The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-05-20
Of All the Southern Part of
LiaO-Tung Peninsula.
TO TODEFENDPORTARTHUR
All the Guns Were Taken from
the Forts at Kin -Chau.
RETREAT OF THE RUSSIANS.
u VIII be Continued Until Lao Yang
10 Reached, Where IL 10 the Inten-
tion to Make a Determined Stand
with 10000 Men.

London, May 1S.-The Daily Tele-
graphs New Chwang correspondent,
cabling under date of May II, says:
The Japanese with a large fleet of
transports and warships appeared at
Kai-Chau yesterday morning and
opened terrific bombardment
against the shore defences, which
were silenced by 4 o'clock i'm the af-
ternoon, the Russians retreating to
Tashichao. The Japanese troops
landed and are advancing rapidly,
outfianking Tashichao and New
Chwang"
St. Petersburg, May 1S.AAdvices
received by the general staff show
that the Japanese are practically
masters of all the southern end of
the Lio-Tung peninsula, save Port
Arthur and the territory commanded
by its guns. This result, SO promptly
brought about, is due to the failure of
the Russians to make opposition of
any consequence to the Japanese ad-
vance.
A member of the general stan said
to the Associated Press that the re-
moval of the guns from the fortifica-
tions erected at KIM -Chau and the de-
struction of Port Dalny were pri-
marily for the purpose of concentrat-
ing the entire Russian force at Port
Arthur. II the men and guns were
scattered the effect would have been
to distribute the means Of defense Of
the fortress over a number of points
strategically weak
The destruction of Dalny was the
result of no sudden determination,
but was due to the probability that a
force attempting to hold this place
| could be separated from Port Arthur
| and captured, thus infiicting further
loss of prestige to the Russians,
which could not be permitted at this
time. To defend the whole of the
southern end Of the Liao-Tung rsnin-
sula, 1t would have been necessary to
have an army equal to that which
the Japanese could have landed.
The weakness of the Manchurian
army, said this officer, left only one
course to pursue, namely, that of
| moblizing sufficient troops at Port
Arthur to hold 1t until relief came,
abandoning every point outside
| which did not contribute to the
| strategic defense of the fortress. It
has been learned that the ground
over which the Japanese must charge
to capture the fortress Is heavily
mined. II they do capture 1t, the Of
ficer said. they will pay a frightful
price
| 1t is announced that Lieut. Gen.
Zassalitch has been relieved of the
| command of the Second Siberian
Army division and that Lieut.. Gen.
| Count Keller, former governor OF
Ekaterinoslav, has been appointed to
| succeed him.
| New Chwang, May 18.-The Rus
sian evacuation of this city has been
| completed. Nothing remains but the
destruction Of the gunboat Sivouch
The Associated Press correspond.
ent has received exclusive informa.
ton from the highest Russian au.
thority that the Japanese advance
will be resisted at Hai-Cheng. whence
the Russian forces will fall back upol
Lao Yang, where they will make q
determined stand, with q fightinf
strength there available Of f0,00t
men.