The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-03
OPINIONS ON
WAR IN LONDON
Weight of Opinion is That Rus.
Sia Has Met Another Reverse.
ISSUE is STILL IN DOUBT
BATTLE BEFORE LAO YANG
MAY BE A WATERLOO

London Sept. 9.-English military an
thoriues neither share Tekio's jabila.ion
ever the result at Lao Yang nor hay
stress 9Ipon the advantage which Russian
dispatches attribute TO KurOpatkin's lal-
est move. The best informed observers
VINO have access 70 sources of informa-
uon not revealed In the dispatches from
TOXIC and not given out at st. Peters
burg declare that the battle Of Lao
Yang however dramatic and historic Ia
loss Of life and tragic incidents can have
10 serious bearing on the eventual issue
unless the japanese have surrounded ku-
rOnatlxin.
The London daily newspapers in their
headlines depict the conditions at Lao
Yang as Russian ROut'' Defeat or
"Debacle- Their editorials. in a more
careful vein. point out that the latest
dispatches leave the issue OF the great
doubt.
From the expert British point of view
Marquis Oyama's sacrifices will have
been in vain unless he is able TO cut off
Kuropatkin from Mukden. On this point
there are chaotic hypothesis. The Daily
Graphic says
we are in the dark as 10 the final out
come adding that il seems not unlikely
that kurODatkin may still manage to
carry fighting force with him 10 Muk.
der.
The other critics doubt whether the
Japanese in the fact of 'indomitable
Russian pluck are strong enough to
press some of the preliminary successes
already won.
The Morning Post concludes careful
survey Of the four days" fighting with
an opinion that the battle Of Lao Yang
will take its place beside that Of Water
loo and believes that whether OF not
huropatkins force is able 20 continue its
retreat it will be broken and useless for
some time 10 come
Supreme Efforts Seen.
The Russian view that General Kuro-
patkin. by crossing the river, divided the
opposing forces. meets with slight con
sideration. as II is pointed out that all
the Japanese units cannot attack stimuli
taneousiy from different directions
which eliminates any advantage TO tho
Russian side and really 2ggravates the
seriousness of their position. the Japan
csc force being superior in numbers
The suspense with which the develop
ments at Lao Yang are awaited could
be scarcely greater in Toxic than it is
in London.
The Daily Telegraph. which hailed the
initial successes at Lao Yang with the
degree of finality, now admits that lit IS
not uncomfortable that KUrODatkin may
extricate a portion of his forces. though
this is characterized as the supreme
effort of a fOrlOrn hope" The Daily
Telegraph continues:
"One Of the most exciting problems ever
known in war has been narrowed down
TO one point namely. whether part OF
the retreating army will succeed in tear
ing through Yentai. leaving many thou
sands Of men and some hundreds of guns
behind them, or whether General kuroh
will receive the ring by hammering
blows. Perhaps a seventh day must be
waged before the issue can be finally
declared.
The Daily Telegraphs military critic. III
common with other English experts. secs
nothing but superior Japanese force and
strategy 20 account for General kuTo-
patkin's present positions. This authority
predicts an endeavor on the part OF the
Russian force to reach Chinese territory.
Retreat or RoutP
The Standard bluntly voices the thought
Of many by saying, is it retreat or
rout?"
The Standard says that General Kuro-
patkin in mis- ''DrecaIious condition, is
not without some prospects OF avoiding
the signal catastrophe of surrender en-
mass II ne can still get away TO the
north. Even with the loss of many guns
and valuable supplies. the success of the
japanese win be "A good deal modified
The Times compares the battle of Lao
Yang 10 those Of sWagram, Leipsig. HOn-
migrate and Gravelotte, but il says; We
still have to learn whether the Japanese
resped the fruits Of victory in such album
dant measure as to make the battle the
thoroughly decisive turning point of the
war FTCn the news thus far available
there seems to be q strong probability
that they viii be able to DO so.
The Times Toxic correspondent, cabling
Friday. says:
The premature rumors of the fail OF
Lao Yang are repeat ed today. but q
careful analysis Of official reports SHOWS
that the Russians have merely been
driven into their last line OF defenses,
where they will probably make a desper-
ate resistance. Three japanese armies
are closing around them
The correspondent OF the Morning Post
with General Okus army says thar Rus
SLAMS could easily have defended Ansh9n-
shan with a small force and that the Rus
slams wheu retiring from ShahOapu de-
stroyed n bridge go yards long across
the Shade.
The Seoul CORRESPONDENTS OF the Daily
Telegraph says the Japanese have erected
Il sham fortress, in imitation of Port
Arthur. outside the west gate Of Seoul,
$50 that when the fortress falls the in
habitants may see the real thing at their
teS -