The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1904-09-22
HEAVY fighting
between ARMIES
RUSSIANS CONDUCTING RECON
NAIssANCEs AND MANY CAS-
2 UALTIEs REPORTED.
SEVERAL w NEAR
JAP LINE OCCUPIED
Increase in Mikado's Force at Yentat
and R~entsiaputze Disclosed-czar
to Form Second Manchurian Army
Reported Battle Denied.

to Form second &AAmy
Reported Battle Denied.
st. Petersburg, Sept. 20.-A dispatch
was received from Gen. kuropatkln
Sunday announcing that Gems. Rennen-
kampff and Samsonof are conducting
reconnaisances which
resulted in rather heavy fighting with
many casualties.
1t appears that Gen. RennenkampH
had recovered from his wound n had
resumed command of his troops. Inc
reconnaisances disclosed a further In
crease in the Japanese forces at Yental
and Pentsiaputze. The Russians ave
occupied several villages nearer the
japanese lines.
Gen. Kuropatkin Sunday reviewed
the Thirty-seventh division of the First
army corps.
Says Japs Were Repulsed.
London, Sept. 20.-A dispatch to a
news agency from st. Petersburg Mon
day says the reconnaissance were
towards the Japanese front and right
flank, resulting in the Japanese being
driven back. The Russian losses, ac-
cording to this version, are said to be
slight, and it is not clear whether the
"many'' casualties, referred to by Gen.
Kuropatkin, were inflicted or received.
Will Form Second Army.
: st. Petersburg, Sept. N.-Acting
upon the advice of bis military advisers,
Emperor Nicholas has decided to form
a second Manchurian army. 1t will be
formed of the corps which are being
sent to the far east and Lieut.. Gen. Line
witch probably will be given the COM
mand of the second army. Gen. kuro-
patkin will become chief of both armies,
but probably without the title of COM
mander in chief. 1t is this impending
reorganization which seems to have led
to the countless rumors and reports
afoat here of Kuropatkin's superces-
sion of Viceroy Alexieff as commander
in chief of the army, the latter's reslg-
nation, etc., but investigations indicate
that the above is the real situation.
Alexieff, it is said. will continue to be
viceroy and that as such he could not
be subordinated in title to the COM
manding general. which would happen
If Kuropatkin vas given the title Of
commander in chief. Kuropatkin will
virtually be in complete; untrammeled
command.
AS has been heretofore stated on high
authority the stories Of Alexieff's inter-
ference with Kuropatkin are entirely
without foundation. On the contrary.
Alexieff has always shown the utmost
appreciation of the peculiar delicacy Of
his position as Kuropatkin's superior.
studiously avoiding even the semblance
of interference with the operations Of
the Manchurian army.
ouktonsky Not Court Martia1ed.
The press is authorized again to deny
absolutely the story that Rear Admiral
Prince Ouktomsky has been court-mar-
tailed. 1t is positively stated that he
has never been under arrest at Port
Arthur and that there has never been
a question of his trial by court-mar-
tial. He has simply been superseded
by Rear Admiral Wren in the tenn
porary command of the Port Arthur
squadron, which Ouktomsky took over
when the late Rear Admiral Without
fell. This does not necessarily mean
that the admiralty is satisfied with
Rear Admiral Ouktomsky. On the
contrary, his shortcomings are recog-
nized, leading to the decision to place
Rear Admiral Wren in command.
The latest dispatches received in the
war Office here leave the situation at
the front practically unchanged. There
is no truth in the report cabled to the
Express, Of London, from Toxic that
a battle is progressing at Mukden.
There is nothing yet to show that Field
Marshal Oyama has begun to move in
force. The reported fighting between
the Japanese and Maj. Gen. Mistchen-
kos Cossacks probably refers to the
sharp skirmish southeast of Mukden.
Jap Positions Screened.
Berlin, Sept. 2O.-A dispatch to the
Lokal Anzeiger from Mukden says:
The Japanese dispositions are CON-
pletely screened behind a line of out
posts and it is almost impossible to OBJ
tain information from behind this veil.
The Russians cannot tell which of the
four routes the japanese advance will
follow. Three Japanese companies are
patrolling the Hun river in junks. II
is reported that Liaoyang is occupied
by only che company and tie heights
northward of it by 1000 men. the air
in the Vicinity Of Liaoyang being poi.
soned by cxhalatiors from thousands Of
unburied bodies. Field Marshal Oya-
mas headquarters is a short distance
north of Liaoyang. The expenditure oil
ammunition at Liaoyang was enormous
the Russian artillery August 81 firing
over 100000 shots.
Belligerents Are Merciless.
Chefoo, Sept. 2O.-:According to Prince
Radzivil, of the Russian army, who
reached here from Port Arthur bearing
dispatches from Lieut.. Gen. Stoessel, com.
mander-in-chief Of the forces of the Rus
sian stronghold, to Gen. Kuropatkin, the
temper of the belligerents at Port Arthur
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