Message #200169

[Aphrodite]

Stoessel, After Long Conference, Surrenders City
Articles of Port Arthur's Capitulation Signed at 4:30 o'Clock Yesterday Afternoon REMNANTS OF FLEET OUT 800 Wounded Escape on Ship --Sunken Vessels Blown Up MIKADO SENDS HUMANE ORDER Russian Officers Tell of Sore Straits of the Garrison TALK OF PEACE IS NOW HEARD Roosevelt May Be Asked to Act--Baltic Fleet May Be Recalled--News Kept from Russians--Wild Joy at Tokio
By R. HART PHILLIPS

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Tokio, Jan. 2.--Port Arthur capitulated at 4:30 o'clock this afternoon. Gen. Nogi received from Gen. Stoessel at 9 o'clock last night a letter formally offering to surrender. He appointed officers to meet Russian officers in conference at noon today.

The text of Gen. Nogi's telegram announcing the capitulation of the Russian forces is as follows:

"The plenipotentiaries of both parties concluded their negotiations today at 4:30 o'clock. The Russian Commissioners accepted on the whole the conditions stipulated by us and consented to capitulate. The document has been prepared and signatures are now being affixed. Simultaneously with the conclusion of negotiations both armies suspended hostilities.

"It is expected that the Japanese Army will enter the City of Port Arthur tomorrow."

An earlier report from Gen. Nogi said:

"At 5 in the afternoon Jan. 1 the enemy's bearer of a flag of truce came into the first line of our position south of Shuishiying and handed a letter to our officers. The same reached me at 9 o'clock at night. The letter is as follows:

"'Judging by the general condition of the whole line of hostile positions held by you I find further resistance at Port Arthur useless, and for the purpose of preventing needless sacrifice of lives I propose to hold negotiations with reference to capitulation. Should you consent to the same, you will please appoint Commissioners for discussing the order and conditions regarding capitulation, and also appoint a place for such Commissioners to meet the same appointed by me.

"'I take this opportunity to convey to Your Excellency assurances of my respect. STOESSEL."

"Shortly after dawn to-day I will dispatch our bearer of a flag of truce with the following reply addressed to Stoessel:

"'I have the honor to reply to your proposal to hold negotiations regarding the conditions and order of capitulation. For this purpose I have appointed as Commissioner Major Gen. Ijichi, Chief of Staff of our army. He will be accompanied by some staff officers and civil officials. They will meet your Commissioners Jan. 2, noon, at Shuishiying. The Commissioners of both parties will be empowered to sign a convention for the capitulation without waiting for ratification and cause the same to take immediate effect. Authorization for such plenary powers shall be signed by the highest officer of both the negotiating parties, and the same shall be exchanged by the respective Commissioners.

"'I avail myself of this opportunity to convey to your Excellency assurance of my respect. "'NOGI.'"

Marshal Yamagata, Chief of General Staff, under orders from the Emperor, dispatched the following cablegram to Gen. Nogi:

"When I respectfully informed his Majesty of Gen. Stoessel's proposal for capitulation, His Majesty was pleased to state that Gen. Stoessel had rendered commendable service to his country in the midst of difficulties, and it is His Majesty's wish that military honors be shown to him."

It is believed here that the Port Arthur garrison has received liberal terms. There is a general disposition to be magnanimous in view of the garrison's marvelous defense. In military circles the opinion is expressed that the discussion between the Commissioners covered only a few questions, including allowing the garrison to march out carrying their arms, permitting the garrison to return to Russia with or without their officers, and requiring their parole not to take any further part in the war.

A dispatch from the Japanese Army before Port Arthur received at noon today says:

"The enemy's forces occupying Keekwan Mountain and 'Q' Fort, following an explosion at 12:30 this morning, opened a sudden and fierce rifle fire, which suddenly stopped.

"Our scouts were dispatched to the scene, and immediately afterward found the enemy evacuating these places. Our forces immediately occupied these two forts, and also the heights known as 'M' and 'N' south of the forts.

"This morning almost all the enemy's ships, large and small, were blown up in the entrance and inside the harbor. Our offensive movements have been suspended pending the negotiations."

Gen. Nogi's telegram announcing that Gen. Stoessel was prepared to discuss terms of capitulation reached Tokio early this morning, but was not made public until 10 o'clock.

The fall of Wan-Tai, popularly known as Signal Hill, following the loss of new Pan-Lung, is regarded here as a clear indication that the Port Arthur garrison had lost its power of serious resistance.

It is probable that the back of the Russian defense was broken when 203-Meter Hill was captured. The Russians desperately sought to retake that eminence, and sent infantry and marines against it in a series of counter-attacks, fruitlessly losing thousands of men.


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