HOW WARN ORIGINATED, THE CZAR AND ADMIRAL ALEXEIEFY, Reuter's correspondent in St. Petersburg gives an interesting review of the correspondence which took place between Adwiral Alexeieff and the Czar prior to the outbreak of hostilities. In December, 1903, Admiral Alexeieff warned the Czar that the Japanese would forestall the Russians on the Yalu and the roads leading to the Eastern Chinese Railway, which would ruin all Russia's plans and force her to centralize any eventual operations further to the north, and to leave Port Arthur to its f As the result of several representations, on December 26 the Czar commanded Admiral Alexeieff to mobilise the Far Eastern Districts, to declare a state of siege in Manchuria, at Port Arthur, and at Viadivostock, and generally to prepare for war. The Czar considered that every year of peace gained was of enormous importance" for Russia. Although he must not yield, Admiral Alexeieff should do his atmo to avoid war, His policy should be firm but courteous in form, and should ignore unimportant details, There must be no discussion about Munchuria either with Japan or any other Power. That was an altaic between Russia and China, Russi was willing to take into consideration the commercial interests of Japan and other nations provided they were under the Russian wgis and there were no Sottl ard a Jap: nese occupation of Coraa as a casus belli, On the contrary, such an occupation would be very advantageous to Russia because it would convict Japan of a violation of all international law.
On January 26, 1904, the Czar telegraphed to Admiral Alexeiof:* "It is desirable that the Japanese, not we, should begin hostilities, If they begin war against you, you should not prevent a descent on Southern Corea or near Gensan, but if their fleet, with or without an invasion, passes the 28th parallel, you have the right to attack it without we ing for the first shot. 1 place my trust in you; may God help you." The prayer, for some inscrutable reason, has not been granted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.