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RUSSIA AND JAPAN.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[October 19, 1903,
ceeding quite satisfactorily. There has THE BRITISH CHINA SQUADRON.
been no meeting since Friday. Baron (Daily Press, 12th October.)
"ROSEN is awaiting_instructions from Rumours of a declaration of war between
"Viceroy ALEXIEFF." However, there waS Japan and Russia were prevalent in the
no official declaration of war last Sunday, Colony on Saturday, but there was no and we are left wore or less in the dark as to foundation for them evidenced in telegrams. what is happening. Our Shanghai morning The Daily Mail story of Russin's suggested contemporary gives a summary from the partition of Corea, and Japan's refusal of
most recent Japanese papers to hand, which, the offer has been contradicted be the
as we have not yet received more than a few Japanese Minister in London, Baron of these, we take leave to reproduce, in HAYASHI. The North-China Daily News | abbreviated form :- publishes a telegram from Tokyo which
"That the atmosphere should be charged states that "
present appearances indicate with rumour is a natural consequence of the transfer of the negotiations between the negotiations now proceeding, but apart Bussia and Japan to Tokyo, Baron RoSEN: from the rumours there are also substantial the Russian Minister, having been given facts to record, which have a sufficiently plenary powers." This perhaps is the result threatening aspect. The Japanese stand of Baron ROSEN's visit to Port Arthur anding squadron first put into Masampo, the his conference with Admiral ALEXIEFF, as port now said to have been occupied, about it was obvious that Baron ROSEN was not
ten days ago, and, according to che Asahi, likely to have gone to Port Arthur at the it only just forestalled a Russian squarn present grave crisis except for very import of twelve vessels, which left Vladivostock, ant reasons. What he result of the intending to anchor in this harbour, as conference may be it is impossible even to there is no anchorage for additional vessels hazard a guess. Admiral ALEXIEFF hold-at Port Arthur. Masampo is a small place, ing the views described in the letter of our Port Arthur correspondent, which we published in our issue of Saturday, it is useless to expect that a very conciliatory line of conduct can have been suggested by him to his country's representative at Tokyo. Nor is there much suggestion of concession; on the side of Japan, where it is well known that it is far more than the question of Manchuria's future which is concerned. Yet even with regard to Manchuria alone, an influential portion of the Japanese Press still speaks as if the loss of the province to China were not an accomplished fact. For instance, the Japan Times, a journal, it is true, which is accused of jingoism by some of its Anglo-Japanese contemporaries, wrote at the end of last mouth: The time has arrived when China's attitude on the subject is
a matter of but secondary importance, it being incumbent upon this country to deal with the question solely "from the point of view of what it owes to itself and to civilisation. It does not "make any material difference to Japan "whether or not China agrees to her own dismemberment, and it is, therefore, for "her own sake, rather than for the sake of "this country, that we are glad to learn "that she seems now to be disposed to "stand up for her rights and diguity." What proof the Japan Times bas of China's disposition to stand up for her rights and dignity we do not know; it must take a very keen eye to see it. As a matter of fact, it is no longer a question of preserving Manchuria to China, but a much larger one of Russia's absolute predominance in North-eastern Asia. That the responsible Japanese statesmen see this there can be no doubt. It is little to be wondered at, therefore, that they should consider the present state of affaire so long and so carefully.
C
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(Daily Press, 16th October.) The North-China Daily News of the 12th instant published the following startling tele- gram dated Chefoo, 10th October. The Japanese have occupied Masampo. War will be officially declared noon to-morrow (Sunday)." This felegram was from "a correspondent," but the Kobe representa tive of the same journal sent the following despatch, which might have seemed to lend colour to the report: - Kobe, 11th October. It is not known here where the Japanese Standing Squadron now is, but "it is believed it left Sasebo yesterday for "Hakata Bay. To-day's Tokyo report states that negotiations are not pro-
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but with a good harbour just south of Fusan, and is therefore a convenient centre from which to cominand the channel between Corea and Japan. Some of the vessels left Masampo on the 5th instant, but nearly the whole Japanese fleet was mobilised" at ports on the Japan sea coast from Maizuru, south to Sascho. Excitement in Japan has undoubtedly been worked up to fever-pitch by the statement, fairly well authenticated, that the Russians are constructing forts at Yong-ampho. According to the Kobe Chronicle, it is now stated that they are building a fort of over twenty metres in diameter on the summit of Yong-am hill. No guns are yet mounted, but there are three guns on the hill waiting to get into position. The crest of the hill to the cast is also being levelled up probably for the construction of forts. There are on the spot about forty soldiers in uniform, including a number of officers. is reported that there are two 20 cm. and one or two 10 c.m. guns on the hill, Another report which comes from Port Arthur to Nagasaki, is that the Russian authorities there are now excluding Jupanese from the naval offices and other quarters. The Asahi has a statement that the Japanese and British employees on the Nagasaki branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway have been dismissed."
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Much of this is rumour; but, as the Daily News says, there are also substantial facts. The Japanese Government, however, is at great pains to reassure Europe that there has been much exaggeration. The Japanese Minister in London, indeed, as REUTER'S message of the 13th instant reports, has received an official telegram from Tokyo indicating that there is no need whatever for alarm. This we hope is true. But the constant reiteration of war rumours from various sources is bound to be disquieting.
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The I. and T. Tim & learus "on authority there can be no di-pating" that the supposed epidemic of cholera which has been raging at Peitang for the last six weeks or more, is to a great extent if not entirely bubonic plague. The disease spread to Peilang from Now. chwang, conveyed either by fishing or small trating vessels, or by Chinese fleeing from the northern port. But though the stet, of affairs at Peitang for the past two months has been truly alarming, the P. and T. Times saya, thanka to watchful precautions of the local authorities at Taku, no case has been reported there or here. The deaths at Peitang are about 15 diem and up to the 3rd inst. over 1,500 are said to have succumbed altogether, which is heavy mortality for a small place such as Peitang.
What
years ago the most
(Daily Press, 14th October.) Straits papers last week informed their readers that the Admirals of the British squadrons on the China, Australis, and East India stations were all expectel at Singapore near the end of that week. This conference has been expected for some time, the stated reason for it being the condition of affairs in the Far East. It is to be presumed that by this time the Admirals have met and compared their ideas. these may be, generally speaking, i is impossible to guess; but there is one point at least upon which they must be agreed, since it arises from facts about which there is no discussion. That point is the upset of the balance of naval power in the Far
East during the past two years.
Great Britain hul two powerful and most numerous flest; not long efore that, she outnumbered any two fleets in Chinese waters; but now how doe she staud ? As is a well-known fact, Russia has been making enormous additions of late to her Pacific fleet, nud is continuing to make more; Britain is not so doing, nor indeed has she been making any appreciable increase in her naval forces out here, so that now the relative positions of the British and Russian fleets are entirely altered. This statement is easily verified. We have on this station four battleships, the Albion, Glory, Ocean, and Vengeance, all of 12,950 tons Russia has six battleships-the Retvizan of 12,700 tons, the Percsviel and Pobieda, both of 12,674 tons, the Petropavlovsk, Poltava and Sevastopol, all of 10,960- and is expecting a seventh, two more, the Cesare- witch 13,110 tous, and Oslabya, 12,674 tons, at once. All these battleships, in both squadrons, except the Cesarevitch (20 guns) and Peresviel and Pobieda (15 guns) have 16 guns. Iu the next class we have the armoured cruisers Cressy, 12,000 tons and 14 guns, and Leviathan, 14,100 tons and 18 guns; and the first class cruisers Amphitrite, 11,000 tons and 16 guns, and Blenheim, 9,000 tons and 12 guns. Russia has the armoured cruisers Bayan, 7,800 tons and 10 guns, Gromoboi, 12,336 tons and 20 guns, Rossin, 12,130 tons and 20 guns, and Rurik, 10,923 tons and 20 guns. Of the cruisers not included in the first class we have the Eclipse and Talbot, 5,600 tons and 11 guns, Fearless, 1,580 tons and 4 guns, Sirius, 3,600 tons and 8 guus, and Thetis, 3,400 tons and 8 guns. Russia has the Askold, 6,100 tons, Bogatyr, 6,750 tons, and Varyag, 6,500 tous, all with 12 6-in. and 12 3-in. guus; the Boyarin, 3,200 tons and guns, and the Diana and Pallada, 6,630 tons an:1 8 guns. Batween the smaller cruisers and corvettes, gunboats, gun-vessels, etc., it is hard to draw a line saying that this vessel is a formidable item and the other is not. But, taking the two fleets as stated above, and counting the Oslabya and Bayan as already part of the squadron, we get the figures as follows:-Britain, 4 battleships, 2 armoured and 2 first class cruisers, 5 other cruisers; Russia, 7 battleships, 4 armoured cruisers, 5 second and third class cruisers. other ships with the slightest pretences to war class, Britain has 31, while Russia's number is not ascertainable, there certainly being far more than the 13 named in the usual lists; if the actual figures could be obtained there would doubtless be found a much nearer approach to numerical equality.
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It is impossible that the three British Admirals now down south are not seriously considering the position of affairs in Far Eastern waters, as described in the figures above. It is impossible, also, that they can derive satisfaction from it. It is true that
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