Newspaper Page Text
The Jones County News
YOE. X.
KOREANS ML LID JAPAN
Soldiers of Hermit Kingdom Ordered
Join r • the ,i Japanese t in • the ,i tT* hield. 1 J
POUT OF WIJU IS OPENED
Uncle Sam Wants Details
of Conduct of Ameri¬
cans During Na¬
val Fight at \
Chemulpo.
Advices from Seoul, the capital of
Korea state that the Korean
government has decided to order
the Korean troops to join the Japan-
esce in the field.
The port of Wiju has been opened to
foreign trade. The limitation to be
placed on trade and other incidental
matters will be passed on Infer. This
action necessitates a Iiarbor, so i'ong
ampho has been decided upon.
MARSHALL ACTED WISELY.
A Washington special says: With¬
out waiting from any suggestion from
St. Petersburg though that has since
come, and more throe days ago, the
navy department cables to Captain
Marshall, of the United States steamer
Vicksburg at Chemulpo, requesting an
explanation of the facts connected
with the reported refusal on his part
to take aboard his ship sailors from
the Russian war ship sunk by the Jap-
anese.
No answer has yet been received, so
that the Un ted States government is
not in a position to make the expla
nation which St. Peterscurg seems
to wish. From their knowledge of the
Un ted States naval regulations and
from the comprehensive press reports
as to what did occur at Chemulpo, the
naval officials in Washington have not
the slightest hesitation in giving their
unqualified approval of the course pur¬
sued by Captain Marshall.
In the first place it is understood
that it was not a. matter of saving
life. It is doubtful whether, if the
men were drowning, an American war-
ship could aid them before they had
surrendered, without violat.ng inter-
national law. It is believed that
these men who were in boats could
have landed and only refrained from
doing so because they feared to be
captured by tho Japanese soldiers in
town.
Had Captain Marshall received them
aboard the Vicksburg, he v must have
taken them in as prisoners, for that
was the status accorded them by the
French and British naval officers pres-
ent. Therefore, as the Russian sail-
ors would have been practically Ja-
pan’s prisoners in either case, wheth-
er they landed or whether they board-
ed the Vicksburg, the American cap-
tain is regarded as justifiable in de
clining to receive them.
Touching the Russian complaint that
Captain Marshal did not join with the
other foreign captains in protesting
against tho Japanese attack on the
Variag and the Korietz, in a neutral
harbor, it is declared at the navy de-
partment that the officer would certain-
ly not be upheld by h.s department in
medding in such a matter.
It is the first time that either the
navy or state department has been se-
riously asked to oblige a foreign power
to observe neutrality, and it is point-
edly stated that it was Russia’s busi-
ness to look to Korea for redress if
that country had not maintained the
neutrality of its ports.
Later in the day the navy depart-
ment received a cablegram from Com¬
mander Marshall, of the Vicksburg,
saying that he was among the first to
offer assistance to the Russian sailors
aboard the Variag and Korietz. The
cablegram is badly garbled and the of
ficials have not been, able to 'fully
translate it.
THIS SETTLES THE MATTER?
Fake Mascot of Russia Brought For¬
ward to "Conjure” the Japs.
The most sacred image in. Russia
has been sent to St. Petersburg, and
it will be taken later to the Far East,
with the army, says a dispatch from
Moscow.
This image is a representation of
the Virgin appearing to Saint’Sergius,
and is always kept at the Troltzko
monastery. It is about one foot
square and is covered with precious
stones. The image has a remarkable
history, it accompanied Alexis, Pe¬
ter the Great and Alexander I on all
their campaigns.
CHINA BETWEEN TWO FIRES.
Japan Gives Warning Against Assist¬
ing the Russians.
It is reported from St. Petersburg
that the Japanese have represented to
the Chinese that they will be guilty
of a breach of neutrality if they assist
the Russians in preserving order dur¬
ing the war in Manchuria. The Jap¬
anese, it is added, have warned the
Chinese to refrain rom interfering
with the bandits.
"BOTTLING" PROGRAM
Japs Did Not Succeed in
Closing Entrance to Har-
bor--Russian Newspa¬
per Bitterly Scores
United States,
A special from Tokio, Japan, say 3 :
Vice Admiral Togo’s attempt to bottle
up the Russian fleet at Port Arthur by
sinking a fleet of stone-laden merenant
steamers in the mouth of the harbor
evidently failed, though the venture
caused no loss of life and the vessels
lost were not of a great value.
Five ships were prepared by Vice
Admiral Togo for the attempted block¬
ade. Four Are reported to have been
sunk, but the fate of the fifth is un
known so far. It is presumed that it
withdrew with the other Japanese ves¬
sels. The five vessels were filled with
stone so as to make the obstruction
permanent and were manned by volun¬
teer merchant crews. It was impossi¬
ble to select naval officers and sailor3
j oa account 0 f their great rivalry to
j participate in the daring venture
j Accompanied by four battTe ships,
n ; ne cruisers and numerous vessels oi
the torpedo flotula, the stone-laden
1 learners reached Port Arthur on Wed-
I nes day. While the fleet was engaging
the shore batteries the steamers made
j | a d ash for under t he the mouth Russian of the harbor
directly guns,
Details of the attack have not been
rece ived, but it is evident that the
j Russians’ fire sank the steamers be
f ore they touched the points planned
j f or their foundering by the Japanese
! r j s 6a id that all of the crews of the
four vessels escaped in boats,
:
RUSSIAN EDITOR PUZZLED.
The Associated Press Representative
a t st. Petersburg cables The following:
The Novoe Vremya publishes a long
leudlng article regarding the relations
existing between the United States
j and Russia,
In considering the unfriendly mani-
j festations against the latter in the
'
United States the Novoe Vremya ar-
g U es distinction must be made between
the people and the government, and if
! attributes the agitation in the press to
1
a campaign engineered by ihe Jews,
j who, it has been said, even talk of
building a battleship for the mikado,
j The paper insists, however, that the
traditional friendship for Russia occu-
pies a firm position in the American
mind and heart and that the people
cannot really preferthe Japanese to the
Russians, who never have harmed
them. The Novoe Vremya, on the
other hand, contends that without rea-
son the Washington government has
been unfriendly and compares the most
j tho brilliant telegraphic feat of ratification the state department, of the Chi-
nese—-open port treaty—to the tele-
graphic marriages which, it says, some-
times are practiced in America,
“But it is idle,” the article goes on,
“to talk now of sending United con-
suls to Manchuria. Unsatisfied with
his success, Secretary Hay undertook
to secure the neutralization, the invlo-
lability of the administration and the
entity of China. Diplomatists, Iexi-
cographers and publicists being in
doubt as to what all this meant, Sec-
retary Hay kindly announced that he
did not care t» have his proposal de¬
fined in detail.” The article con-
eludes:
"The American government has tak-
en a position which ill accords with
the former good relations with Russia,
and we are convinced that the conduct
of the United States government ship
Vicksburg in refusing to protect and
receive drowning Russians will not
meet with wide sympathy in America.”
READY TO SIGN TREATY.
President Attaches His Signature to
the Ratification Papers.
President Roosevelt Thursday signed
the ratifications to be exchanged be¬
tween the United Stales and the re¬
public of Panama on the isthmian ca¬
nal treaty. The exchanges will be
made at the state department between
Secretary Hay for the United States
and Mr. Bunau-Varilia, the minister of
Panama. The president himself does
not sign a treaty*
Subsequently a proclamation will
be issued by the president announcing
the conclusion of the convention and
putting it into effect.
FOOD HIGH IN NEW YORK.
Practically Everything Except Eggs
Advances in Price.
According to a New York dispatch,
practically all food stuffs except eggs,
have reached extremely high prices m
that city, owing largely to unfavorable
weather. Prices which were thought
to be high a week or ttfo ago, now
i look reasonable for nearly everything
i that reaches the table.
OKAY. JONES CO.. GA.. THURSDAY. MARCH 3, 14)04.
suu, H-s ELtu .UN laws,
Will Not Be Passed Upon by Congress.
Suffrage Statutes Only for the
Supreme Court.
A special to The Atlanta Constitii
from Washington says: In pass-
g u Pon the contest case of Dantzler
vs. Lever, involving representation
[rom the Columbia South caroima
district, house elections committee
No. I refused to take into considera¬
tion the constitutional questions which
the attorneys for the contestant raised.
This means that other contests,
which have no other basis than the
claim that the election' laws or con¬
stitutions of southern states contra¬
vene the constitution of the United
States, will result in favor of the sit¬
ting member. Certainly this will bo
the case if the present precedent is
followed, until the supreme court o£
the United States passes upon these
constitutional questions and puts a
quietus upon agitation.
The committee in its report virtual-
] y sa y s that the issues attempted to
be ma de before it belong properly to
the supreme court. It holds:
“If the house should unseat the con-
testee on the ground that no valid
election was held, or could be held m
the district under the present constitu¬
tion and election laws 01 South Caro¬
lina, a similar construction would re¬
quire the house, in case of contest, to
unseat all the members from South
Carolina and from most of the other
southern states, and that new elec¬
tions could not be held to fill the va¬
cancies until the respective constitu¬
tions of these states had been chang¬
ed so as to comply with the recon¬
struction acts. The question, there¬
fore, is one of far-reaching impor¬
tance. It involves in its outcome the
right of a very large number of mem¬
bers of the house to their seats. But
the decision would have no binding
effect upon South Carolina except in
this particular case.
“A legislative body is not the ideal
body to pass judicially upon enact¬
ments of other bodies. We have in
this country a proper form for the de¬
cision of constitution and other legal
questions. Any citizens of South
Carolina deprived of his right to vote
can apply for redresse to the proper
court and on up to the supreme court
of the United States. A decision of
that court would be binding, but a de-
sislon of the house would not be con¬
sidered binding or in any way estab¬
lishing a precedent.”
Dismissing the constitutional ques¬
tion as belonging to another tribunal,
the committee decides that
“There is nothing in the record or in
the case to sustain any part of a
claim that the contestant, Dantzler,
was elected. It is indisputable that If
an election were held at all in this dis¬
trict, the contestee,' Lever, was fairly
elected.”
The decision of the committee was
unanimous.
Mr. Lever’s republican opponent was
A. D. Dantzler, a wealthy old negro,
an ex-slave, unable to read or write
more than his own name. At the elec¬
tion Dantzler only received 167 vote*
against 4,220 cast for Lever. Dantzler
alleged, however, that upward of 7,000
negroes appeared at the polls and of¬
fered to vote for him, but were pre¬
vented from doing so. The evidence
showed that there was no real basis
for this claim—that, in fact, it was for
the most part imaginary.
POSTAL CLERKS SHOT.
Crazy Negro Runs Amuck on Alabama
Great Southern Train.
A negro supposed to be crazy board¬
ed the Alabama Great Southern south¬
bound express at Meridian, • Miss.,
Monday morning at 1:30 o’clock and
after forcing his wa£ into the mail
car shot Postal Clerk Stockton dead
and fatally wounded Postal Clerk Bass.
The negro made his escape, the train
returning to Meridian to get, new pos-
tal clerks. There a posse was at once
organized and sent in pursuit of the
murderer. Bloodhounds were also put
on h!s trail,
It was at first thought that a hold-
up was planned, but not attempt was
made to rob the mails, the express car
or any of the passengers.
RUSSIA’S GIGANTIC WAR FUND.
Many Millions In Treasury and More
Can Be Easily Obtained.
The Novosti, (St. Petersburg hewr>-
paper), regarding the resources of
the treasury, figures that the total
amount at the disposal of the govern¬
ment for the conduct of tbe war is
$320,000,000, which it considers to be
quite sufficient in view of tn§ fact that
a far more expensive campaign, the
Turkish war, waged on foreign terri¬
tory, cost only $500,000,000, but if this
is not sufficient, Russia can easily ob¬
tain a loan at home or abroad so long
as her monetary system remains
sound.
GERMANY TO POLICE SHAN TUNG
All Cities of the District Will Be
Watched After by Kaiser’s Officers.
An Associated Press dispatch from
Shanghai says: It is reported at Wei
Hsien, the most Important city in the
province of Shan Tung, that Germany
nag secured the right to inaugurate a
uniform police system in all the cities
of Shan Tung. The Chinese received
tbe announcement favorably.
crafTERS DOOMED
Verdict Rendered in Famous
Postal Fraud Cases.
DEFENDANTS ASTOUNDED
Machen, Lorenz and the Two Groffs
Hear Their Conviction Sounded
in Washington Court.
Motion for Appeal.
A Washington dispatch says; ‘‘Guil¬
ty as indicted,” was the verdict an¬
nounced by the foreman of the jury in
the now famous postofflce conspiracy
trial shortly after 8 o’clock Friday
night, stating at the same time that
this was the verdict as to all four de-
fendants-i-AUguflt W. Machen, late
general superintendent of the rural
free delivery division; George E. Lo¬
renz, of 'Toledo, Ohio, and Samuel A.
and Diller B. Groff, of Washington
city.
The jury had been out nine hours,
although the verdict was reached In
eight hours and twenty-five minutes.
With impressive 'dignity, the jury
as one man arose, and as the words
"guilty as indicted” fell from the fore¬
man’s lips, file defendants and their
counsel seemed appalled. They had
given expression to the belief that each
hour the jury spent in Kscussing the
case brought them nearer to an ac¬
quittal. There was very general as¬
tonishment that the jury had included
In The conviction Samuel A. Groff, the
Washington policeman and inventor of
T7Te Gooff fastener, as to whom
Holmes Conrad, special counsel for the
government ,had previously informed
the jury he did not expect a conviction,
and that ho personally did not believe
in his guilt.
Five ballots In ail were taken. On
the first ballot the vote stood 7 to 5
for conviction, on the second 8 to 4,
on tho third 9 to 3, on the fourth 10
to 2 and on the fifth the vote was unan¬
imous.
Immediately "after the verdict was
rendered, Attorney Douglass, in behalf
of all four defendants, filed motions for
a new trial, or an arrest of judgment
itnd also for an appeal for the purpose
of having the defendants admitted to
ball. Bail was then fixed at $20,000
each, the bond of Lorenz and the two
Groffs being increased from $10,000
to that sum. Bonds were furnished
and the defendants released from cus¬
tody.
MILLIONS ARE IN ASHES.
Disastrous Conflagration Visits Roch¬
ester, N. Y., Entailing Frightful
Loss in Business Section.
Tho worst conflagration in tho his¬
tory of Rochester, N. Y., broke out
shortly before 5 o’clock Friday morn¬
ing in the basement of the Rochester
Dry Goods Company’s store in Main
street, east. -
The fire, according to tho night
watchman in the store, was discovered
soon after it started, but it spread with
such rapidity that by The time the
alarm was turned in the entire depart¬
ment store was in flames.
Tho fire department responded
promptly but within an hour after be¬
ing discovered the fire had spread to
the big Granite building occupied by
Sibley, Lindsay & Curr, and by hun¬
dreds of business and professional
men.
The flames also spread to the build¬
ings in the rear of the Granite block.
The extreme cold made fire fighting
difficult and hazarddous as the ladders
were coated with Ice.
The fire is reported to have started
in the basement of the Rochester Dry
Goods Company. A fuse connected
with the electrical motor that runs the
elevator blew out and the next mo¬
ment the flames were rushing up the
elevator wall'. In a few moments
thereafter the building was wrapped in
flamos.
The fire started so early in the morn¬
ing tbfft very few people were on the
street, but by (i o’clock there were
large crowds around the blazing build¬
ing.
Dynamite was used to check the
spread of the flames and was followed
by the thunderous falling of walls.
This plan was soon abandoned.
Tho building occupied by the Roch¬
ester Dry Goods Company, just east of
the Granite building, was totally de-
stroyed and the walls fell.
The fire spread to the rear of the
Granite building on Division street.
The Cox building, which fronts St.
Paul street, on the corner of Division
street, was soon doomed.
Insurance men estimate the loss at
from $4,000,000 to $a,000,(TOO.
TROOPS FOR THE ISTHMU8.
Third Regiment Ordered to Panama to
Relieve Marine*.
The war department has issued or¬
ders for the entire Third regiment of
infantry to proceed to the isthmus of
Panama. The regiment will leave at
the earliest possible tlme'on the trans¬
ports Sumner and McClelland from
New York.
The regiment is going to Panama to
relieve the marines stationed there.
JAPWARSHIPSSUNK
Report that Six Were Knock¬
ed Out at Port Arthua.
FRESH ATTACK REPULSED
One Account States that Four Were
Warships and Two Transports,
While Another Cays Only
Fire Ships Destroyed.
A cablo dispatch from St, Peters¬
burg says: It is officially announced
from Port Arthur that lour Japanoso
battle ships and two Japanese trans¬
ports have been sunk in a fresh at¬
tack on Port Arthur. Tue attack was
repulsed.
It now appears that ihe announce¬
ment from Port Arthur, that four Jap¬
anese battle ships and two Japanese
transports had been sunk in a fresh
attack on Port Arthur, was given out
as official by mistake.
There is no official confirmation in
St, Petersburg of a Russian victory at
Port Arthur,
Both the report of the sinking of
the Japanese ships and the denial that
the announcement was official was
sent out by the semi-official telegraph
bureau, the Russian news agency.
ALEXIEFF SENDS NEWS.
A telegram from Viceroy Aiexieff to
the czar says:
‘‘At a quarter before 3 o’clock in the
morning of February 33, numerous
Japanese torpedo boats attempted to
attack the battle ship Retvlzan and
sink larger steamers loaded with in¬
flammables. The Retvlzan was the
first to observe the torpedo boats and
opened a strong fire on them. She
was supported by the land batteries.
She destroyed two steamers near the
entrance of the harbor; they were
coming directly towards her. One of
them went on the rocks near the light
house on Tiger peninsula and the oth¬
er sank under Golden hill. The Ret-
vizan observed four steamers in a
sinking condition and eight torpedo
boats departing slowly to rejoin the
waiting Japanese warships. A portion
of the crews of the Japanese vessels
was drowned. The grounded steam¬
er Is still burning. The enemy is ob¬
served in the offing at Port Arthur
In two lines.”
WERE ONLY FIRE SHIPS.
A dispatch to Reuters’ Telegram
Company (London) from St. Peters¬
burg, sent at 11 o’clock Wednesday
night, says that on February 23 the
Japanese attempted to send four
steamers filled with explosives among
the Russian fleet in Port Arttiur har¬
bor. These Are ships did no damage,
and wore themselves destroyed, two
being sunk and two going ashore.
Two Japanese boats, escorting the
fire ships were destroyed .by Russian
guns.
THE NEWS IN PARIS.
A dispatch to The Havas agency
(Paris) from Port Arthur says that
four Japanese cruisers and two Jap¬
anese transports have been sunk in
a fresh attack on Port Arthur.
The dispatch adds (hat tho attack
was repulsed and that the Russian
battleship Retvlzan covered herself
with glory.
DOUBTS RUSSIAN REPORTS.
The Japanese legation In Washing¬
ton discredits the reports of the sink¬
ing of four Japanese warships and two
transports at Port Arthur.
Attention Is called to the fact that
both of the papers emanate from Rus¬
sian sources and therefore should bo
accepted with caution.
Furthermore, the reference to the
participation of tho Retvlzan in the
fighting and the reported sinking of
transports, are both regarded as cast¬
ing suspicion on the story. Tho Ret-
vlzan Is understood to he In a condi¬
tion unfit for battle for many months,
whilo the presence of transports at
Port Arthur cannot be explained in
view of the reported statements that
Japan did not intend to land troops
on the Liao Tung peninsula at this
stage, and the transports could bo
there for no other reason. No official
advices have reached the legation re¬
garding the matter.
INITIAL "DIVERSIFICATION” FARM
To be Established in South Carolina
By Agricultural Department.
Professor W. J. Spillmah, the agros
tologist of the United States depart¬
ment of agriculture, has arrived in Co
lumbia, S. C„ for the purpose of estab¬
lishing the first of the diversification
farms in the south, determined upon
by the general government. This farm
is to be known as Diversification Farm
It is contemplated by this new de¬
parture to teach the farmers in the
south how to combine business meth¬
ods with agriculture of various kinds,
other than cotton, upon scientific lines.
UNANIMOU8 FOR DICK.
Ohio Republicans Select Successor to
Late 8enator Mark Hanna.
General Charles Dick was nominated
by acclamation for both the unexpired
and regular terms tor United States
senator' to succeed the late Senator
Hanna, at the caucus of the republican
members of the Ohio legislature Wed¬
nesday evening. The name of Genera!
Dick was the only one presented. The
election occurs March 1.
BIS BADLY FOOLED
Thought They Had Scored a Great Naval
Victory Over Japs at Port Arthur.
0L0 HULKS » SUNK
Report Was Sent Out that
Four Japnese Warships
and Two Torpedo
Boats Were Sent
to Bottom.
An Associated Press dispatch from
Paris says: Additional details of the
Japanese attempt to close the entrance
of the harbor of Port Arthur have been
received from most authoritative quar¬
ters.
These say tho Japanese sent five
or six old transport hulks, convoyed
by torpedo boats, to Port Arthur, with
the evident purpose of sinking the |
hulks at tho entrance to the harbor.
The battleship Retvlzan discovered
their approach, and her lire on them '
was strongly seconded by that of the
shore batteries north of Port Arthur. 1
Tho report adds that two Japanese
ships were wrecked and lie in Tiger
bay; that along the shore another Jap-
affese ship was burned, and a fourth
lies wrecked on the shore outside Tl-
j
It. is now known that these wrecks
are not warships, but hulks, designed
to bo sunk at the entrance of the t*.r-
bor. The wrecks are said to be ail
a considerable distance from the har-
bor entrance, which remains open.
TliLs report gives no infbnnaTfon
concerning the Japanese fleet, which
is said to have supported operations '
against Port Arthur.
JOY IN ST. PETERSBURG.
A St Petersburg cablegram says:
Beyond the bare announcement from
Major General Pflug, the chief of staff
of Viceroy Aiexieff, nothing is known
in regard to the renewal of the attack
on Port Arthur by the Japanese float.
The report of Major General Pflug is
as follows:
“The enemy again attacked Port
Arthur from 1 to 3 a. m., and was re
pulsed. Details follow.”
This indefinite bulletin was the oc¬
casion of wild scenes of joy in St. Pe¬
tersburg. The people cheered as if
the entire Japanese fleet, had been
sunk. The fact that the Japanese have
renewed the attack is also interpreted
in St. Petersburg to mean that they
are determined to bottle up or destroy
the Russian fleet at Port. Arfflur in or
der to give themselves freedom for
land maneuvers to shut off or Invest
tho city, or as a feint, to cover a move¬
ment elsewhere.
JAPS PENETRATE MANCHURIA.
Rev. W. H. Gillespie, missionary, has
arrived at New Chwang from the in¬
terior ,and other missionaries are fol¬
lowing. He states the Japanese hava
landed on Manchurian soil at Possiet
Bay, south of Vladlvostock, and ad¬
vanced to Hunchun. 'Jibe Russian
garrison hag fled.
The Japanese are marching on Kirin,
from which the women and civilians
are leaving iff panic.
Native reports in Ylnkow say the
Japanese have ianded at Possiet Bay
and subsequently undertaken opera¬
tions against Hun Chun, and toward
Klren, have received qualified confirm¬
ation from English missionary refu¬
gees who have arrived at. New Chwang-
The above dispatch seems to he the
most significant yet received from tho
seat of war. Possiet bay, where the
Japanese are reported to have male
a successful landing, is less than 100
miles south of Vladlvostock, one of the
termini of the Trans-Siberian railway.
This movement of the Japanese en¬
dangers not only Vladlvostock, but
Harbin and Mukden.
RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED.
Secretary Hay and Minister Bunau-
Varilla Close Negotiations.
A Washington special says: Secre¬
tary Hay and Minister Uunau-Varilla
Friday exchanged ratifications of the
Panama canal treaty. The exchange
marked the close of diplomatic negotia¬
tions looking to the acquirement by
the United States of canal rights on
tho isthmus. What remains to be done
now is nothing more than the adjust*
ment of certain legal questions by the
law officers of this government; the
state department has filled Its function.
STRIKE OF UNION BUTCHERS.
May Follow Trouble that is Now on
at Louisville.
The strike of 200 butchers employed
by the Louisville Packing Company
over a wage difference has reached an
acute stage, the o? the National
Meat Cutters’ Union announcing that
if the demands are not acceded to he
will call out every butcher employed
by the Cudahy interests in all parts of
the United States.
NO. 15.
MAY INVOLVE WHOLE WORLD
Apprehension is Growing in
Diplomatic Circles that
Conflict, in the Orient
Will Spread to Oth¬
er Nations.
In diplomatic circles at St. Peters-
burg the impression prevails that the
flames of war raging in the Orient will
eventually spread over the world.
There is a growing belief that there
is an understanding between Russia
and Germany relative to the develop¬
ments of the war, and the diplomatists
are giving more attention to the likeli¬
hood of other powers becoming in¬
volved.
France's enormous financial invest-
menu in Kussian lunds and enter-
Wises are estimated at close to lt.000,-
” 00 000 , and it is feared that n case of
,
“^sian reverses whlch rai « ht threa en
*-Ho empire, France may be compelled
to go to the support of her ally
T h«e are suspicions as to the mo-
tives of Great Britain of a character as
<° complicating in that direction,
It is strongly intimated that the return
of the Russian ambassador to Great
Britain Count Buckendortt, to St.
Petersburg was not solely to the at-
ter » departure for tho Far East but
that It was also to consult with the
»««>« foreign office relative, to the
British expedition to Ihibet.
The Russian government is angry
at ihe language used by horeign Min-
lste r as p rlnte< ‘ in lh e 1e
cent f British blue book , on the subject . . .
of Thibet, and Ambassador Bucken-
dorff may receive instructions to reply
in kind, if exchange on the subject
continues.
The conditions in the Balkans are
j also considered extremely critical and
altogether the diplomats feel that if
the danger of a general conflagration
is to be avoided, every energy should
be directed not only to limiting the
Bphere of operations, but toward an
attempt at mediation. They are dis¬
cussing the subjoct with great earnest¬
ness. It is not believed that Russia
will be disposed, while smarting under
j the humiliation of defeat, to accept in¬
tervention; but once a decisive vic¬
tory is achieved, the diplomats are
inclined to believe that owing to the
czar’s sincere aversion to war, he will
welcome good offices.
The Novoe Vremya declares Great
Britain’s failure to protest against
the violation of the neutrality of Ko¬
rea, whose inviolability was guaran¬
teed by the Angio-Japanese treaty,
proves that the treaty was directed
solely against Russia.
BELIEVE JAPS SUCCEEDED.
Naval experts in London are of the
opinion thri the Japanese fleet has
succeeded In bottling the Russian
squadron In Port Arthur and that the
latter’s effectiveness as a fighting ma¬
chine is gone.
Tho experts base their opinion on
the fact that tho stone-laden barge*
sent in by the Japanese were sunk by
the Russian fire at or near the mouth
of the harbor and must prove an in¬
surmountable obstruction to the egress
of such ships as make up ihe Port Ar¬
thur squadron.
If the Japanese have really succeed¬
ed in their design of blocking the har¬
bor entrance, tho fall of PorCArthur
must follow before a great while.
In all quarters tffere is extravagant
praise of the manner, in which tho
Japanese carried out their plan.
Tho British foreign office has re¬
ceived an official dispatch saying that
not one of the Japanese torpedo boats
was Injured in the attack on Port
Arthur on Wednesday, February 24.
OPENING OF COFFIN FATAL.
Germs of Typhoid From Dead Body
Decimate s Sioux Falls Family.
The opening of the coffin of a Sioux
Falls man who died In Louisiana of
typhoid fever has practically wiped
out th efamily of James Dougherty.
The body of one of Dougherty’s eons
was brought to Sioux Falls trom Lou¬
isiana, where he died of typhoid fever,
ver. The family opened the coffin.
Since then three other members of
me family have died of typhoid fever,
while the two others are seriously ill
with the same disease.
TO AID TOBACCO GROWERS.
Commissioner Yerkes Says Southern
Planters Should- Be Relieved.
At a hearing Thursday before the
house ways and means internal reve¬
nue, Commissioner Yerkes said he saw
no reason why „relief should not be
extended to the tobacco growers of
the south by removing the tax of 6
cents a pound on leaf. This would al¬
low the grower to sell his product to a
merchant or any on eelse.