that "
February 22, 1904.] believe his Finance Minister's statement |
though temporary difficulties are possible, Russia's economic power is un. shakable"; other people will not believe it. As to the accusation of treachery, it is to be noted that, according to REUTER, even the German papers, the least friendly to Japan, ridicule the Russian talk of treachery because the Japmese attacked them without | a declarition of war, The British papers, as was to be expected, cougratulate Japau on her brilliant comine cement. What is the attitude in France we have yet to learn, The Republic is getting ready cruisers and destroyers for the Far East. but this is not necessarily a bad sign. It is a precautionary measure which no doubt all the Powers will take. It is rather to be wondered at that we do not hear any more of the ships which were coming from the Mediterrancan squadron to reinforce our China fleet. The King Alfred is now here and will presumably stay until pace is restored, but we st look for those tw› buttleships mentioned some tim› ago. It is all important at the present moment that Great Britain shall be as strong as possible in the China seas. The end of the present crisis cannot be foreseen, and we must be prepared for all eventualities. that we shall be spared the necessity of intervention, but should the need ever come we must intervene with force that shall decide the question. We are not in a posi-issued a Minifesto couchel in tion to do so yet.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. land, with a control of the Gulf of Pec'; li. [ She has already taken advantage of this fact to land 20,000 troops in Chemulpo and to occupy Seoul. Whether she his also occupied Fusan is unknown, but this is probable. Sae could do 80
he fact becoming public property, owing without to the efficient censorship exercised. Es sina's land movements continu: unknown. | Possibly we shall not hear of them until the Russian and Japanese troops are actually in contact. We ar, warnad to look for a check to Japan when this happens As a matter of fact, no one can venture to pro- | phesy at all what will happen thon. All we do kuow is that Japan, by her control of the Gulf of Pechili, has the power of taking the Russians in the flank if they advance southward into Corea, and that she will do xpect, however, to hear of great operations We cannot
on these lin is just yet. What is to be anticipated is desultory news about naval movement, including thos of the Nisshin an i Kasuga, ru noured safe in a Japanese port, and of Admiral VIRENIUS's squilra from the Mediterranean.
We all trust
so there can be no doubt.
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broken up, as it would be if Russia were obliged to cease to guard it, there seems to be no reason why Japan should not acquire an impregnable position. Japan can afford to wait. She has no induce-
gain. The evacuation of Manchuria and the meat to press forward, having nothing to loss of her two strongholds means absolute defeat to Russia. She has no naval reserves in Europe sufficient to restore her position in North Chinese waters, and in the face of a resolute and civilised foej her re-advance
task. in North-east Asia would be a stupendous Unless the Japanese Government why it should imitate the historical error of loses its head, there is no reason whatever
pursuing the Parthian retreat. All that is required is to destroy the means of return an to consolidate the defence against any present juncture gives China her oppor- such possibility. Russia's retreat at the
unity. Overshadowed during recent years by her aggressive neighbour Russia, China has grown weaker and weaker. But if the Russians are compelled to withdraw from Chinese territory and Japanese, influence grows sufficiently at the court of Peking, strong enough bulwarks should be built up (Daily Press 22nd February.) in China to prevent the damaged Russian conveyed by Rzuree's telegram of the 19th hinted that the
The principal news of the past two days is power from creeping back again. It is Yellow. Peril" cry will be instant, published in another column to-day. revived again. As long as Great Britain We have already learnt that the Tsar has and the United States of North America bitter refuse to be frightened, this bogey should language, in which he d clarsl that "much cease to be able to scare the world. (Daily Press, 18th February.)
time is necessary to strike blows worthy of Russia has still a power, it must be admit the dignity and the might of Russia; tel, in the Press of France and Germany; The apparent lull in war operations con- Japan's treachery and provocation, however, but that power is much weakened, and the tinues. At Port Arthur the situation is will yet he avenged a hendredfill." Fur-
Peril" has sunk to the level of popular reported unchanged. The Japanese there-ther details of the Manifesto put rather a art, as illustrated in the German Kaiser's fore seem to be contenting themselves with different aspect on it, for it is now statel to celebrated cartoon in 1900. Hitherto it has watching the damaged Russian fleet there, forecast, by implication, a long delay before been customary to treat the Asiatic nations too sharp a look-out being kept, no doubt, decisive actin is taken. Russia's unpre- to permit another torpedo attack being pareness is also gathered, a fact which has the nations of the West. It is beginning to as mere prey and their territories as spoil for nade. The actual extent of the injury done long been suspected and which els many be learnt that such a view does not make to the Russians warships will probably not to a ticipve that she would ultimately give for the peace of the Occidental Powers. A be known for some time to come. It seems
way rather than risk a war. Commenting on strong Japan and a strong China, it is now absolutely certain, however, that in the the Manifesto, the Loadon Tim's, which has felt, will not da nage the European peoples, night attack, on the 8th instant, the battle- still, i spite of the troubles bfalling it in but rather tend to deprive them of reasons ships Tsarevitch and Retvizan and the cruiser connect on with its representative at S. for strife. The lesson has been a hard one Pallada were
all badly damaged, the Petersburg, more than usual means of to learn, but its acquirement should be last-named being either sunk run obtaining information from sources in Rus-productive of peace in the world. aground; the Retvizan appears to be also sia, infers that Russia inten13 to fight a war aground outside the harbour, while the of exhaustion and to imitat: the policy Tsarevitch has been taken inside. Ou the which 9th instant the battleship Poltava and the NAPOLEON whom he a tempted the i upos a lopte against the Grat cruisers Askold, Diana and Novik were sible task of inva ling Russ. That policy damaged, the last of them seriously, while Was one of retreat, Applie! to the our Shanghai correspondent now reports the present cise, it means that Bussia will Askold foundered. We may assume that the retire, leaving the Japanes to follow her. Retvizan, Pallada, Askold and Novik will be As the Tim's observes, this is a great unable to fight any more during this war. In addition the Russian fleet has lost in the of the enemy.
resolve, but its success depends on the will past ten days the Koreetz and Varyag at
It is suppos'd that Russia means to hold only Port Arthur and Vali- Chemulpo and the torpedo transport Yenisei vostock, withdrawing her troops from Min by accident at Port Arthur. As for the churia aud North-eastern Siberia, leaving Vladivostock cruisers, all that can be said the Japanese armies to follow until they is that we know not what has happen exhaust themselves. One comment on this ed to them. There is a Russian cruiser, seems obvious. When NAPOLEON pursued the Mandjour, which left Shanghai last the defeated Russians to Moscow he was week and has not been heard of since. trusting in the im uensity of his forces, may be taken that she has not been cap-gath rod from all parts of Europe. The tured, but her chance of reaching a Russian Japanese at the present moment re in a port must be small, Neutrality rules will case far diferent from that of NAPOLEON. confront her elsewhere, so that the outlook They have only their owa forces, the ex et for her is not bright. Our London corres proportions of which they know, to draw pond int aunounces the capture of six upon, an l they have before them the disis- Russiau colliers by the Japanese, and the trous example of the Freach. Japun his ste umers Nonni, Moukden, and some others, shown hers If so sagacious that it is impossi- whose names are uncertain, have bee.. captured, and the Sungari sunk. On the Japanese side no injury to warships is actually known to have occurred, but oue steaaier has been sunk on the Northern coast of the main island. The balance is tremendously in favour of Japan, and leaves her to start the second stage of the war, by
It
£
or
WAY
ble to conceive that she will fall into the blun ler of NAPOLEO Y. If she contents herself with cutting off Port Arthur and Vladivostock and with occupying and fortifying Corea, it is difficult to see why she should commit any strategical error. The isolated ports must fall, through starva- tion; and the Manchurian Railway being
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THE NEUTRALITY QUESTION,
(Daily Press, 16th February.) Among the telegrams published this morning is one of n little international interest. Therein it is announced that a Russian torpedo-boat destroyer, for which permission to dock at Port Said has been applied for and refused, was ordered to leave the port; and that an Austrian collier, chartered for Port Arthur, was treated as a belligerent and ordered to leave Port Said, in consequence of which she discharged her cargo. On Saturday we published a Singa- pore telegram of the 12th instant, stating that the Russian Volunteer cruiser Voronej, which arrived that morning, bound for Odessa, had been ordered to leave by 9 a.m. next morning. These orders have been given in pursuance of the Proclamation of Neutrality issued throughout the British. dominions on the 12th instant.
This pro- clamation, in view of the war which has broken out between Japan and Russia, laid down the rules of neutrality to be observed by His Majesty's subjects in and during the
War.
The portion of this document which concerns the events mentioned in the telegrams alluded to above may be briefly summarised as follows:-
(1.) All ships of war of either belligerent are forbidden to use any British ports 'as stations or places of resort for warlike pur- poses or to sail from any port subject to
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