,
impression is strong that Vice Admir-
al Togo will not dare to risk an open
battle against the united divisions OF
Rojestvensky and Nebogatoff, but will
content himself with torpedo attacks
prepared to draw off in event that he
is unable to make an impression.
Naval officers are prepared to see
Rojestvensky lose half his convoy,
but in the face of the united divis-
ions it Is believed that Togo will ac-
complish little or nothing in the way
of OBJ osition to the advance to Vlad-
ivoStok and that he must be content,
with the aid of the army, to try and
invest by land and sea and make Vlad-
ivostok another Port Arthur. If the
fleet reaches VladivOstOk intact, how
ever, naval officers claim that victory
is won. Although there is but
little more than a hundred thousand
tons Of coal at Vladiyostok, with the
reinforcement of the fleet by the
Gromoboi, Rossia and Bogatyr and
the torpedo boats and submarines now
in the harhor there, they claim now
Rojestvensky could drive Togo off the
sea and leave Field Marshal Oyama's
army stranded in Manchuria.
There is a strong intimation that
ROjestyensky has something up his
sleeve which may prove a surprise.
This possibility is a strong diversion
in the shape Of the dispatch of some
fast converted cruisers of the convoy
into the Pacific ocean to raid upon
Japanese commerce.
simultaneously with the increasing
tension over the approach of . sea
battle comes news that Field Marshal
Oyama is pressing the Russian right
along the Lao river north of Fako-
ho &c.
engagement.
London, May 8.--A dispatch to the
Daily Mail dated Labuan, British
Borneo, May 6, says: "The steamer
Chiengmai reports that Friday night
she passed a fleet of warships and
other vessels off the Mantanani
islands, northwest of Borneo. The
warships apparently were coaling."
A dispatch from Labuan to Rue
ter's Telegram company reports that
the feet sighted was a large one, in
two divisions, showing lights, but sta
tionary and with the appearance OF
being engaged in coaling.
Toxic, May S.--Assuming that Vice
Admiral Rojestvensky meditates
speedy iuncture of his squadron with
VICE NtLoSdLOlL ulNiolOu, IL
is believed here that the meeting of
the ships may be expected by Tues
day, May 8, the speed of Nebogatoff's
division being only about seven knots
an hour. These ships are believed to
be in need of coal and stores, and
their deficiencies in this respect prob
aDlT will be supplied by Vice Admiral
Rojestvenshy at some friendly port
after the two admirals effect a june
ture The future movement of the
Russian Pacific squadron is matter
of speculation here, although the de-
lay of Rojestvensky on the Indo-Chita
coast has raised doubt as to his pur-
pose to move northward and risk an
engagement at an early date. The
Vladivostok torpedo boat destroyers
have not been reported, and it is be-
lieved they have remained at Vladi-
vostok.