The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1904-09-15
KUROPATKIN WILL MAKE NO
SERIOUS STAND THERE AND
RETIREs TO TIE PASS.
THREE JAP ARMIES
REPORTED UNITED
Rain Still Falling at Scene Of Hostile
ties and Roads Almost impossible
Revised Official Figures Of LOSS
es at Liaoyang.

Russian movement is being effected
slowly, but in IN orderly manner. The
two armies are merely keeping in touch
with each other, no fighting of conse-
quence being reported. Rain continues
to fall at the theater Of war and the
roads are said to be almost impossible.
Official figures from Toxic, which place
the Japanese losses during all the en-
gagements which constituted the battle
OF Liaoyang at 1880, make necessary
q big reduction of the reported CASUAL
ties Of the great battle. According to
military experts, the Russian losses
should not exceed those of the Japanese;
in fact, as Russia was IN the defensive,
they should not be so great. The Toxic
figures, therefore, would indicate that
the total casualties we're not more than
10000.
Little News from the Front.
st. Petersburg, Sept. 13.-No fresh
light has been thrown on the situation
at the front. Unofficial information
tends to confirm the reports that Gen.
Kuropatkin is withdrawing the bulk of
his army northward from Mukden. The
rain continues at the front. The three
armies of Field Marshal Oyama are re-
ported to have united north of the
Taitse river, but there is nothing yet
to indicate that they are sufficiently re-
cuperated to resume the advance. The
best unofficial opinion is that Kuropat-
kin does not contemplate making a
serious stand at Mukden.
The spirit animating the Japanese
troops is shown by the translation of a
letter written by a Spartan Japanese
mother to her son, which has reached
the wal Office. The letter was found on
the body Of her son 1t adjured him
to fight nobly for the mikado and his
country and informed him that his cap
ture would be considered an everlast-
Ing disgrace upon the family ancestors,
but that If he died on the battlefield 1t
would be an honor which the family
would celebrate for a week.
Why Kuropatkin Failed.
A Russian correspondent says Kuro-
patkin's strategy was upset by the fail
ure of Maj. Gen. Orloff to hold Gen. Ku-
roki's extreme right. According to this
correspondent Kuropatkin's plan was
to catch Kuroki after he had crossed the
Taitse river by a quick and clever move
ment. Orloff's mission was to attack des-
perately September 2 the front of Kuro-
ki's army which had marched northwest
to hold him and, If possible, to drive
him back towards Kuropatkin, while
the latter, severing Kuroki's commune
cation, struck with all his might at his
flank and rear. But Orloff was unequal
to the task assigned to him. His d.
vision had just arrived from Russia
and its fighting efficiency was not
known. When he struck Kuroki, Orlof
was wounded early in the fight and was
compelled to hand over his command.
To make the matter worse the horse Of
his chief of staff bolted. The division
could not resist the onslaught of Japan's
best troops and gave way and retreated.
In the meanwhile Kuropatkin was just
launching his attack, but when he found
the japanese were turning his left he
was compelled to abandon the offensive,
withdraw and order a retreat. AS 1t
turned out, however, Gen. Stakelberg
had come to Orloff's rescue and checked
the Japanese flanking movement just
before they reached Yentai. Had Kuro-
patkin held on a little longer the fate
of the day might have been different, as
this was the critical moment for Kuroki
referred to in the dispatches from the
Japanese side.
Japs South Of Yentai.
A dispatch has been received from
Lieut.. Gen. Sakharoff, under Sundays
date, reporting that no large Japanese
force has been seen north of the Yentai
railroad, but that south of there there
are many large camps of Japanese.
The Yentai railroad referred to by
Gen. Sakharoff is probably the branch
road connecting the Yentai coal mines
with Yentai, on the main line between
Liaoyang and Mukden.
Rain Prevents Fighting.
Mukden, Sept. 13.-sunday night rain
again fell in torrents and Monday it was
DRILLING. The roads are impossible
and military movements are at a stand.
still. The town is SO crowded that
foodstuffs are almost u~nprocurable
Prices have trebled and quadrupled
The division suffers lost almost all their
supplies during the Russian retreat
Civilians are besieging the railroad sta.
ton and other eating places, but 1t II
well-nigh impossible to get food.
Retreat Continues.
Mukden, Sept. 10, via Picking, Sept. 10
The Russians are continuing their re.
tirement to Tie Pass. The Japanese ad.
vance is slow, though the military stu
alton is not unfavorable to them. Man,
Russian companies now consist of only
80 men. Notwithstanding the Russian
reverse the retreating troops are cheer
full.
Enemy Is Sighted.
Toxic, Sept. 13.-Field Marshal Oya
ma reports that a large body of Bus