Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1904 — WAR DURING WEEK. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WAR DURING WEEK.

JAPANESE ARE VICTORS IN SIX DAYS’ FIGHTING. Jlikado’e Land Army Moving Steadily on Port Arthur with a Seemingly Invincible Advance Kuroki’s Men Threaten to Take Fortress by Storm. The last week of the war,-like most if its predecessors, was Japanese. The second important land battle occurred

and resulted in a decisive but most bloody victory for the Mikado’s men. Kinchou lies on the Liaotung peninsul a , thirty-two miles northeast of Port Arthur. In its vicinity the peninsula is but two miles wide and dominated from sea to sea by the

Kinchou heights, which form a strong ind useful outpost to Port Arthur. Between lUnchou and Port Arthur there was no available landing place for the Japanese troops. It was. necessary for them, therefore, to land above Kinchou md march down over it before they eould take Port Arthur. Owing to the sircumscribed area maneuvering for possession of Kinchou and Nanshan bill behind was almost impossible. The situation resolved itself into a plain tasepf fight The battle lasted for six days, but the severe fighting was on Thursday, May 26. The Russians fought like heroes, but the Japanese fought like mad men. The Nipponese combination of fanatical, reckless bravery with cool, precise calculation, as demonstrated in the battles of the Yalu and Kinchou, has never before been seen in military history. , - It is hardly too much to say that live Japanese are invincible. The only way to stop them when they receive definite orders to go ahead is to kill

them. And from present indications the only way Russia will be able to whip them in this war will be to kill them all. As long as there is a live Japanese army anywhere in Manchuria it is apt to be victorious. The world is beginning to regard the Jap soldier with excessive and uneasy admiration. What sort of a soldier is he who can in three months upset all the carefully collected and thoroughly accepted dicta over military art —who can disprove the int’alli-' bility of the lessons of Cold Harbor, St. Private, Plevna, Shipka Pass, and the Tugela—who can in the face of modern rifles carry a strongly fortified and numerously occupied height by direct assault? Later news of the Kinchou-Nanshan fight makes the Japanese victory even more overwhelming. They captured fifty guns from their enemy “besides,” as their official report puts it, “many other things.” After taking Nanshan hill, at 7 p. m. on the night of May 26, the indefatigable Japs pressed on, and on the morning of Friday, May 27, occupied Naquanling, the second line of the Russian defense. Japanese troops now envelop over half of Talienwan Bay, on which Dalny is situated. The Japanese acknowledge 3,000 killed and wounded and say the enemy left 400 dead on the field. The Russian general staff acknowledges that it will be difficult if not impossible for General Stoessel to make another stand outside of Port Arthur. Probably the siege of that stronghold will begin forthwith. The Japanese imply, they will endeavor to storm it within two weeks. If they succeed in this seemingly impossible attempt their success will mark a new epoch in the world's history. So much for General Oko’s Port Arthur army. The movements of Kuroki are not so theatrical or traceable. Kuroki's left is at Takushan on the sea, where he has a base. His lines extend northeast to Fengwangcheng, where is his center and main concentration. This place is fortified by 30,000 troops. Advance guards have been thrown out from Fengwangcheng on the two roads to Haicheng and Llaoyang. Between the Japanese scouts and the Cossacks there is continual sklripishing. The strength of Kuroki’s entire force is unknown. The troops landed at Takushan have been estimated by the Russians at about 20,000. Kuroki’s right constitutes the mystery. How strong it is, where it is, and what it purposes to do are all matters of conjecture. It is on the road which leads to Mukden. Some days ago there was a rumor that it bad appeared above Mukden, thereby cutting off the retreat of the Russian concentration at Liaoyang.

K-iroki’s line is so long that it seems as if an active enemy might attack its various columns and beat them in detail, but the ground In which such operations would have to be carried on is exceedingly broken. If a superior Russian force of 30,000 or 50,000 moved to crush Kuroki's right wing, it would find itself unable to draw out the full effectiveness of its numbers owing to the narrow passes and miserable roads over which it would have to maneuver. While Kuroki’s line Is long from end to end, it Is not equally thin in all places, but is concentrated in three columns at Takushan, Fengwangcheng, and the unknown point north or northeast. Small bodies of Cossack cavalry have been able to insert themselves between the three points of concentration and get in the rear of the Japanese. The raiders have done little material harm. Their chief value has been that of scouts and collectors of intelligence. Kouropatkin’s army lies parallel to Kuroki’s at a distance of 100 miles. The scouts and advance guard of both armies are keeping touch in the interval. Kouropatkin’s right rests at Newchwang, and his forces extend along the line of railroad through Ilaicheng to Liaoyang and Mukden. The main concentration is at Liaoyang. Because of the railroad, however, the Russian troops are exceedingly mobile, and the center of gravity can be rapidly shifted. Liaoyang is being well fortified. If Oku’s soldiers can storm Port Arthur the survivors will probably about face and push up the railroad against the enemy’s right, while at the same time Kuroki will make a concerted advance against his whole line, perhaps endeavoring to outflank the Russian left with his own mysterious night

GEN. KOUROPATKIN

GENERAL KUROKI.

SCENE OF THE YALU RIVER BATTLE.