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Show MINES ARE SOWN BY THE RUSSIANS Many of Them Are Planted Around Port Arthur by Torpedo Boats. Havy Draught Ships Cruising in Mine Fiolds Surs to Strike Them, Loss of Two Japanese Warships Gives Russia Moro' Hope as. to Outcome of War. ST. PETERSBURG, May 20. Tho loss of at least two Japanese warships Is officially "confirmed. A message dated Port Arthur, received by carrier car-rier pigeon at Mukden, was transmitted to the Emperor early yesterday morning, saying that two Japanese warships had been lost off that port. Without references refer-ences to Its effect on tho campaign, the peoplo regard tho disaster a3 Divine Interposition In-terposition In the Russian cause. "It lo nn offering to Russia upon tho day of Ascension and tho Emperor's birthday, and It Is a sign that God Is with us," was tho remark generally hoard. In naval circles the Japancso catastrophe catas-trophe Is a matter of rejoicing, though regrets aro exprossod that bravo men have lost their lives, just as Japan voiced Its sorrow to -tho world when bravo men went down with tho Potropavlosk. But this feeling of sympathy In swallowed up In tho greater thanksgiving for tho blow Indicted on the sea power of the enemy. It Is pointed out that tho Hatsusc was ono of Japan's finest battleships, and that tho loss of two, and possibly four warships war-ships at Intervals of a few days, cannot fall to deeply affect Japan and Inllucncc tho courso of campaign. The General Staff tonight Is without direct di-rect news of tho sinking of tho Shlklnha-ma Shlklnha-ma and tho Fuji, but thoro Is an Impression Impres-sion that It may bo true. Tho reports at any rato have Infused fresh llfo and enthusiasm en-thusiasm In official circles, where It Is believed that tho tide Is turned. Sown With Explosives. No surprlso Is expressed by the Admiralty Ad-miralty at tho Japanese vessels striking Russian mines, tho Admiralty expecting such a mislrap to Vice Admiral Togo, particularly since tho naval commandors at Port Arthur havo faithfully duplicated the plan which resulted In the sinking of tho Petropalovsk. Wherever off Port Arthur Ar-thur the Japancso squadron appeared during1 dur-ing1 the day, that same night Russian torpedo tor-pedo boats stole out and carefully planted contact mlneSj which, below the surface, would not be touched by tho destroyers, but ships of heavier draught cruslng In tho mlno Holds would be sure to strike thorn. The favorite point selected by tho Japancso Ja-pancso for bombarding Is Llao Tlshan promontory and the water thoro has beon thickly sown with Russian mines. Other points beside Llao Tlshan have also been mined, and It has been dangerous for tho Japanese ships to crulso In those waters. The effect of the disaster undoubtedly will bo to cause Admiral Togo to be more cautious for he must save his squadron for tho contest for tho supremacy of tho sea with tho Baltic ileet when It arrives In tho Pacific. Restores Equilibrium. Tho loss of tho shlpB. Irrespective of other casualties which may have occurred. oc-curred. Is of tho moat Importance, according ac-cording to tho General Staff, members of which pointed out to the Associated Press that It tends to restore tho equilibrium afloat. Despite tho number of casualties casual-ties In the RuEfilan fleet, it has really lost only one battlcshlp.the Petropavlovsk. It Is true that the Retvlzan and tho Czarevitch were torpedoed at tho beginning begin-ning of the war, but both were safely towed Into Port Arthur. The damage they sustained was serious, particularly to tho Czarevitch, but repairs have been pending since then and tho officials stato that the Retvlzan Is ready to resume her place In the lighting line The Russians now say that tho fates am against Japan. The later movements reported to the General Staff tend to decidedly de-cidedly befog ,the authorities as to the real position of tho enemy. It Is now generally agreed that tho mission of the second Japancso army Is not merely tho Investment of Port Arthur, Ar-thur, but its capture. Tho Japanosc must appreciate, now that the ficet has been weakened that the appearance of the Baltic Bal-tic fleet will mako Rutla Immensely superior su-perior afloat, unless the Port Arthur squadron be destroyed. If the Japanese are to bo successful In the war thoy must retain commnnd of the sea, however great the cost . , . Whatever mav havo been tho original object of the landing of troops In the southern part of the Llao Yang peninsula, penin-sula, it Is believed here that It cannot bo the destruction of the squadron at Port Arthur. Will Leave Harbor. Even should tho enemy capture tho fortress. It la declared that It would never get the Russian warships, as, under orders or-ders given before Port Arthur was cut off, tho crippled squadron was to leavo tho harbor Immediately before tho fortress fort-ress fell and attack the Japanese licet If the enemy retained tho superiority which existed before the ships were de-stroved, de-stroved, there would have been little chance of a successful sortie. Now tho authorities aro hopeful that In caso tho squadron must go out the chances In the conflict will be more even- This will be the caso If the repairs to the Retvlzan and Czarevitch are finished In time. The crippling of Togo's fleet will, It Is thought, more than ever deter the Japanese Japa-nese commander from dividing his fket. as he must retain his heavier ships off ?ort Arthur. Thus the Vladivostok squadron squad-ron may havo another opportunity for raids. |
