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Show BATTLE- GROUND FROZEN;, . HOSTILITIES OYER UNTIL WINTER'S; BACK IS BROKEN Soldiers Fraternize at Icebound Ice-bound River; Russia Not Averse to Reconvening of Peace Congress. BULLETIN. ST. PETERSBURG, Not. 17. The Busaian formal reply, says a dreo- lar note regarding the convening of The Hague conference, Is not ex pected until next week. In the me a time the views of other powers are being ascertained through the Russian representatives abroad. While there is no reason to believe that Russia can agree to participate in a conference con-ference during the war, there is every indication that she will not only not resent the proposal, but that her reply will be of a cordial character. ' BULLETIN. ST. PETERSBURG, Nov. 17. As a result of the dispatches received from Oen. Stoessel, the War office expresses entire confidence that Fort Arthur will be able to hold out till the arrival of the Russian second Pacific Pa-cific squadron. ' disappeared in the direction of Port Ar . thur. The sinking of the Rastoropny 'by the Russians relieved the Japanese of an embarrassing em-barrassing position. A repetition of the torpedo-boat destroyer Ryeshitelnl Incident Inci-dent would have aroused indignation, while a failure to destroy or cut the Rastoropny Ras-toropny would have appeared like admitting admit-ting previous wrongdoing. JAPANESE PREPARING FOR A SPEEDY ATTACK ON RUSSIAN FORCES. MUKDEN, Nov. 17. (Via Peking.) If there is to be any activity at the front In the near future it Is apparent that the Initiative In-itiative must be taken by the Japanese. It Is reported that the Japanese are concentrating con-centrating strong forces on their right, left. . , and center, undoubtedly with the realization realiza-tion )hat they must be assured of speedy success before attacking, as It will be Impossible Im-possible for their armies to remain In the field without shelter, owing to the bitterly cold nights. The Russians have greatly strengthened their positions and hope to hold Mukden through the winter. MUKDEN, Nov. iff, 3 p. m. Via Tientsin. Tien-tsin. Nov. 17. Four days' sharp cold has silenced the artillery and.Infantry fire between be-tween the opposing positions and has driven the soldiers into their dugouts along thj entire Intrenched line. The apparent impossibility for either side to eject the other from their burrows, and the fact that in (he event one side succeeded suc-ceeded In advancing it could not dig the i other out of its intrenchments on account 1 of the frost, seems to promise a winter's Inactivity, although the Japanese, thres days ago, made a small reconnaissance to-' ward the extreme cast and pushed back the Russian cavalry a few miles as though they were Investigating the pbssl-bilities pbssl-bilities for a flanking movement. Neutrality on Water Line. i Wells alcyg the lines are dry and both ' sides usiuth Snakhe river, where the sol- j diers approach unarmed and get water 1 under recognized mutual sanction not to fire on a single soldier. Here the noble art of war is confined to fisticuffs and swapping swap-ping cigarettes. Jack knives and food, all of which are prized. Familiarities are Inevitable In-evitable where long lines are in continuous continu-ous contact. The armies have now been stationary for so long that they are drawing draw-ing supplies of fuel and horse forage from the distant rear, ill other supplies being exhausted. FIGHTING CONTINUES ' AT PORT ARTHUR; BATTLES AT NIGHT CHEFOO, Nov. 17, 9:30 p. m. Fighting at Port Arthur has taken place nightly since the Japanese began their general assault as-sault on October 2S, according to Capt. Ronberg, a pilot, who was a passenger on the Russian torpedo boat destroyer Rastoropny. The Japxnese trenches, the captain says, are cfcwst to the fort on Rthlung and Kekwan mountains, and to other forts of the northeastern group. The sharpshooters of both sides occupying occu-pying the pits converge with each other and frequently make Individual truces In order to borrow cigarettes or to relieve their cramped limbs. The Japanese are displaying great energy en-ergy In the construction of trenches and the mounting of jruns. All the railroad steamer belonging to the Russians except the steel screw transport trans-port Amur have been sunk by Japanese shells. The hospital ship Angara, formerly a transport, has been sunk in shallow water. The patients are etlll on board th shin and are comfortable. The Jar-mese shells directed against the harbor are fired with remarkable accuracy. accu-racy. Recently a silk clad Chinaman, who was !een traveling in a sampan, was watched by the R'lSPinnp. who ohserve1 that, following fol-lowing the fjiwrharge of eHch sheil, he placed a hafidkerrhief to his noe and then into his loft pocket, occasionally varying these movements, apparently thus sisnallins' the landing plnces of the s'lei.s. The shells fell beMud obstructions, which Tict prevented the Jinanese obtaining a direct view of their effect. The C'hlnuinan was harped. One day last we:k a hospital ship moved too near the battleships in 'the harbor, whereupon the Jap?r;ese dropped small shells around her with the obvious pur-1-ose of warning her sway. The ship took th hint, and when Fhe was outside the zone of dinner larse shells began falling near the battleships. JAPS RELIEVED BY . KUSSIAN ACTION IN SINKING THE VESSEL. CHEFOO. Nov. 17 The three Japanese torpedo-boat destroyers which entered the harbor this morning to ascertain if the Ui.ssian torporiQ-boat destroyer Rnstorop-r.y Rnstorop-r.y was here disapne.irel for n timt but reappeared this alternoon. The Japanese Consul sent a cutter ut to meet them and Informed the nearest destroyer, the Ka-Mimi, Ka-Mimi, that the Rastoropny had been Etmk. The Consul says this was the first the ship knew of the sinking of the Rastoropny. Rastor-opny. The Kasuml transmitted the information infor-mation by wireless telegraph to the Japanese Jap-anese flagship, whereupon the destroyers |
