Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-16
Kuropatkin's Plans Withheld.

There is considerable mystery about l\u-
ropatkin's plans. Although all the informa-
ton obtanable indicates that the hulk of
his army is still around Mukden and the
official intimatons are that kuropatkin
does not contemplate retiring further at
present there is considerable scepticism on
these points. About all that is dehnltely
known is that a considerable number of his
troops has already gone north; that the
heights near the Lao river at Tie Pass
have been fortified; that the pass has been
secured, and that cavalry is scouting wide
of the Russian fianks to signal the first in
dication of a new turning movement on the
part of the japanese. Only outpost
skirmishes of little Importance have been
reported.
The Russian military critics, analyzing
Gen. Kuropatkin's extended report of the
battle of Liaoyang, seem to unite in con-
sidering that Field Marshal Oyama's pur-
pose having failed, the honors belong
rather to kuropatkin than to the Jap
anese -in-chief- The Novoe
Fremya draws a parallel between Lao
yang and Borodino, where Gen. kutusof S
abandonment of Moscow to Napoleon was
followed by the disastrous retreat of the
French.
General Europatkin reports that recon-
nCissances have established the fact that
the Japanese are massing near fentai and
BentsiaputZe. Bodies of Japanese are also
moving in the Lao river valley.
The Associated Press dispatch from
Mukden, announcing that, according TO
information from Chinese sources, the
japanese are leaving a garrison at Lao
yang and their main forces are moving
out on the Russian tanks is partially con-
firmed by the dispatch from Gen. Kuro-
patkin reporting that the Japanese are
massing on the Russian fanks that a
large force is concentrating at Bentsia-
putze, twenty miles southeast of Muk-
den. and that another force, whose
strength has not been established, is NOV
ing the Lao valley
The greater part OF Field Marshal Oya-
mas army. however, is still near Yentai,
sncamped along the heights between the
mines and the railroad While the war
office does not expect an immediate ad-
vance, the preliminary dispositions of the
japanese forces are taken to indicate
that the Japanese intend, when they ad-
vance, TO strike from the eastward They
seem to be avoiding the territory west of
the Lao river, possibly because it is fiat
and would give the Russians the ad-
vantage of their superiority in cavalry.
Chinese residents fleeing to Mukden
complain that the Japanese are pillaging
liaoyang.
Movements of the Japanese.
MUKDEN. Thursday. September Is. De-
Iayed ip transmission n.)-According to in
formation from Chinese sources the Jap
anese are leaving garrison at Lao
yang and their main forces are moving
cut on the Russian fianks. The whole
Chinese population of Liaoyang is work
ing on the Japanese defenses there.
The Chinese also report that the jap
anese are running regular trains between
Port Dalny and Niuchwang, the rolling
stock, according to their statements. hay-
ing come from San Francisco. Mukden
merchants who have dealings with Niu-
chwang say that if the Japanese occupy
Mukden they intend to connect the rail-
road with the Sinmintin terminus of the
Shanghaikwan-Tien Tsin railroad about
thirty-fve miles west of Mukden
AT night the Russian sentries here can
discern the glow of the Japanese camp
nres in the direction of Liaoyang.
lntil three days ago the Japanese had
NOT mashed burying or burning their
dead around Liaoyang
Chinese Unfriendly to Russians.
Ihe chinese are becoming more unfriend-
iy as the Japanese advance The Japanese
are imposing their systems of administra-
ton at every town occupied seizing the
revenues, beginning with the timber dues
in the Yalu district. and ending with the
salt tax In Manchuria
In kwantung province the Japanese are
quite at home. They are already INSTALL
ing Japanese teachers in the Chinese
schools.