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Show BATTLE WILL BE FOUGHT OUT BEEOM THAW MAKES ROADS IMPASSABLY IN MANCHURIA; BIG GUNS BEING FjEB President Roosevelt Is Urged to Take Early Steps to Mediate in the War Between Be-tween Russia and Japan. BULLETIN-. TOKIO, Feb. 9, 1 1 :30 a. m. Tho impression prevails here that the Impending battle between the armies of rield Marshal Oyama and Gen. Kuropatkin will occur before any material thaw takes place, which would convert the country into a slushy bog and render the movement of guns, ammunition and stores impossible un til the roads harden. A report from Manchuria n headquarters says that the Russians have continued their bombardment in the direction of the Shakhe river since the night of February 7. They continue intrenching in front of Liuchen-pao Liuchen-pao and in the vicinity of Heikoutai. straits will not be lighted except occa-I occa-I sionally. The official announcement says this decision was necessary for strategic reasons and warns cijastlng and neutral neu-tral navigators that lri passing Tsugaru straits they must exercise the greatest care. The Japanese continue to patrol Tsushiml and Tsugaru straits, and It is believed that the blockade of Vladivostok Vladivo-stok is effective. It was reported from Vladivostok under un-der date of February 1 that the Russian Rus-sian armored cruisers Rossla and Gro-moboi Gro-moboi had repaired, but it Is doubted whether they will emerge from the harbor har-bor on account of the extensive seizures by the Japanese of coal-laden ships bound for Vladivostok. Large stocks have been purchased by Japan, which has now ceased purchasing purchas-ing coal. FRENCH FACTORIES UNDERBID BY GERMANS FOR RUSSIAN GUNS PARIS. Frb. 9. A dispatch to the Matin from St. Petersburg says Finance Minister Kokovsoff In the course of an Interview said German firms had been given Russian military contracts In preference to French rlrms because the prices of the latter were considerably higher. The Minister said it was absolutely false that the Germans Ger-mans had, when negotiating the last Russian loan, imposed the condition that German firms should receive Russian Rus-sian military contracts. WASHINGTON. Feb. 9. President Roosevelt was urged today to take ac-- ac-- tion looking to the termination of the '"j'iVsso-Japanese war. The request was made by the Inter-Parliamentary Inter-Parliamentary Union, through the president pres-ident of the organization. Representative Representa-tive Bartholdt of Missouri. Dr. Bartholdt explained to the President Presi-dent that ,the consensus of opinion among the members of the union and among European parliamentarians w ith whom he is in correspondence was that the President of the United States was the one man with the pnsFible exception ex-ception of the Emperor of Germany, who indicated no disposition to try to bring the war to an end, who might be listened to on the subject with favor by Russia, ' : , Tho .Hagu CmteTtoC9.''' Dr. Bartholdt pointed out that although al-though Russia had let it be understood that any offer of mediation from whatever what-ever source would be not only unwelcome, unwel-come, but would be regarded as an unfriendly un-friendly act, such an attitude was in violation of the plain stipulations of The Hague convention of which Russia was not only a party, but of which the Czar was the moving power. No Promises Given. The President gave Dr. Bartholdt no Oflalte assurances beyond promising to consider the matter with Secretar Hay. It is known to be quite unlikely that this Government will take; any action ac-tion looking to mediation until some nr-Eurances nr-Eurances have been received from other parties to the pending conflict that suvh action would not be unwelcome. VLADIVOSTOK PORT IS EFFECTUALLY BLOCKED BY, ICE AND WARSHIPS TOKIO, Feb. 9. Entry to Vladivostok Vladivo-stok from the sea is now limited to tsushiml straits and Tsugaru straits. The Soya straits are barred by. ice. Reports Re-ports received here from Hokkaido and also from coasting vessels say Soja straits are not frozen over, but are filed with floe and bergs, making navigation nav-igation practically impossible. To further Increase the difficulty of inching Vladivostok the Japanese Government announces that the llght-houses llght-houses In the vicinity of Tsugaru HIGH OFFICIALS ARE BLAMED BY EDITOR FOR FAILURE OF1 THE WAR ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 9. M. Sou-vorln, Sou-vorln, editor of the Novoe Vremya, In a pessimistic review of the first year of the war. In today's issue of Ms paper, attributes the responsibility for the Russian disasters firstly to Foreign For-eign Minister Lamsdorff, former "Viceroy "Vice-roy Alexieff and Baron Rosen, late Russian Minister to Japan, whom he accuses of drawing Russia Into a terrific terri-fic war by complete ignorance of the true state of affairs In the Far East. M. Souvorln declares the reason for the fall of Port Arthur before the complete com-plete exhaustion of its means of reslst-ence reslst-ence was the death of MaJ.-Gen. Kon-dratenko, Kon-dratenko, who was the real hero of the defense of the fortress, and who filled both the civil and military men with courage, while Lieut.-Gen. Stoessel only manifested civil courage. |