236
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
NEWCHWANG,
Tokyo, 16th March. is stated that there is plenty of food and There is good reason to believe that the Japa-ammunition in Port Arthur, and no apparent nese fleets are still working actively. The apprehension there that it will have to be officers and men are completly prepared to evacuated. obtain a conclusive victory." It has transpired that in the engagement at close quarter on the 10th inst., the Japan's and tussians fought by casting pieces of coal. The Japanese dag wa hoisted on board the Steregustchi before she sauk. Contrary to the experience in previous engagements, the Russians maintained what was comparatively a splendid range, but the general effect of their firing shows an apparout lack of shells.
Tokyo, 15th March.
The Cabinet yesterday decided on the es tablishment of the tobacco and silt monopolies, and the creation of a tax on silk, besides The enhancements of the existing taxes, sinews of war consist altogether of first, the war taxes, amounting to over 65 million you; 2nd, the surplus and curtailment of expenditures, amounting to about 8 millions; 3rd, public lo ns, including the recent issue of exchequer
bonds.
Later
Regarding the public bands referred to in the above telegram, the cabinet will introduce a Bill at the special session of the Diet. authorising a further flotation to the extent of a hundred and fifty million ; en, when necessary.
-N.-G. D. N.
Tsingtao, 16th March
The following news is just rec-ived høre from Chomulpo:--
On the 10th inst., teu Japanese men-of-war were auchoring at Chinnampo. Twelve trans- ports have just commenced to disembark troops. Thirty more transports were ex ected to bring twenty thousand nien.
The American cruiser' Cincianalli has gone to Chinuampo, in order to take on board all American missionaries from l'ingyang, and the English and American mining engineers teen- pied in that district,
The bodies of two Russian sailors have been
rescued from the Varyag. They were buried with full military honours, men of all men-of- war taking part in the ceremonies by the request of the Japanese.-(). Lloyd.
Either ou the 16th or on the 17th inst. the Russiau destroyer Skory was blown up while entering Port Arthur harbour. It is variously stated that she touched au uubu yed mine and a misplaced torpedo. Anyhow she was a total loss and only four of her crew were saved. Se is a similar boat to the Steregatschi, which was previously lost -a 350-ton boat, 3, 01 il.p., doing 26 kuots and carrying one 1 pr. and three 3-pr. guns, with two torpedo-tubes.
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The A-C Daily News okyo correspondent telegraphed on the 18th inst: -Confidential pourparlers have been taking place between the Ministers, the Elder Statesmen, and the arty leaders in the Diet, resulting in a satisfactory understanding as to the financial programine of t war.
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PORT ARTHUR,
ccording to the officers on the Norwegian steamers lately arrived at Shanghai from Port Arthur, all the Russian men-of-war that werd slightly damaged are pa ched up, and the Pallada has been repaired in the only dock. The Tsarevitch and Retvizan, however, are too large for this dock, and it is now proposed to get them into the East Basiu, fill up the en trance to the basin, and pump it out; a "large order," but pumps for the purpos have been brought from Harbin and Vidivostock. The only fear is that the sides of the basin, on which au euormous quantity of coal is stored may There alip in when the water is pumped out. is likely to be a good deal of leakage too, as thero is already in the dock.
[March 26, 1904.
HONGKONG LEGISLA (IVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Legislative Council was held on the 21st inst. in the Council Chamber. Present :--
The Peking correspondent of the Mercury, nudor date 5th March, gives the following as from a reliable source-Newchwang is quiet. Eight war correspondents are now at that place,TERING THE GOVERNMENT, F. H. MAY, C.M.G. with no possible way of leaving except by going to Tientsin. The foreign rs are coming
war
HIS EXCELLENCY THE OFFICER ADMINIS-
HIS EXCELLENCY MAJOR-GENERAL VIL-
LIERS HATTON, C.B. (Commanding the Troops. Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Acting Colonial Secretary).
Hou. Sir
S. BERKELEY, Kt. (Attorney-General).
HENRY
Hou. L. A. M. JOHNSTON (Acting Colonial Treasurer).
Hon. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar-General). Hon. L. A. W. BARNES-Lawrence (Harbour
Hou. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works).
in from the interior; most of them have alreay arrived at Newchwang, and th
An European remainder will be in sho tly.
correspondent just arrived from S. Petersburg reports seeing numerous traius bringing troops as far 25 Harbin, but none between Newchwang and Harbin, and very few trains are now running between the latter poiut and Port Arthur, It is evident | Master). that the Russians are using their trains to trausport troops from Russia to points north. and mobilising at these points with the view of moving down towards Nowchwang later. If, within the next ten days, the Japanese made an obstinate move and attack, they should be able to cut off Nowchwang, and without a doubt h come masters of that section of the country. It would then be only a matter of days before | Councils). the Russiaus should lose all hopes of holding [either Port Arthur or Newchwang The latter expect, however, to come down from the north in such overwhelming force as to enable them} to retake all lost gronud.
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ITEMS,
L'Echo de Chine of the 17th inst. is advised
from Port Arthur that the Retvizan and Pal- lada have completed their r pairs. The Tare ritch will be ready in a few days. Everything is quiot in town. There is no deficiency in the supply of provisions and food.”
It is stated that 250 mines wera sent from Harbin to Newkiateng on the 11th just. They are intended for the Liao River, and will be laid as soon as the ice melts. The Russians brought twenty native boats to carry stones and mud to block the Liao River. The US and British Consuls at Nowohwang reported the mattor to Peking to their respective Ministers, who sent a strong representation to the Russian Legation, and the scheme was eventually abandoned.
Hon. Sir C. P. CHATER, C M.G. Hon. Dr. Ho KAI, C.M.G. Hon. WEI A YUK. Hon. C. W. DICKSON. Hou. II. M. POLLOCK, K.C.
Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of
FINANCIAL.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the Report of the Finance Committee
(No, 3), and moved its adoption.
'The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER secon- ded, and the motion was agreed to.
PAPERS.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY laid ou
the table the reports of the Inspector of Schools and of the Acting Director of the Observatory for 196.
FISH AND LEP 08Y,
one
two
Hou. H. E. POLLOCK moved: "That, in view of the letter which was recently addressed by Mr Jonathan Hutchinson, F.R.S, to the Times newspaper on the subject of leprosy being caused by tainted fish, it is desirable that the Hongkong Government should cause some enquiry to be made into the question by its Medical Officers." He said-Sir, there appeared in the issue of the Weekly Times of the 29th, January of this year a long letter by Mr. Hutchinson which I assume that most of the The Japan Mail says that the Russians are hon. members of this Council will have read, now reported desirous of restoring Nowchwang dealing with the question of the prevention of to the status it enjoyed before they assumed tili- topresy. I do not of course propose to go tary cou'rol of the place in 19 h), Their reasons through the whole of that letter in detail, are that, were Nowelwang once more a perfectly but I will just mention, sir, or open s tlement and therefore neutral ground, it of the salient points with which that letter could be largely thouh surreptitiously used as deals. The hypothesis which Mr. Hutchinson! a basis of supply, and the danger of a Japanese puts forward is that leprosy has been and still landing there being also averted, the strain on
is due in the main to the consumption as food Russia's slender military forces would be of decomposing or imperfectly cured fish; and The Mail remarks he quotes, sir, various allegations in support of proportionately religed. that people are not quite so foolish as to loud that hypothesis. Some of them appear to be more or less matters of theory, and he does not themselves blindfold to Russian rus «s,
that the greater part of state the facts in support of his contention, but the Japanese shalls failed to explode at he does mention one or two specific facts which the receut bombardment of Vladivo tock ho submits in support of his contention that remains to be verified. There has been much leprosy is connected with the consumption of curiosity of late about the Shimose explosive.fish, among people who live o a fish diet, by for which a rauk is claimed second to blasting either decomposing or imperfectly-cured fish. gelatin only in disruptive violence, and as blasting gelatin has never been brought under sufficient control to serve for artillery uses, the Shimo e compound would thus stand at the head of the list.
↓
The statement
General Kuropatkin has left Irkutsk, where Il soldiers have recently been shot for pillaging
and raps.
General Kuropatkin is to arrive at Moukden ou the 26th inst and at Liaoyang on the 28th.
With regard to the treatment of Japanese in Port Arthur, a correspondent there, writing to a friend in Shanghai on the 9th inst., says: It has already beep reported that ous of the The fee ing against the Japanese here is Japanese stone-liulks was sunk on the left side frantically intense, and i would have ben well of the entrance to the harbour, close to where for them could they have all got away before the Retvizan lay beached. The uussians have hostilities commenced, They are all considered (wo Chines Eastern Railway as pies and are maltreated on the slightest now suuk steamers the Hailar and Harbin, in a life north- pretext As an illustra'ion of this I wl men- eastward from the Japanese steamers in order to tion that empauia, of soldio y have been told narrow the mouth of the harbone. Another off and instructed to seize every Chinam in they steamer was to ve sunk ou the other side of the could lay their hands on and twist his qu ne to entrance, o that only a very narrow channel find out if it were real or if its owner were a would be left, which is to ba so protected with pauese spy in disguise. A dozen of the mines, and possibly a boom, that there may be latter have been discovered and shot on the no more far of Japausse torpedo-boats getting, spot. their bodies being left to rot where they into the harbour again at night. Generally it fell.
►
Supporting the facts which he quotes in this letter in support of his theory, are first, that iu Iudia thos who profess vegetarianism are almost wholly free, thos, to whom it is a matter of indifference suffer in moderate degree, and those who observe fish-eating fast days in very 59 Mr. Hutchinson also remarkable excess.' points out that "in India, while the general prevalence is only three or four per 1,070, it rises on the Island of Minicoy, which is devoted to fishing, to 15, and in Kaligoan, which is also a fish-curing centre, to 500." He also goes on to say that
in several places (Cape Colony, the Sandwich Islands, etc.) the outbreak of leprosy followed directly on the introduction of fish- Mr. Hutchinson candidly admits that turing."
ot as yet secured the this theory of his has official support of the medical profession, but I which that the circumstances thiuk, sir,
s'ated iu his letter boust lord any ordi ary reader to the conclusion that he makes out a very good case for evers Go- verument, and especially a Government like the Hongkong Government, which has some of its citizens suffering from this same disease of leprosy, having it made incumbent on them to cause its medical officers to direct a very
are
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