The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-06
JAPS MEET TEST
OF NIGHT FIGHTS
COMBAT AT MOLTEN PASS TYPE
OF EASTERN WARFARE.
Russians, Victims of Their Superiors'
Blunders, Cared for by Their Foe,
Whose System Is Thoro and Quick.
Correspondence of the Associated Press

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
Molten Pass, Manchuria, July s.
via San Francisco, Aug. 6.-"Night
fighting is the test of soldiers" re-
when he visited the scene of yester-
days bloody affair, "and the Japan
csc certainly have proven their quail
ity this time
Probably no incident of the war has
placed the japanese soldiers in more
trying situation than the night attack
at Molten pass, and nowhere have
they gained a more complete victory
against great disadvantages. None OF
the correspondents with the army
heretofore has been permitted to wit
ness fighting at closer range than their
view of the crossing of the Yalu from
a safe and comfortable eminence on
the walls of Wiju. When correspond
ents or military attaches have at
tempted to get to the actual scene OF
events their unfailingly courteous
guardians always have rebuffed them
with the explanation that 1t is very
dangerous" that they are guests or
the Japanese government, and the
government is responsible for their
| safety.
| On this occasion, however. the cor
respondent of the Associated Press
| was able to see the conduct Of the sol
diers on the field and their treatment
|
the seat of fighting.
| Whatever reasons Of military policy
| may render secrecy desirable, there
certainly is nothing in the actions OF
! it's soldiers that need make the Jap
anese government keep spectators 10
the rear. The treatment Of the Rus
sian victims of the incompetency OF
their officers was all that the most
| enlightened nation could expect.
Japs Fought Half Dressed.
| When the correspondent arrived at
| the trench, where less than COM
! pany of Japanese, rushing from their
| beds without time to dress, had STAYED
| off the Russian onslaught at first with
bayonets and swords, the Russian
dead and wounded still lay where they
had fallen on the wet grassy slope.
How fierce that hours work there had
| been was evidenced by the pools or
blood in the ditch and red trails
smeared all over the grass and stones
on the hillside before it.
In this fighting Lieutenant kono
alone killed several Russians, almost
severing their heads with single
stroke of his sword. When he eX-
hibited the weapon afterwards, It's
edge looked like a saw blade. 1t has
since been sharpened for further use.
Altho the fight had begun only three
hours before, the Japanese advance
,, was half a mile down the valley, pur-
suing the Russians. The Japanese
dead had been removed to a temple
behind the crest of the HILL and par
ties Of soldiers from one of the com
. panies in reserve were going about
|, the field with trenching spades, bury
ing the dead Russians where they lay
, and marking the grave with stake
, or a pile of stones. The Russians had
gone into action wearing their heavy
, overcoats and carrying their bags OF
Io1
, on the field. Already, while some
= details were burying the dead and
some caring for the wounded, others
had gathered the debris from the
+ field, and piles of coats and canteens
and a hundred rifles, with bayonets
: attached, were stacked on the temple
; steps.
, Japs Thoro and Quick.
, The Japanese system Is not only
= thoro but quick There was com
: pany of Japanese soldiers, whose kha:
e | XII coats were black with mud anc
: sweat, gathered at the trench, quietly
discussing events, with no sign OF ex
element. Two big Russian prisoners
o not wounded, were resting there witt
t. a small Japanese sitting behind them
3 The Japanese soldiers of the column
are heavier men than the average O.
most European armies, but the Rus
II slams in the Tenth and 'TWenty-fourtf
II East Siberian regiments are larger
| and the boards which most Of then
| wear after a season OF campaigning
| give them a particularly fierce ap
/ pearance.
The bodies of three Russians wh'
i had been killed on the parapet of tn
| trench were laid in the road behlnt
it, with their snuff-colored greatcoat
thrown over their faces. Four 9th
ers of the Tenth East Siberian
dressed in gray blouses and caps
without any regimental insignia, Wer
on the ground beside them. One wa
shot thru both legs and had beel
bayonetted in an arm and a leg; an
| other had a bullethole in the abdom
- en-, and another was shot in the 1901
- The man wounded in the abdome
i, was dying; his face already had tn
\ color of a corpse and his breathing
was slow gasps. A hospital attend
\ ant sat near, black-bearded, keen
faced young fellow, displaying whit
band with the red cross on his arm
His satchel of bandages was open O
the ground He had done, what n
could for his comrades and he wa
Il stolidly awaiting developments.
Thirty wounded Russians were seal
4 tered over the ground before tn
\ trench. They had received first aid
and were waiting their turn while tn
4 stretcher men followed the firing lin
further on. Groups of Japanese stoo
4 ABOUT Illelll, SlSlllS SolllC SlSoAA SII>
\ and water and talking with them
\ the broken Russian which fe
knew, and in the Chinese phrase
~, which the men Of both armies pic
Il up from the natives of the country.
Wounded Sought Shelter.
Three days of steady rain had c,
gullies and bitches in the hillsid
his which furnished some shelter for
ne charging force. Many of the woun'
: ed had crawled into these places II
Nh shelter. Over at the right of tt
trench the road ran down the vale
and along it's further side broo
md which had a bed among the rock
Ing Ing Part of the Russian battalion a.
vanced up the bed of the stream al
OF number were shot as they emerge
No into the roadway. One wounded sc
Inv der had crawled back to the brot
for water and died with his face
. the stream, his canteen beside +
hand, as tho he had tried to fill it,
In the road a young japanese be
1c- over a massive Slav, with an ar
on under his head, holding a waterbott
ra- to his lips.
he One Russian, with bad furrt
DIS, plowed thru his thigh, took his plig
De- happily. With a stone under his he
the and a tin of water beside him,
te- rolled himself cigarettes and chat
ISIS. what no one could understand, &c
J, L turing and laughing.