The Army Reorganisation Department, of which it will be remembered Prince Ching is President, Viceroy Yuan Shih-kai Vice President, and Rich Liang Deputy Vice President, has decided to sond to Japan by the and of September nexd a large number of military cadets selected from military academies of the various provinees, for their " smartness," general intelligence and promise. It is estimated that no less that sixty cadets will comprise the first batch for Japan—successive batches being sent annually—and these will study, by permission of the Japanese Government, at the best Military schools of that country until they pass in all the necessary studies and qualifications, 8th August. A Momentous Conversation, Mr. Lossar is credited with having said the other day, during a call upon Prince Ching:—Your Highness must know that this war of Russia with Japan was entirely due to the head. strong wishes and personal desires of three military officers of H. I. M. the Ozer, resulting in the present disastrous fiasco. (His Excellency had apparently forgotten his declaration to the same Prince when the war broke out—"Just wait, your Highness, and soe how we shall' deal with these presumptuous Japs. Why, we shall simply smother these little men by the mere pressure of our huge armies, who will sweep'them off from the face of the earth as easily as one would turn over the palm, of his hand") Continuing, the Russian Minister is reported to have said to Prince Ching: "The successive defeats our arms have suffered from the Japanese since the commencement of hostilities make mo feel ashamed to re-"main here, Indeed, I may say this to your Highness, that as regards the late treaties between Russia and China, the fact is that Russia first broke faith and we cannot therefore complain if China doos not herself keep faith in the future." The reported conversation has given much food for thought to all enlightened Chinese, for in it they see, in' this very humility of the erstwhile "extra" haughty Muscovite (in his dealings with the Chinese Minister of the Crown), a bait temptingly dangledibefore the eyes of the Chinese War Party, that is to say, those who wish China to throw in her lot with Japan in this war, to induce China to break her hitherto strictly-kept neutrality and so give the excuse to the Russian armies to swarm into Manchuria by way of the rich Chinese provinces on the one hand, and on the other, to permit Russia to call upon France to assist her according to the terms of the dual alliance.
To Proceed to Yink'ou, A North Chinchou dispatch states that Wen, the new Taotai of the Feng-Chi Shanhaikuan Intendancy and Customs 'Taotai of Yink'ou, the port of the city of Newchang, who since taking over his seals of ofice at North Chinchou a fortnight ago has, so far, romained in that city, his yamen or official residence being in' a watched-looking native inn, has received instructions from Viceroy Yuan Shih-kai to proceed without delay to Yinkou to take up his duties of Customs Taotai of the port.
The Bombardment of Port Arthur.
A Chefoo dispatch reports that the batteries placed by the Japanese on Erhlungshan are playing deadly havoc with the town, shipping, and docks in Port Arthur, and that so hot have the Japanese made the Eastern harbour for the warships and destroyers moored there, that the latter have taken refuge in the Western basin. It is confidently anticipated by those who have most recently loft that port, that the Russians must perforce surrender by to-morrow aftornoon, if not before.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.