The Bourbon news., 1904-10-14
THE TWO ARMIES MEET
Russians and Japanese in Terri
BILE Conflict Near Mukden.
1t Is Estimated That 100000 Men Are
Engaged in the StruggIe-The
Result of the Fighting Is
Not Known.


kin's advance guard, Of which the
press correspondent at Mukden tele-
graphed the first news, is not regard
ed at the war Office as indicating a
general engagement. The latest Off
cial dispatches indicating the dispOsi-
tion of the various corps shows that
the whole army is not yet in line OF
battle. The present engagement may
therefore be regarded as the result OF
counter attack which an enterpris-
| ing foe like the Japanese might be ex-
pected to make, but without any cal
culation to prevent the Russian ad-
vance. Gen. Kuropatkin's present SUI
periority in numbers, it is held here,
| is bound sooner or later to compel the
Japanese to fall back upon their
strong positions within The triangle
formed by Yentai, Lao Yang and Syk-
wantun. Everything points to that
district as being the prospective scene
of the decisive struggle of this years
campaign. Strategic reasons of the
most weighty character render it i'm
perative for the Russians, as well as
for the Japanese, to bestow their chief
attention upon the country east of the
railway.
The Russians are compelled to this
course because the railroad runs north
eastward and hence lines of commune
cation are more vulnerable from the
east. The Japanese are influenced by
a similar consideration, but the rail-
road no longer plays foremost part
in their plans.
Mukden, Oct. 13.-Stubborn fighting
is still in progress, Wednesday being
the third day of the engagement. 1t is
impossible at this time to say what
has been accomplished. Hospital
trains are continually arriving from
the south The wounded are being
sent further north. A dressing sta
tion has been established on the rail-
way platform here, where nurses and
surgeons give prompt attention to the
most urgent cases before the trains
proceed.
st. Petersburg, Oct. 13.-No official
news of the result Of Wednesdays
battle south of Mukden is available at
this hour. Gen. Kuropatkin doubtless
has communicated his regular report
to Emperor Nicholas at Tserkoe Selo,
but the dispatch was not sent back to
the general staff Wednesday night.
| So the latest word from Russian
sources is contained in the press dis
| patch from Mukden AS is natural,
| the absence of official news is pessi-
mistically interpreted in many quar-
ters; but the general staff, though reti-
cent, counsels patience, pointing out
that the otfense movement was PLAN
ned upon large scale and has not
| yet reached stage where decisive
result could have been attained.
The frontal attack on the Yentai
mines developed desperate battle in
which probably 100000 men are en-
gagged; but though the dispatch SO far
deals almost exclusively with this fea-
ture of the battle it is pointed out
that there is much wider field in
volved. A fight on the Russian left
flank has not yet developed and posi-.
bly, here Gen. Kuropatkin intends to
deliver his main blow. What force is
pushing forward in this direction be-
hind the screen containing the column
at Shantintaidze is unknown, but the
appearance Wednesday night of Rus
sian column at Tzyanchan, 80 miles
southeast of Mukden, striking at Field
Marshal Oyama's communications
with the Yalu and the knowledge that
another column is already across the
Taitse river gives evidence of the
wide nature of the turning movement.
Toxic, Oct. 13.-General activity has
been resumed in the theater of war.
1t is believed here that a general en-.
gagement is progressing between Lao
! Yang and Mukden. Field Marshal
Oyama has met Gen. Kuropatkin's ad-
vance with general advance of the
main strength of his force along a
broad front. The opposing forces were
in touch Tuesday and it is believed
that a great battle south of the Hun
river is now inevitable. Besides this
direct movement the Russians are at
tempting to strike the Japanese right
at two points widely separated. A
considerable force of Russians, which
was sent across the Taitse river, 35
miles east of Lao Yang, has appar-
emily been isolated by the Japanese
cutting its rear, and the report of its
defeat or capture is expected.
Reports dispatched Wednesday night
| from the scene of the battle now rag
ing along an extended front from
central point north of Yentai west
ward across the railroad southeast of
| Fumeihu, on the Taitsr river, say that
the struggle continued undecisively
throughout the day. The Japanese
commanders avowed purpose was to
continue the assault throughout the
night and the following day.
Left For His Official Post.
st. Petersburg, Oct. 13.-Andre Bob
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