Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-30
THE RUSSIANS STAND
Long Expected Battle in
Manchuria in Progress.
OPENED AT 5 O'CLOCK
JAPANESE ATTACK THE ENEMY;S
CENTER AND RIGHT.
Large Force Reported to Be Advancing
Northward West of the Railway
The Mikado's Birthday.


lowing the rear guard action which Cen
eral Kuropatkin has fought in his retire
ment from Anping and Anshanshan, he has'
either elected or been forced to give battle,
and is meeting the attack of the combined
armies of Kuroki Nodzu and Oku. Dis
patches from the battlefield show that at
dawn today the Japanese opened terrific
artillery fire, directed mainly against the
Russian center and right After four hours
of CALLING shrapnel fire the cannonading
slackened, and at o'clock the japanese
general advance began. An Associated
Press dispatch sent from Lao Yang at 6:49
this evening shows that the battle was in
creasing in intensity, the japanese pressing
forward until at one point their advance
developed into a hand-to-hand fight, the
Russians repeling them with the bayonet
The Associated Press dispatches and the
Russian official reports indicate that the
Russians occupy semicircle of about nine
miles in length protecting Lao Yang, the
center and right of this line receiving the
brunt of the fighting up to the last advices.
So far the reports do not indicate the trend
of the action. but reports to the Russian
war office say that the battle will extend
over several days.
The combined forces engaged are esti-
mated at between 2G0,G0o and 10000 of all
arms.
ST. PETERSBURG, August 30.-The long
expected battle at Lao Yang has begun
and the two armies are now fighting what
probably will be the decisive battle of the
campaign. The japanese armies are at
tacking Gen. Kuropa tkins forces upon his
chosen ground Lao Yang and his
friends and admirers here confident
that, having accepted a general engage
ment, he will defeat the japanese.
The latest reports received by the
office indicated that the battle will proba-
bly, extend for several days. The japanese
are directing their energies to bombardng
segments of the circle of defensive posi-
tions occupied by the Russians. The lat
ter already have suffered heavily from the
hail of shells.
The Russian cavalry won notable sue
cess west of Lao Yang. repulsing the Jap
anese advance from that direction. This
was the first time TIE Russian cavalry had
an opportunity to charge the Japanese on
open ground since the war began.
The Main Attack
A dispatch from General Sakharoff dated
from Lao Yang, at 10 am. today, says:
THE main Japanese attack Is being di-
rected against the Russian center and
right. where the Russian losses have been
the heaviest.
The japanese posted numerous artil-
lery within range of all the Russian posi-
tions during the night. A hot fire was
opened at D am, and by o'clock the Japa-
nese were close to the Russian positions"
The japanese shrapnel fire inflicted con-
siderable losses on our troops at several
points. Lieut.. Col. Pokatilof, commanding
battery of the sixth east Siberian brigade
killed.
The japanese arc delivering an obstinate
attack on our center and at o o'clock this
morning they were in close proximity to
our advanced guard"
General Sakharoff also reports that
large Japanese force is advancing north
ward along the Taitse river valley west of
the railroad The Russian cavalry. which
prevented the turning of the Russian right
flank Sunday, had to operate in the fields
OF Chinese corn, which was above the heads
of the riders. The report from General
Sakharoff also announces an engagement
between Russian force and 100 Chinese
bandits, of whom about fifty were killed
In a brief telegram received this morn
ing kuropatkin says the general advance
OF the Japanese began yesterday at noon
the Russian outposts falling back upon the
main lines. The heaviest fighting was tax
ing place when his dispatch was sent. from
point ten miles southeast of Lao Yang
where the japanese seemed to be concen-
trating for their main attack The Rus
slams suffered principally from the shrap-
mel hre OF the japanese artillery.
The Mikado's Birthday.
Inc japanese selected the mikado's birth
day Tor the decisive battle and II will mot
be surprising If today is also signalized nv
grand assault on Fort Arthur
Inc RUSSIAN forces are disposed at Lao
rang to meet the onslaught OF the three
Japanese armies described in these dis
pa.cnes Yesterday The telegram from Gen
hufopatkin which gives this Information
'oSether with the details of the retirement
oi 'ne RUSSIAN troops upon Lao Yang has
no, oeen given out. for strategic reasons.
ne combined armies of Generals Kuroki
ohu ana Nodzu probably exceed two hum
Ofed thousand men. Their forces are con-
slderaoiy superior in numbers to Gen Ku-
ropatkln $, but the Russian commanderin-
chief probably relies upon the strength and
character of his position to overcome the
disparity in numbers.
The war office is waiting with breathIess
anxiety for news OF the progress and issue
OF the battle on which so much depends.
Firing Opened at O'Clock.
LAO YANG, August 3O.-Rile firing be-
gan at the southwark at o'clock this
morning. From o'clock there has been an
incessant shower of shrapnel. The heaviest
cannonading is coming from the southeast
where the Japanese evidently have numer-
Gus guns. Deadly shells are bursting every
where, their white smoke being distinctly
traceable against the dark foliage on the
mountain Sides The Japanese are search
Ing the whole countryside with their fire.
selecting certain squares of territory on
which for a few moments they mass a hail
OF shot and shell from all their guns
They then pass to another square thus
working the whole field, with mathematic
precision. from right to left. In this way
the entire Russian front has been systemat-
tcally searched In the first four hours of
the cannonading Then began the general
Japanese advance along the whole line.
Russians Holding Their Ground.
kround gallantly, and their losses are