Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-07-01
JAPS SEIZE PASSES
Kuroki Advancing In Strong
Force on Haicheng.
FIGHT WILL BE NEAR SlM0UCHENG
Russian Reports say japanese Cam
not Get Around Their Position
without Forcing n Bnttle-Oku
Assumes the Offensive.

Assumes the Offensive.
LONDON, June pa Haicheng dis
patch says that the war picture has
quickly changed, thanks to General
Kurokfs movements.
a heavy engagement is expected to-
day near the village of Simoucheng,
fifteen miles south-southeast Of Hal
cheng and an equal distance due east
Of the railway.
The Japanese have now passed Dalin
hill and ore twenty miles south of the
Russian position.
a terrific rain renders the roads al
most impossible.
The Russian regiments are camped
on high ground. Signal fires from the
hilltops are constantly flaring, lighting
up the bivouacs and the horse lines
of the cavalry regiments. Long trains
Of soldiers are constantly passing and
repassing.
a telegram from General Kuropatkin
has informed st. Petersburg that Cen
eral Kurol1is army had crossed the
three passes of the Fenshui mountains
and was advancing In strong columns
from Siuyen on Haicheng and from
| Fengwangcheng on LiaOyang, While
| portions of General Okus army were
moving northeastward along mountain
paths to strengthen the attack on Hal
cheng
General Oku has again assumed the
offensive and is supporting General
Euroki. The Russian resistance is Gen.
tered In the region east of Tatchelliao.
The japanese have failed to make an
advance in this direction, which is re-
garded as denOting the presence Of a
large Russian force at Tatchelliao.
The unanimous opinion of the Rus
sian general staff IS that q pitched bat
tie is now assured.
General Kuropatllin telegraphs as
follows:
1.-THE japanese have attacked with
an aggregate of nine divisions Of in
fantry and several brigades Of cav
airy.
1.-The japanese troops advanced along
the mountain roads through Fenchu
pass, Modu pass and Dalny in over
whelming superiority on the Russian
lGIl, WHICH WIS bulAtllhSll.
part Of the southern Japanese army
moved northeast and Joined General
Kurokl.
"a detachment Of Russian cavalry is
having a hot fight near Senuchen."
According to dispatches from Ia
tchekiao, a large force has pushed
southwark from Tatchekiao against
i Ol,u VT-bilo T~urovo4l-iD &c +b,,u nv
tending himself the japanese, with
great mobility, seem to be trying to
concentrate for the purpose of striking
the Russians in flank and rear.
y Newchwang dispatch says that
while a Russian force Of 5000, under
General Kondratsvitch, was traversing
Nafankow ravine, nine miles south
east of Kaichau, it was surprised by
concealed japanese artillery, who
opened q heavy fire which caused the
Russians a loss of nearly 1,200 men.
The force was caught in a trap, being
unable to get clear of the ravine.
a Tokyo dispatch says that Field
Marshal Oyama is going to Manchuria
5 as commander in chief Of the japanese
army, with Lieutenant General Koda-
, MA as chief OF staff.
Advices from the far east show that
six Russian batteships. five cruisers
and fourteen destroyers, apparently
planning a dash southwark, were at
$ tackled as they lay under the shelter of
Port Arthur's guns by a fleet Of Japa-
= nese destroyers. one batteship of the
t Peresviet type was sunk, the Sevasto-
pol was disabled and a cruiser of the
Diana type was badly damaged. The
; Japanese losses were few.