Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1905-05-29
TENSION WAS
TREMENDOUS
assB
Naval Circles at st. Petersburg On
Saturday Excited.
RUMORED SEA FIGHT
1t Was Claimed That the Movements
of Rojestvensky We're as mich a
Mystery to the Russians
as to the Japs.

St Petersburg, May 29.-The tension
in naval circles Saturday was very
great. News from the Russian and
japanese fleets was expected hourly. A
Press saying II was rumored the fleets
had already engaged in the Straits of
Korea aroused intense interest at the
admiralty, but nothing confirmatory
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
Rojestvensky, 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 a straight course for
Vladivostok. Rojestvensky, they point
cd out is a believer in strategy and
mystification, and his cruise in the
Pacific might have been not only to
avoid the danger of mines and torpe
doboat attacks In 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 in reality he
changed his course and headed for the
Straits of Korea. AS a matter of fact,
Rojestvensky seems to have mystffied
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-
mira1 Togo had received information
that Rojestvensky had altered his
course and thereupon ordered all Jap
anese merchantmen to remain in port
The sighting of Admiral Rojestvensky's
feet of the Tsu Islands seemed to in
dictate that the Russian commander
was determined to take the boldest
course, and instead of skirting Japan
and entering 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 vladRostok, which
is about $40 miles from the Tsu Is
lands. That he would be able to do so
without at least being harrassed by the
Japanese seemed improbable, and the
report circulated at Toxic that the two
fleets were engaged in the Straits of
Korea ii was thought might turn out
correct. There is now 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 It |
was also possible that the Russian |
vessels sighted in the Straits of Korea |
were only to form a portion of the |
Russian fleet.