The Washington times., 1905-04-05
Jauntily the Russians
Gave Up Port Arthur
| eft Quantities of Provisions and Ammunition
neutrality-suspicious. in acknowledgements
Celebrated Just Two Hours

TO the outside of the cottage to deliver
1t to an orderly, with orders to carry
1t as fast as possible to Stoessel.
An incident typically Russian occurred
when the question arose Of the officers
taking the oath of parole not TO serve
again. The Russian negotiators said
they had no law in Russia about taking
oaths, and could not. therefore. take a
binding oath without the consent of the
Car. They wished to be allowed to dis
patch a telegram to him. The japanese
consented to this. provided it was writ
ten clearly In English.
Port Arthur Changes Hands.
That ended the negotiations. At Gas
p. m. on the evening of Janaury 2, the
capitulation agreement was signed by
Colonel Re;ss first andlthen by Major
General Ijichi Port Arthur had again
changed hands.
AT the dinner which immedla tely fol-
lowed the signing of the capftulat ton
agreement Colonel Reiss volunteered the
statement that they might have held
out for five days longer. but that after
that their food and ammunition would
be exhausted; but large quantities of
ammunition and provisions Cor three
months were subsequently found in the
fortress.
Also the same gallant colonel. who.
as chief of staff, should certainly have
known more about the condition of the
fortress under his command stated that
| only 1900 men would be able to march
out of the fortress as prisoners of war;
but this number afterward swelled &c
| over 300 officers and "a, 600 men.
The celebration among the troops OF
| the japanese army of their great vic.
| tory lasted for exactly two hours or
the evening of January g On the fol
| lowing day all trace of the triumph hat
completely disappeared But in thes,
two hours. from 9 p. IN. to II p. M, III,
enthusiasm was intense.
Fires were lit on every hill along The
crest of the Russian positions. and fol
miles in the rear of the army these
| beaconS marked the site of some pos
in the commissariat camp. Round thes,
| fires the soldiers congregated, anc
| shouted themselves hoarse singing pa
triotic songs. uttering ''banzais. as they
Joined hands and danced round tn,
| flames
II you happened to be an Englishmal
/ or an American you would be sure of
great reception, and the soldiers woul,
insist on your Joining in their feStiviJie
and drink their saki. which that nigh
| was freely served out to the troops.
The terms OF the capitulation arranged
for the Russians to march out on tn
afternoon or. the 9Th to village calie'
Lahutse, situated close 10 Pigeon Bay
there to be temporarily housed unit
proper arrangements could be made t
convey them 10 Dalny.
Departure of Stoessel.
On January u General Stoessel, hi
staff. and many of the 400 officers VIII
had decided to accept the parole an
not to share the captivity of their mer
left Cherashi Station for Dalny.
1t was the original intention to send
train into the town for him, but tn
damage to the line was too great, an
It could not be repaired in time, so tn
officers and ladies were obliged 10 driv
the eight odd miles from the fortres
to the railway.
The drosky drivers in the town mad
up their minds to strike and refuse t
carry the women and children unles
: they were paid at the most outrageou
2 rates, knowing perfectly well their SCI
vices were Indispensable: so the unfoI
tunate Russian officers had to pay G
for a single horse conveyance and
for a two-horse carriage.
Russians Forfeit Sympathy.
: The demeanor Of the japanese officer
was all that could be desired: they weI
= politeness itself. and TO see them hell
e ing the Russians to sort their luggag
t and arrange their eeffcts you woul
s have thought they were merely static
o officials, but ii you could shave pen'
: trated beneath the unmoved exterior {
these brave men you would have foun
: dwelling in their breasts a hatrc
: mingled with contempt. for their az
o versaries. concealed because they he
;. the upper hand so completely that the
. could afford to be magnanimous.
l went to Cherashi station. and
: think almost every one did. with a fee
=; ing of sympathy for the Russians. r,
c after watching the crowds of general
0 colo1cls. and lesser magnates array
s ! IN costumes more nj for a ball than
:. finale of a tragedy and watching no
e lightly they felt their position. al
f seeing the contemptuous manner