The Cairo bulletin., 1904-04-25
THE WAR DURING THE WEEK.

There was little sea fighting during
the last week, The Japanese have
been feinting up and down both
sides OF the Liaotung peninsula with
transport fleets They nrean to BE-
wilder the enemy as to their eventual
landing place, and, If possible, e
weary him BY inducing him to shift
his troops rapidly from one point on
the coast TO another
The Russians will be unable to pre-
vent landing. They cannot fortify
and garrison the entire south Man
churian coast They will have TO per
NIT the landing, and thereafter try e
make the Japs sorry they ever came
over the water. The only naval exploit
performed by the Russians during the
week was the blowing up of one of
their own launches, together with Its
crew Of twenty one men. The launch
was laying mines III Port Arthur &c
destroy the Japanese The battle
ship Pobieda. which was struck by
mine few minutes after the sinking
Of the Petropavlovsk. turns out t.
have been hopelessly damaged
The main Japanese force is now nt
Win. spreading eastward a consider
able distance. 1t is believed by the
Russians that a Japanese division I,
approaching the middle reaches OF
the Yalu with the intention of cross
ing there. The Manchurian country
opposite Is much less hilly than Il
the west The position of this putt
tive division Is indicated on the MAJ
with a question mark after IT,
1t is believed that not over fou
Russian regiments remain ON the
Yalu opposite Win They will try
to make the Japanese crossing as
bloody as possible and then retreat
The Japs have seized the islands in
the middle Of the river, which at the
beginning Of the week were in the
hands of their enemies.
The Russians have fortified the lin,
from Liaoyang to Tanghuangcheng 1t
Is a strong position both tactically
and strategically. Lying In the hills
behind intrenchments. 1t will be dit
fcult to shove the Russians away
from this line. On the other hand, 4
would be strategically dangerous tc
leave them there unmolested and pro
coed across the Yalu sOuthwestward
toward Port Arthur, hugging the sea
coast Such maneuver would leave
1 strong force in the flank and rear Of
the advancing army On the Other
hand, the advancing army would not
be IN danger of having It's communica
tons cut. since its base would be the
iea. But the Japanese want to hold
Corea at all costs. even If they are
beaten in Manchuria. If they advanc
ed across the Yalu southwestern
with the Russians intrenched in the
hills obliquely to their rear. they
might be cut of from a return 10 Go
rea and from making their defensive
stand there
The laps have a fortified line from
Gensan across to Chiunampo. behind
which they meant to stick at all haz
ards, even il they had bad luck in the
battlehelds TO the north.
The main Russian concentration J..
now supposed TO be at Liaoyang. II.
The Japanese forces divide into two
or more armies, Kuropatkin might
have a chance to throw his Liaoyang
army first at one then at the other
OF bis enemy's segments, beating each
in turn. On land the Liaoyane con.
centration gives the Russians the
benefit of interior lines
Cossack outposts have advanced mn.
interuptedly to within eighty miles #
Gensan, Oh the eastern coast Of Go
rea. This shows that the mysierious
japanese army which landed at Zen
san did not march north. aud that the
reported landing at yossiet bav was
either myth or feint. There arc
certainly no japanese soldiers in tina.
Vicinity at present Chicago Tribune