Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-09-03
100000 MEN ENGAGED
st. Petersburg Confident of Xuropat-
kin's Ability to Defeat Jsos.

kin's Ability to Defeat Jsps.
St Petersburg. Aug. 3l.-The great
battle of Lao Yang. which began early
Tuesday morning. ragged througao--
the day with increasing intensity. b.
no further official details have been re
ceived by the war office.
Every confidence is expressed in Gen
eral Kuropatkin's ability to meet the
Japanese assault on ground of his own
choosing. but the city is hungrilv
awaiting further news of the progress
of the fight
The japanese forces engaged in this
battle can only be estimated here, but
they are believed to number about
100000 men. General Kuropatkin is
known to have six army corps. besides
141 squadrons of cavalry in which great
confidence is reposed, bringing up the
Russian total TO about the same num-
Der that the japanese have. How the
armies compare with regard TO artillery
is not definitely known. though through
out the war the Japanese have shown
great preference for this arm and great
skill in it's use.
Reports from the front credit the
japanese with having about 120G guns
and many mountain batteries. and il
is known that they recently shipped %
heavy guns to Yinkow. -Four OF these
guns already have been mentioned in
these dispatches as being i'm action.
General Kuropatlxin. i'm addition 10
his field batteries, has number Of
very heavy guns emplaced at important
positions at f.iao YauI. where ti2 Rus
slams have been strongly fortifying Cor
some time. :.
The japanese claim to have captured
two field batteries during the past two
days. Russian official accounts admit
the loss of only six guns.
IL is stated that "A Japanese battery
was captured south of Anshanshau n
during the preliminary fighting. and
that several Japanese guns have been
destroyed since then.
Little of the strategic situation has
developed so far. Official news from
the front says that there was desperate
fighting on the southern centre, while
from information from other sources
1t appears that the Japanese are en-
deavoring to turn the Russian right
from he neighborhood of the junction
of the Taitse and Sakhe rivers. The
fighting on the western flank appears
To have approached within three miles
OF Liao Yang.
A dispatch from Mukden Of yestcr-
days date says that in the stubhornly
fought battle which has been in pro-
gress near Liao Yang since Tuesday
morning all attempts Of the Japanese
TO turn the Russian flank have been
repulsed. IL is said at Mukden that the
japanese lost over ten guns. but details
had not been received there.
a dispatch from General Sakharof.
dated from Liao Yang at 10 a. m. yes
terday, says:
1.-The main Japanese attack is being
directed against the Russian centre
and right. where the Russian losses
have been the heaviest.
The japanese posted numerous ar
tillery within range of all the Russia i,
positions during the night. A hot fire
was opened at > a. m, and by 9 O'CLOCK
the Japanese were -lASe to the Russian
positions.
The Japanese shrapnel fire inflicted
considerable losses on our troops at
several points. Lieutenant Colonel Po
katiloff, commanding a battery of The
Sixth Siberian brigade, was killed"