Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-10-15

st Petersburg.-No Official news of
the result of Wednesdays battle south
of Mukden is available at this hour.
Gen. Kuropatkin doubtless has com.
municated his regular report to En-
perOr Nicholas at Tsarkoe Selo, but
the dispatch was not sent back to the
general staff
So the latest word from Russian
sources Is contained in the Associated
Press dispatch from Mukden.
AS is natural, the absence of official
news is pessimstically interpreted in
many quarters; but the general staff
Though reticent. connsels patience,
pointing out that the offensive move
ment was planned upon a large scale
and has not yet reached stage where
a decisive result could have been at
tained.
The frontal attack on the Yental
mines developed desperate battle, in
which probably 100000 men are
engaged: but though the dispatches SO
far deal almost exclusively with this
feature of the battle. 1t Is pointed out
that there is q much wider field in
vClved.
A fight on the Russian left flank has
not yet developed. and possibly here
Gen. KurOpatkin intends to deliver his
main blow. What force Is pushing for
ward in this direction behind the
screen containing the column at Tzy-
anchan, 80 miles southeast of Mukden,
striking at Field Marshal Oyama's
communications with the Yalu and the
knowledge that another column is al
ready across the Taitse river, gives
evidence of the wide nature of the
turning movement.
1t is possible that the attack on the
Yentai mines may simply be Intended
to hold the main Japanese force sta
tonary, and that the outcome Of the
Yentai fight may have little bearing
en- the result of the general engage
ment.
While it is now asserted that Gen.
Kuropatkin enjoys considerable nu-
mcrical superiority, the main fear ex-
pressed is that this superiority is in
sufficient to enable him to carry out
the big operations he has undertaken.
apprehension is caused by the Toxic
dispatch saying that Field Marshal
Oyama reports that he Is gaining
ground and has cut off Russian col
umn below the Taitse river.
1t is only natural after the repeated
reyerses already suffered, that Russians
fully realize how much Gen. Kuropat-
kin has staked upon the assumption
of the offensive.
The battle now in progress undoubt-
edly will outweigh in Importance the
hard fight at Liaoyang. For Kuropat-
kin. victory, partial or complete. is
absolutely necessary.
Defeat would certainly spell ruin
for his military reputation and prob
ably prove disaster of the first mag
nitude to the Russian army.
If the japanese should roll up Kuro-
patkin's advance now, all hope of an
aggressive Russian success in this cam
paign or of relief Of Port Arthur
would be ended probably for this year;
hut Russian success now means win
ter campaign and immensely enhanced
prestige, not only for Kuropatkin per-
sonally, but fer the Russian arms in
Manchuria, in the eyes of the Chinese,
which is an important factor in the
present situation.
The effect also of defeat upon the
gallant garrison of Port Arthur after
hopes of relief had been held out would
be mcst disastrous.
For all these reasons, Gen. Kuropat-
kin's friends are convinced that the
offensive was taken with open eyes
and with a full appreciation OF Its
difficulties and firm belief that vic
tory would be achieved.
On the other hand, some OF his en-
emies are unkind enough to Intimate
that Gen. Kuropatkin has rashly risket
his army, knowing that victory nov
will insure his selection as command
er-in-chief Of both the Manchurial