Japanese merchant steamships to be prepared for use as troop transports according to the Dutch newspaper Bataviaasch nieuwsblad dated 6 November 1903

An item dated Yokohama, Japan 18th reported that the Japanese cabinet ordered some days ago a number of merchant shipping companies to prepare some of their steamships to be used as troop transports.(1)

Note
1. Russian and Japanese ambitions in Manchuria and Korea conflicted. The Russo-Japanese War 8 February 1904-5 September 1905 ended disastrous for Russia.