Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1904-09-08
TWO BIG ARMIES
NOW LOCKED IN A DEATH sTRUc'
GLE FOR SUPREMACY.
The SECOND DAYS CONFLICT
Nearly Half a Million Men Engaged
In a Battle That May Mean Crush
ing Defeat for One Side or the
Other.

Other.
ST. PETERSBURG-Wi the
knowledge that the Russian and Jap
anese armies about Lao Yang are
in St Petersburg is strained to the
utmost 1t is believed here that the
! fight cannot stop short of the crush
ing defeat of one side or the other.
All reports so far are favorable to
TIM Russians, though the suspension
Of all news for many hours has been
exceedingly trying and has given rise
to several rumors, somewhat temper
ing, the earlier enthusiasm. 1t is
stated officially, however, that the re-
port that the railway and telegraph
have been cut north of Lao Yang is
untrue.
A member of the general staff said
to the Associated Press at midnight:
II can assure you that up to this hour
communication with Lao Yang has
not been interrupted. General Kuro-
patliin has taken particular precau-
tions against any attempt to cut the
railway While it is always possible
that small raiding party might slip
through the Russian patrols or that
hired Chinese ban.ts might cut the
wire, it is a fair suppostion that this
has not been done"
The highest military authorities
here consider that the most critical
stage of the battle has not yet been
reached, and they believe the fight
may continue for some time before
ntner side acknowledges defeat. This
is an important consideration by the
light of which to interpret any i'm
mediate news 1t is thought here that
in view of the numbers engaged, the
desperateness of the assaults and the
length of the line (about seven miles,,
the losses in the two days fighting
cannot fall short of 10000 on each
side. Both sides are straining every
nerve, realizing that the fortunes of
war for whole year are in the scale,
and neither side is in the mood or the
position to spare men in the effort to
achieve a final victory.
The battle of Lao Yang will prob
ably rank as one of the great sanguin-
airy battles of history 1t is estimated
| by the general staff that the Japan
esn armies engaged number seven
teen divisions of $4,000 men each,
or allowing for inefIlcients, about
| 100000 men. Each division has thirty
six guns, and there are two independ-
ent artillery brigades of 100 guns
/ each, making a total of about 500 guns
The estimates of Russian CORE
spondents range at from 600 to 1000
guns per side.
In the preliminary fighting on Mon
day the Russians captured 200 pris-
oners, who have already arrived at
Hardin, and report persists that they
captured over forty Japanese guns yes
terday.
General KuropatlIin's effective
forces are variously estimated at from
100000 to 100000 men.
The Japanese Wednesday morning
attacked three sides of the Russian po-
sition. One OF the Associated Pres
correspondents also mentions a Jap
anese movement to the northeast of
Lao Yang, showing that the Japan
csc were undoubtedly trying to work
around Kuropatkin's rear.
One of the surprising phases of the
situation is the endurance of the men
They have been engaged desDerately
for two days. after more or less Sc
we're fighting under unfavorable condi-
lions every day since August "a 1t
would seem that human endurance
could not persist much longer without
respite of some sort