Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1904 — THE WAR IN THE EAST [ARTICLE]

THE WAR IN THE EAST

JAPAN’S SUCCESSES ON LAND AS NOTABLE AS ON SEA. Mikado's Forces Seize Eeng-Waug-Chang and Cut Off Port Arthur—Rus- i sians Retreating to Concentrate Their Armies—General War News. Swift is the procession of events in the war In the Far East. After their defeat of the Russians at the Yalu, May 1, a defeat which cost the Czar's forces a loss of 2,394 men in killed, wounded and prisoners, the Japanese boldly pushed forward to Fong-Wang-Cheng, whore it had been asserted the Russians would give battle. The Russians, however, did not dare risk an engagement and the place fell into the hands of the Japanese, the enemy heating a retreat to Liao Yang, in the vicinity of which, it is now said, a oattle will take place, should General Kuroki follow up his advantage. It is probable, however, that General Kuropatkln, the Czar's commander-in-chief, may find it necessary not (o make a stand before the Japanese reach Mukden. It is said that he has not enough troops to meet the Japanese in open fight and hence his policy of retreating until he is sufficiently reinforced. Meantime the Japanese have landed in heavy force on the Liao Tong peninsula and Port Arthur has been cut off by land and sea from ail communication with the outside world. The landings were effected on the east and west coasts of the peninsula and within a short time the actual Investment of Port Arthur should be made. Simultaneously with the forward movement of the Japanese army under Kuroki and the landing on the Liao Tong peninsula, the Russians began the evacuation of New Chwang, the chief town of Manchuria. The place, with General Kuroki advancing on the road to Liao Yang, was untenable by the Russians, unless they elected to remain and undergo a siege, and so the place was abandoned and the military stores sent northward to Liao Yang. With the exception of Port Arthur, the whole of the Liao Tong peninsula now remains in Japanese possession and probably another week will see all of Manchuria, south of Mukden, in the grasp of the Mikado's soldiers. It is probable that a Japanese army will take possession of New Chwang and march forward toward Liao Yang to effect a junction with General Kuroki. The Russian retreat, however, greatly, strengthens the position of General Kilropatkin. Formerly his forces were scattered from New Chwang, in the west, half way up the Yalu River, in the east. Ignorauce of the Japanese plan of campaign and the uncertainty of where the Japanese would strike rendered necessary this disposition. Now the Japanese plans of action are fairly well revealed and General Kuropatkln is concentrating his forces to meet the enemy’s advance. With the exception of the garrison at Port Arthur there are now inr Russian soldiers further south in Manchuria than Liao Yang. What force General Kuropatkln has at his disposal is carefully concealed. It is said by some that 150,000 men, outside the garrisons, constitute the fighting forces of Russia in the Far East and from Paris comes the rumor that it will be July 21 before the last of the reinforcements which Kuropatkln needs for offensive operations shall have been dispatched from Europe. By that time it is asserted he will have 500,000 under him. Meantime 100,000 reserves have been called to the colors and Russia in further preparation for the struggle has placed a loan In Paris for $150,000,000.

Much interest centers ip Port Arthur, which the Japanese will soon formally besiege. Before they can strike the place it will be necessary to force the strong earthworks defending the narrow neck of land forming the entrance to Kwan Tung promontory. These works, owing to the shallowness of the water, cannot be attacked from sea, while the railroad, which traverses the promontory, will enable the Russians to move troops rapidly to any desired point. Just how the fortress Is prepared to stand a siege the world in general knows little. It has been said that It is provisioned for a year and that 50,000 men defend it. It has been said, too, that the place is actually short of provisions, and that the number of men defending It Is only 7,000 —some say 4,000. It doesn’t seem natural that with three months’ time, since the outbreak of hostilities, to provision It, the Russians would have been lax in this particular, and it may he assumed that the garrison Is sufficiently strong to make a stubborn' defense. Meantime the rumor of sending the Baltic fleet to the Far East is again revived. It Is said in St. Petersburg that the fleet, bonsistlng of eleven Ironclads nnd seventeen cruisers, will leave Cronstadt In July and will round Africa In Its voyage. If this report Is true, the Russians are evidently sanguine that Port Arthur nnd Vladivostok will be standing by that time.