The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-04-22
PORT ARTHUR
AS SEEN TO-DAY

Gen. Stoessel 1t may be interesting tC
translate from the Voice of Moscow
the portions of the article OF a Russian
correspondent in that great japanese
fortress who seems to be of a particu.
larly observant turn of mind. He says
that Port Arthur and Dalny have
changed very much since the war. I'm.
der Russian rule Port Arthur was an
international town, full ofQKfe, and
after the Japanese came ifNo posses.
sion of it, it promised to be even live.
lier than ever The roads were re-
paired, the quays renewed, the water
supply improved, Japanese and Chi
nese merchants began to establish
themselves in the town and business
houses began to be built But sudden
ly something happened. All at once
Port Arthur became a city of e'dead
Business men quietly abandoned theil
shops, builders left their uncompleted
buildings, and from that time up to the
present no private individual has be-
gun any new building in Port Arthur
The great supplies of provisions and
other goods were sent back to Japan
or into other parts of Manchuria. But
none except the Japanese knew what
was the word that had gone forth.
SEVERE WITH CHINESE.
The relations of the Japanese au-
thorities toward the Chinese are very
severe. All Russians and Chinese are
registered and are looked after very
carefully. Notices have been issued to
the effect that any Chinese found
within any of the prohibited areas
around the forts will be dealt with very
severely. Chinese seen in New Town
after 8 p. m. are arrested and fined
The whole fortress is being recon
structed on new and unknown plan
The Notifications are being extended
beyond their old limits and the labor
ers and overseers are selected with the
greatest care. The old TedOubts are
not destroyed, but all useful materials
in them have been moved to other sites.
In the construction of the Notifications
great attention has been paid to the
selection of the best positions whence
plunging fire can be concentrated on
the passage through the hills in front,
and, in order to attain this end, con-
slant practice firing is carried on. The
landward side is protected by long
range guns mounted in excellent forts
At one point alone there are 100 guns
On the seward side rows of guns are
visible, many of these guns having
been taken from the Russians. Trial
firing is carried on more and more
frequently at night with the help of re-
Electors, and, to assist the gunners, a
whole series of signal stations have
been erected on the hills.
MAY BE LAYING MINES.
At the bottom of both harbors and
out along the seacoast up to a distance
of two miles from the fortress some
sort of work Is being carried on; per-
haps mines are being laid All the way
to Mukden strategic positions are be-
ing selected and prepared and strate-
gic roads are being run through the
mountains
AS for Danny, it is strongly fortified
on the landward side, the entire enyi-
rons of the village of l oukku having
been converted into fortress posi-
tons and guns having been mounted
there. On the seward side Dalny Is
more weakly fortified but on the whole
it is very much more strongly defend
ed than when the Russians were III
possession of it. The enormous bar.
racks in Port Arthur and Dalny are
full of troops and great stores of grain
fodder, beans, etc, have been collect
ed. There has lately appeared IN Dal.
ny a peculiar four-wheeled castirou
platform for carrying field guns of the
largest caliber. To the fortified points
of Port Arthur and Dalny special rail
way branch lines have been built from
the main railway.
Large parties of Japanese ofncer'
come frequently from Japan to study
the ground not only at Port Arthur
and Dalny but in Mukden and Lao
yang. Lately many troops have come
and have all gone to Mukden.
COMPARED WITH SEVASTOPOL.
On Feb. "a the annual dinner OF the
survivors of the siege of Seyastopo
was held in the Club of the Army anC
| Fleet, where Stoessel had been sen
fenced a week before. Only clever
survivors turned up, among them be
ing Gen Dickoff, minister for marine
Gen. Batianoff, Gen Rerberg and 9th
ers. At the end of the. dinner a gooC
many speeches were made and com
parsons were drawn between the siege
of SevastOpol and that of Port Arthur
Gen. Batianoff said that the principa
cause of Port Arthurs fall was the alb
sence of unity in the command of the
army and fleet. Gen. Rerberg said thai
the conditions in SevastopOl were bet
ter than those which prevailed in POr
Arthur, SeVastopol having always, fol