3 Jan Headline:  Tokio Wild With Joy

[Lead Paragraph]  Tokio is wildly joyous over Gen. Nogi’s telegram announcing that Gen. Stoessel has sent a letter relating to the surrender of Port Arthur.

Newsboys crying extras were the messengers who carried the news to the holiday crowds in the streets.  The people grabbed the papers and repeated the cries.  Thus was the news carried throughout  the city, and within a few minutes the firing of aerial bombs and daylight rockets began.  Bands appeared and a score of processions formed and surged through the principle streets.

3 Jan Headline:  Fortress A Veritable Hell

The Russian officers have a single word for what the fortress has been for the past five days, during which the Japanese have bombarded and assaulted it ceaselessly night and day – hell.  They use the word unprofanely and convincingly, declaring that the horrors witnessed were beyond any description.

There was not a single spot in town that was safe from shrapnel.  Many of the hospitals were hit and the wounded refused to stay in them.  Some lay in the streets on heaps of debris, exposed to the bitterly cold weather, and some staggered back to the front, hurling stones and defying the Japanese till taken prisoners or death came mercifully to end their sufferings.

It might be interesting to have a real discussion about the siege of Port Arthur – and how the world media – and thus the world – reacted to it back in 1905 —- in light of what we have seen these days in Gaza……but that is for another time and place….

“In the casemates of the forts one saw everywhere faces black with starvation, exhaustion, and nerve strain.  You spoke to them, but they did not give answer, only staring dumbly.

“The Russians sat in the casemates firing not more than once to the 200 shots sent by the Japanese.  When the assault came they repulsed the enemy with bayonets.

3 Jan Headline:  Port Arthur’s Long And Heroic Defense

Starts with possible dating of the beginning of the siege – either 221 or 152 days.

All that is known is that the cost in human life was fearful and that in modern times no military commander had previously dared sacrifice men as Nogi sacrificed them in the Shan-Tung Peninsula.

16 Jan Headline:  Mistchenko’s Raiders Invade Neutral Zone

Another issue in the Russo-Japanese war, which I know just a tiny bit about, was fear among the colonial powers that China would be broken up leading to a greater European conflict – like WWI – perhaps.

Around the time of the fall of Port Arthur, there are a number of articles about Russian threats to take the war into China-proper.  I chose a rather short article to just note this part of the conflict – because I’ve been trying to keep my focus here on actual fighting on the ground and sea.

The raid of Russian cavalry in the vicinity of Niu-Chwang…was only possible on the assumption that the Cossacks moved down west of the Liao River.

Consequently the Russians must have flagrantly and openly violated Chinese neutrality.

In keeping an eye on the actual field of conflict, I’ve also omitted the many articles dealing with the Russian and Japanese home fronts – though that view is not unimportant – especially considering the Czar’s troubles at home during the period leading up to the eventual revolution.

Much of the second half of January is taken up with news of Russian strikes and widespread protests.