Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 112, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1904 — PROGRESS OF THE EASTERN WAR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PROGRESS OF THE EASTERN WAR

Mukden, the ancient royal city of the Mancinis, is the focal point for the world-wide attention centered in the Russo-Japanese war. In successive stages tlie field of operations has swept across Manchuria. Liaoyang recently was the stage for great events. The battle fought there, even though but fragmentary facts are known, is conceded a place among the world's great military struggles. Kuropatkin, in a masterly retreat, forced upon him by the strategy of the enemy, covered forty miles of sodden roads, saving his army and artillery from total disaster and reached Mukden. Will he make a stand here, or will his weary army take up tlie march again to a position farther north? This is tlie question of the hour. A few miles north is Tie Pass, a position adapted by nature for defensive operations. This, say rumors, is in reality to be the scene of the next great battle. In fact, a desperate battle has already been reported here, but this is now denied. Mukden*..which in times of peace has at least 260,000 inhabitants, is situated in tlie center of an immense alluvial plain, about three miles from the Hunho, a tributary of the Liao river. It is about forty miles north of Port Arthur, forty-two miles north of Liaoyang and 350 miles south of Harbin. General Kuropatkin discovered, early in March, that Harbin was too far north to serve as a military base for the campaign in Southern Mancuhria, and he selected Mukden for his headquarters; because it is favorably situated on tlie railway and on tlie Pekin road. The city of Mukden has an outer wall of mud, and a lofty quadrangular inner wall three miles in circuit, built of brick, flanked by lofty towers and pierced by eight gates protected by lofty brick bastipns. This wall, on which three carriages could drive abreast, protects the commercial and official part of the city, and is densely crowded. Mukden, besides being tlie great grain emporium of Manchuria, is the center of the Chinese fur trade, and attracts buyers from all parts of the world. It is the ancient royal city of the Mancinis, and the former burial place of tlie rulers of China. About the city and- about the tombs centers the veneration of China's millions. Aside from this, Kuropatkin may not only avoid battle at Mukden, but may be compelled to abandon all hope of further resistance until after the winter months. His army, repeatedly defeated, is badly demoralized, say rumors. Its morale cannot but have been affected, and though its valor has been unmistakably proven, the task of again facing the fanatical desperation of tlie Japanese might prove too severe a strain. ’ Two months of autumn remain for fighting. Nevertheless, it is more dhan probable that the battle of LiaoyaAg marks the last important struggle of the present year. The rains now preyent operations. The plan of the Japanese will not develop until transportation becomes possible over the roads. A determined advance on the part of the enemy will in all probability be followed by a prompt northward movement on the part of Kuropatkin. In that event, the winter will find this situation: Tlie main Russian army will be centered at Harbin, with tlie rear guard at Tie Pass. The main Japanese army will be quartered in and about Liaoyang, with its advance guard at Mukden. Rumors have come

from Toklo of a winter campaign. Those familiar with the rigors of the Manchurian winters doubt that such course could be seriously considered. Japan could well afford to grant a period of rest to an army which has accomplished fairly marvelous things In seven months of fighting. All is speculation, however, and no definite word may be uttered until the armies again move and their plans ac-

tually develop. Meantime, ancient Mukden rivets attention. It is impossible to ascertain what has happened during the last week between Liaoyang and Mukden, except in the broadest outlines, and even as to these there is uncertainty. We know that Kouropatkin lias been

withdrawing his army northward, but how far he has taken it we cannot tell. We know that Kuroki has been in touch with his rear guard to the east at least part of the time. We have had it officially stated several times that the entire Russian army was in Mukden or north of there, and concurrently we have had

scraps of Information to indicate that the movement was not yet completed. Rumors even of pitched battles fought by the Russian rear guard are still coming. We may disregard as manifestly erroneous all stories from hysterical correspondents and army officers in Mukden of fighting close In to that city, and we can similarly disregard the report that Kuroki's and Oku’s forces are respectively twenty-

seven and twenty miles to the east and west of Mukden. The other day there appeared three circumstantial accounts of the battle of Liaoyang, telegraphed in by correspondents who had been present. Two of these correspondents were with Oku’s, or the left, army, while one was with Kuroki’,s, or the right, army. All three of them agree that the battle was fought with desperate bravery on both sides. The Russians exhibited a new ability to hold the Japanese. Oku, on the left, assaulted again and again—on one occasion thrice during twenty-four hours. He lost regiments at a time, yet he kept on. In the opinion of the Chicago Trib-' une, if the Japs had tried to take Liaoyang exclusively by direct assault they would have failed. But the flanking movement of Kuroki, who threatened to get behind the Russians, compelled them to evacuate the town. The critics who have eyes only for Oku’s army, and see it battered and bruised in its direct assaults, must not forget that Kuroki could not attempt bls flanking movement from the east unless Oku should press the south in sufficient numbers to keep a large number of Russians employed there, and so prevent them from being sent to interfere with Kuroki’s flank march. But the Japanese did not surround and capture the Russian army. That is a thing not often done. Kuroki, marching from his bridges across the Taitze, had twice as far to go to reach the railroad above Liaoyang as Kouropatkln, who was in Liaoyang and on the railroad. In addition, Kouropatkln has steam to increase his mobility, while Kuroki must plow his men and transports over wretched, muddy footpaths. Small forces in good positions could delay Kuroki; there were no forces on the railroad to check Kouropatkln. In every war of history a victory such as Oyama won has been called “sweeping.” He forced the Russians out of a strongly fortified place, chased them to Mukden, forty miles northward, and It is reported that they are still going, and propose to make for Tlellng, forty miles north of Mukden. This retreat is directly away from Port Arthur. The Port Arthur situation remains obscure. There has been some heavy fighting. The Japs gained a few advantages, though probably at a heavy cost. The Russians are now forced to distill sea water because the Japanese have cut off the last remaining fresh water spring of the Russians, which was at Fort Etse. Etse and the adjoining forts are not occupied by either side, since these positions nro dominated by batteries of both sides,

FIELD MARSHAL OYAMA, THE HERO OF LIAOYANG.

THE SITUATION AT PORT ARTHUR.