Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-07

withdrawal OF some Of the troops who
were simply a drain on the resources
OF the garrison.
The fleet must now take a secondary
position. and the sailors VIII be USED 10
man the shore guns, II necessary
Vice Admiral Skryulct and Vice Ad-
miral Bcz0brazOff cannot now reach
Port Arthur. and will probably go 20
Vlalivostok to join the cruiser squad
ron there, Rear Admi'ni Wit'soeit
who was left In charge of the ileet by
Viceroy Aexieff, VIII direct operations
at Port Arthur. Wlttsoeft Is a good oill-
Ger, and II Is believed he VIII render
excellent service,
Despite the greater number of Jap
anesc, tho general STAFF believes that
their formidable Notifications still
leave the defensive superiority with
the Russians, whose staying qualities,
It Is confident, VIII insure their hold
ing out as long as necessary.
While the otter line of Notifications
extends TO Kinchow, unquestionably no
determined effort will be made to hold
them, nor is It expected that a despe-
rate attempt TO retain Dalny will be
made The main defense will be Of
Port Arthur, where, since the harbor
has been occupied by the Russians,
steady work has progressed to COM
plete the system Of defense which Is
just as effective on the land as on the
sea side.
sToEssEL IN COMMAND.
Lieut. Gen Stoessel will have SUI
pdeme command at Port Arthur, He
Is described as a high-class command
err. His recent proclamations show
that he is lmbued with a determine
ton to hold Port Arthur until the last
man is killed.
officers of the general STAFF say that
the landing Of the japanese army on
the peninsula and the investment Of
Port Arthur clarity the military stu
alton and the problem which Gen. Ku-
ropatkin must solve. Had Kuropat-
kin had his way before the war
1t is said, he would have abandoned
Port Arthur, withdrawn further to the
north end waited until his army had
become overwhelming in its strength,
when he would have moved forward,
but this was made impossible as con-
sequence OF the injuries sustained by
the Port Arthur fleet and the impos-
sibility OF the departure OF the fleet
from Vladiyostok with a superior Jap
anese force outside that port. There
fore, the commander-in-ch Is wait
ing at LAO Yang until the enemy's
plans shall have developed sufficiently
TO show just what line 1t is supposed
to follow.
Caution forbade an attempt in force
TO prevent Gen. Kurolsi's passage of
the Yalu, as the troops landed at
Pitzwo might have been diverted TO
take the Russians on the flank or In
the rear.
KUROPATKIN FREE TO ACT.
Now that the uncertainty Is partly
dispeled, Gen, Kuropatkin, from the
inner lines, is free to act. That he
purposes to move theoretically is
shown by the fact that he has sent re-
Inducements to Feng Wang Cheng.
The indications are that he intends
Immediately to assume the aggressive
and to strike Gen. Kurokl's army be-
fore the latter can be reinforced
through Korea. Should the Japanese
landed at Pitzwo begin a northward
movement enough Russian troops, It is
said, are in the vicinity OF Newchwang
to hold the Japanese in check until
conclusions have been tried with Ku-
roSi. II Is not anticipated, however
that the Japanese will march north
ward, but 1t Is believed they will de-
vote their energies to effect the fall
Of Port Arthur.
The receipt Of news at any time Of
a decisive battle near Feng Wang
Cheng will not cause surprise here, and