OCR Text |
Show II LONDON DISCOUNTS ALEXIEFF'S REPORT r 1 f ' British Experts Find It Difficult to M Bolievo Japan Lost Any War-j War-j ( ships. ' i .i LONDON. Feb. 2-1. Vlcoroy Aloxlcff s r dispatch to the Czar of Russia, clcar- ing up the doubts caused by the sen- satlonal versions of the last Port Arthur affair, was received In London ' too late to bo published in the early editions of the morning papers, but It confirms tho opinion, founded upon earlier rumors, that Admiral Togo I made a daring attempt to bottle up tho : i Russian lleet at Port Arthur and al-j al-j ( though Viceroy Alexleff asserts that the entrance to the harbor at Port Ar-1 Ar-1 thur is still free, the fact that Admiral Togo's fleet, minus the vessels injured Bj, in tho courageous exploit, was soon j steaming at full speed on a southeast J course from Wei Hal Wei, Is intor- proted as an indication of the Japanese 2 Admiral's satisfaction with the ac- Ifl complishment of his design. i It is pointed out hero that it would 3 " be difficult for the Russians In the darkness of night to ascertain Just what had happened to Japanese vessels or 2 to distinguish between the hulks it wab 2 their Intention to sink and torpedo j boats. As two injured vosbcIs were observed steaming slowly away from Port Ar- thur and as the Japanese licet was go-i go-i ing at full speed off Wel-Hal-Wel, it is presumed that the two Injured vessels j might have gone elsewhere to repair. ; Another explanation of the lncom- , . pleteness of Admiral Togo's squadron . as seen off Wei-Hal-Wel is that he pos-j pos-j sibly left some vessels to watch off Port Arthur. 1 Further details of this engagement i from Independent sources are awaited s with the greatest Interest, but it is be- l lleved that the reports that Japanese ;i battleships or transports wore sunk , J should be taken with a degree of allow-i allow-i ance. J A dispatch received hero from Toklo i this morning explain the recent sus-j sus-j . pension of Japanese naval operations ; to have been due chiefly to bad : t weather prevailing in tho Gulf ot Pe-( Pe-( Chi-Ll, where there have been heavy winds, snowstorms and fogs. The general opinion here is that Admiral Ad-miral Togo after possibly returning to Japan to make repairs will next devote his attontlon to the Russian Vladivo-. Vladivo-. stock squadron. |