Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-04-20
SOUND Of Guns
HEARD ON WATERS
Preliminary to Great Naval
Struggle is Ru-
mored.
STEAMER BRINGS THE NEWS
Heard Firing Near Natuna islands on
April i2-Russian Admiralty Would
Not Be Surprised to Learn That
Fighting Had Begun.

Hong Kong, April 1.-THE steamer
Telemachus reports that she heard
firing $50 miles north OF the Natuna
islands at $3.50 o'clock on the after
noon Of April -.
st. Petersburg, April 17.--There IL
no information from Vice Admiral
Rojestvensky's squadron, but the ad-
miralty would not be surprised to
learn OF skirmishing between scout
ships today or tomorrow, and the in
auguration of torpedo boat warfare
soon is not unexpected. The naval or
gan here expresses the opinion that
Togo was taken completely by sur
prise when Rojestvensky suddenly
appeared at the entrance Of the China
sea, and is now concentrating his
widely scattered feet near the Pesca.
dores, where 1t is believed a sea fight
will probably occur.
St. Petersburg. April 16.--With the
departure Of the hospital ship Orel
from Saigon the last cord connecting
the Baltic squadron with st. Peters.
burg was several and the admiralty
expects no further direct news until
battle has been fought and determin-
en-. "Henceforth, said prominent
naval officer, "the press probably will
be our only source of information.
Rojestvensky's next message may not
be written until he has met the enemy.
Under the circumstances many ru-
mors take shape in st. Petersburg
aside from those relating to encoun-
ters with the Japanese at various
places with varying results, but
the most fanciful Is that saying
the Baltic squadron met and engaged
two British cruisers under the impress.
sion that they were Japanese and
sank them.
Washington. April 16.-Information
has reached Washington through Eu.
rope that the japanese navy has with.
in the last few days commissioned
ten new torpedo boat destroyers, built
in Japanese ship yards. 1t is believed
that within six weeks twenty-five ad.
ditional destroyers building under
rush orders" will be put in commits.
sion.
Three hundred and eighty-one mines
planted by the Japanese in front OF
Port Arthur have been taken up and
replanted elsewhere.
st. Petersburg, April 16.-The week
closed with the governments eyes and
hopes conferred on Vice Admiral Roj-
estvensky, and gradually something
like genuine enthusiasm has been
aroused by the admiral's hardihood
In, IN uf, iohf hat wi N
the Japanese. ...
There are many naval officers who
do not believe that Vice Admiral Togo
will accept the challenge. In their
opinion the Japanese will be too pru-
dent in such crisis to risk the des-
truction OF their feet. They believe
that Togo's tactics will be TO avoid an
open sea fight, and that he will launch
a series OF desperate night torpedo at
tacks in the hope of throwing the Rus
sian fleet into confusion, scattering
the line of ships, and giving his faster
battleships and cruisers an opportun-
ity to surround and destroy them in
dividually and II some of Rojestven-
sky's ships escape to Vladivostok, to
bottle them up there.
For the moment the conservative
counsels of the peace party, which
party realizes that the military situa-
ton will be utterly hopeless IL Roj-
estvensky's feet is completely destroy
ed and considers 1t best to open nego-
tiations before the issue is put to a
test, are rudely thrust aside. The adj
miralty clamors for a chance to re-
trieve it's reputation and the war party
H., g l.,
the emperor of Russla's position will
not be worse if the battle is loI., while
the destruction of Togo's feet would
spell ruin for japan. The emperor
himself, it is understood, expresses
great confidence in victory, and
should victory come he will undoubt-
eddy fix the imperial seal to the big
naval program prepared by the ad-
49,. ..... b..
The possibility OF complete change
in the fortunes Of war has had an ap-
preciable effect in Strengthening the
reactionary influence about his maJes-
ty, and the week has witnessed an
other defeat of President Of the Com
mittee of Ministers White and the
veto of the proposed ecclesiastical
COuHCll ny INC eHIpSGOT Until IRAN
guilty Is re-estabHshed."
Meanwhile the endless bureaucratic
commissions charged with various re-
forms are all working briskly and
making great noise but little real
Roadway, as all their decisions are
provisional only and must go through
the council OF the empire and receive
imperial approval before being trans
lated into acts. But while the words of
all breathe reform, acts tend to a con-
trary direction. For instance, the press
commission DEGREES additional liner
ties, but the censorship regulations
PROV Spyprpr