The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-28
ADVANCE ON
vLADlv0STOk.
Japanese Are Organizing an
Army in Korea.
To March Against the Russian
Northern Stronghold.
MOVEMENT HAS BEGUN
Advance Guards Checked by a
Body of COssacks.
A Battle at Mukden a Matter OF
Speculation.

New York, Sept. 2S.-During the
last 10 days $500 troops have arrived
| at Chemulpo and others are expected,
| says a Herald dispatch from Seoul,
! Korea, forwarded last Sunday. The
| Japanese authorities at Gensan are
collecting four thousand pack ponies
for the use of the army to advance
northward along the eastern coast to-
ward Vladivostock The advance al
| ready has begun. Sixteen hundred
| Japanese troops, with five machine
guns, five hundred pack ponies and
| 400 coolies are reported to have ar
! rived at Hamyeung.
The advance guard was fired upon
! by cossacks. Ten men were killed and
| II wounded. The Japanese were COM
| pletely surprised and retreated to
| await the coming of the main body.
The garrison at GenSan is being re-
| inforced from Seoul and Piengyan.
The Russians meanwhile are send
! ing reinforcements south from Kap-
san to effect a junction with the force
| at Pukchien.
On account of the great difficulties
experienced in obtaining ponies the
japanese are shipping large quantities
| of supplies north from Gensan by car
! go boat to Yuinhuing. The opinion
prevails here that northeastern Korea
will be the scene of an active winter
| campaign.
Meanwhile both belligerents are
| strongly endeavoring to gain an ad-
vantage between the Tumen river and
Gensan.
1t is reported that another secret
| society has been formed in the north
| by the Koreans who are pro-Russian
4 in sentiment, with the object of affili-
ating with the Tong Haks.
| May Retire on Tie Pass.
St. Petersburg, Sept. 2s.-7:42 A. M
| n inc TTT1 cit
military expert of the Russ says it is
evident, from all indications at the
! front, that the Japanese are engaged in
a big turning movement on the east
ward This would give them the adj
vantage as heretofore. of operating
largely in the mountains, to which
I their artillery is better suited than for
movements in the open, but, in the
present movement the units of the Jap
anese army are necessarily losing touch
with one another. Their strategetic
position is, therefore, less satisfactory
| than at Lao Yang.
The Russ says it is a question wheth-
er a decisive or even serious engage
| ment will occur at Mukden. Such an
event will depend entirely upon Gen.
Kuropatkins view as to the exigencies
of the situation
However, one may rest certain the
paper adds, that the sentimental
question of violation of the Chinese
/ tombs will not weigh with the Russian
commander. The public must wait pa
| tiently a few days in order to ascertain
whether there will be big fight at
Mukden or whether the retreat will be
continued to the strong position at Tie
Pass"
Mediation Impossible.
| Rome, Sept. 2S.-The CapitaIe. a
seml-official organ, denied that the
coming meeting between Premier
Giolitti and Chancellor Won Buelow at
HON burg is connected with mediation
in the far eastern war, and adds:
mot only the Italian, but all
mediation is impossible now when
Russia fully trusts in her ability to
turn the tide of battle in her favor,
while Japan does not wish to lose
the fruits of her victories.
Russians Avoid the Subject.
ST. Petersburg, Sept. 2S.-7:50 a. H.
The Russian press has heretofore stu
diously avoided editorial reference to
President Roosevelts statement to the
delegates of the interparliamentary
union on September "a. on the subject
of calling a conference of the nations
of the world at The Hague, to continue
the work of the conference called by
Emperor Nicholas in 1899. The only
approach thereto is a quotation in the
Russ this morning from the Berlin
press opinion saying that it was evil
dent that the Americans were deter
mined to disregard the question wneth-
er or not Intervention in the far east
ern question at this time would be
agreea BILE to either of the comba tants.
Skirmishing All Along the Front.
ST. Petersburg, Sept. 2S.-A dispatch
from General Kuropatkin, dated yester-
day afternoon, announces that numerous
skirnishes have occurred along most
parts of the Russian front. The Jap
anese have not altered their positions
east of the railroad and confine them
selves to outpost attacks to the north,
all of which SO far have been repulseo.
Cost Japanese 1000 Men
Chefoo, Sept. 2S.-10:30 p. m.-Rus-
slams residing here claim to have re-
ceived information that the Japanese
losses in the last assault on Port Ar
thur which began September 19, were
1000.
A chinese who left the fortress on
September 26, says that the Russian
losses were between five hundred and
500.
This Chinaman says that the Jap
anese were unable to remain in the
three supplementary forts which they
captured and that they retired at
O'Clock on the afternoon of September
2e, after enduring several days of tre-
nendouS firing from the inner forts.
He adds that the Russians attempted
to bury the dead of both sides at night,
because the decomposing bodies seri-
ously menace the health of the garrl-
SON. The Russians allege that it is
the deliberate policy of the Japanese
to undermine the health of the Rus
sian troops by means of the odors
from the decomposing bodies and that
for this reason they fire OF burial par
ties One Chinese who was a member
anese fired when he and other Chinese
attempted to bury the dead. He adds
that when ths wind carries the odors