Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1904 — PROGRESS OF THE WAR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

P ROGRESS OF THE WAR

The fog of mystery surrounding the war has been thicker during the last week than ever before, says the Chicago Tribune. There is a feeling that great events are going forward, but only the merest rumors of them have reached the outer world. ~ Kuroki has pushed his lines forward a few miles. Sakaroff reports that on the morning of July 7 a vast camp of the enemy was discovered in the neighborhood of Siaokhetzza, which is probably located as marked on the map.

In the meantime Oku has been active, After a severe tight on Friday he occupied Kaichou. It is unofficially reported from Tokio that he captured ten guns and fifty prisoners. If this be true, the Russians exhibited unpardonable negligence, because they must have allowed another small portion of their army to be caught by a superior force. If Kouropatkin lost ten guns at Kaichou, he repeated the blunder of the Yalu crossing and of Telissu. He allowed an inferior force, without hope of reinforcements, to get involved in a serious‘fight, to* get partly surrounded, and to haveffs guns taken. Perhaps he is undeserving of such strictures. The report of the Kaichou incident has not been confirmed, nevertheless he has already committed this identical blunder twice, and may have repeated himself.

• The puzzling question in regard to the Japanese disposition is the whereabouts of Nodzu. Early in May he was reported to have landed at Takushan, with the first, third and fourth dlvisioms. Since then his name has hardly appeared in Tokio dispatches. Now, the troops which carried NanKhan hill were the first, third and fourth divisions, the same as landed at Takusihan under Nodzu. When this army was transferred to the Liaotung peninsula is it not likely that Gen. Nodzu, its commander, went with it? If so, he is probably the mysterious “Gen. Nogi” continually referred to in unofficial disptaches, but never in Jap-

anese official reports, as besieging Port Arthur. In the army list of Japan there are two marshals, four generals and thirteen lieutenant generals. Not one of these Is named Nogl. It Is hardly likely that the siege of Port Arthur would be intrusted to a commander lower in rank than a lieutenant general. Admiral Alexleff's report on the naval battle of June 23 (In which the Russians suffered slightly, not seriously, as reported by Togo), has considerably cleared up the naval situation. In that fight the Russians sighted In the Japanese squadron four first-class and one second-class battleships, as well as four first-class armored cruisers. At the beginning of the war the Japanese had five first-class and one second-class battleships. The Hatsuse was sunk. Therefore the remainder of the Japanese battleship squadron, by Russian report, Is Intact Furthermore, it la concentrated near Port Arthur, and Admiral Kamlmura’s fleet must consist only of cruisers. The Japanese have seven first-class armored cruisers. Four of them were at Port Arthur on June 23. Three are probably with Kamlmura to cope»wlth the three armored cruisers of the Vladivostok squadron. Kamlmura has bad hla third chance

JXaUAUUUUia MUU uiv - to engage this squadron, but he bwkage'Wß are to be failed again. It escaped him. •< crosses th* n*nqnt annma in hmn tried to head o ff •‘ n * wan < lc i*eng road

seems to nave irieu to mi.u u strips on the high t 0 the Taitse river, which boats. He could not d,% U gh Lkoyang and empties Admiral Togo reqf, Liao river. eourse of a torpe*’ -

of June 27 a outside harlo were suoiad ma nt"*’ ou ndfou: . - -

p Ths application of the Kingman State Bank, at Kingman, Kan., to become a national bank has been approved. It will be known as the Farmers' National Bank of Kingman, with a capital of |2fly- , ooa

The Japanese suffered a naval disaater during the week in the blowing up of the Kaimon, an old wooden gunboat of 1,360 tons. Its commander got most of'the crew off, but refused to leave himself, and was drowned. The Kaimon was in Dalny bay. Its destruction shows that the divers engaged in clearing out the mines must have overlooked <fne of them. While Kouropatkin and Kuroki have been, facing each other and feinting, the siege of Port Arthur has been vigorously prosecuted. The Japanese are gradually, moving on from hill to hill, and have mounted their heavy siege guns in such a way as to reach all parts of the town. The Japs have apparently stretched their line clear around the town from Pigeon bay on the west to Lounvantian on the east A German reports that Port Arthur is overfortified. That is, that there are too many forts placed too near together in such a way that if a key fort be taken there will be half a- dozen other strongholds upon which the key fort can direct a plunging fire. The Japanese evidently are trying to get as close as possible to Port Arthur by approaches before putting their fate to the test of assault. Within a few weeks these approaches will be completed, and the world will have the story, either of the fall Of Port Arthur or of , its successful defense against desperate attack. Many thousands of soldiers will be killed, whether the attempt succeeds or fails. Gen. Sakaroff reports that no heavy rains have fallen recently in the theater of war. The rainy, season has either ceased earlier than was expected, or else it is taking a recess. In the dry weather events will march rapidly. This year’s campaign may be definitely decided within a month.

MAP OF THE THEATER OF WAR