Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-09-02

Beyond establishing the TacC InaL K.uropatkin had withdrawn the main portion of his forces to the north bank of the Taitse river and that the action is still in progress, to-day's dis. s patches do not give a clear idea of the situation in Liaoyang. Accepting the St Petersburg dispatches at their face value it would seem that the Russian commander-in-chief effected partial retirement On the other hand Tokio dispatches say to this that the Rus sianS were closely pressed and were much disorga1iized in their retirement . across the river. Oyama reports that his losses from August % to Septem- ber i were 10000. The Russians say their casualties for August 31 and September were 5000 killed or wounded.
 St Petersburg, Sept ?, ,1:25 p. m.-- No absolute information has reached the war office confirming the reports that Liaoyang has been occupied by the Japanese, but 1t is positively known that General Kuropatkin de- cided to withdraw from his positions south of Liaoyang to the north or right bank of the Taitse river Tues day night, and the orders were actu- al1y5 gwen. 1nO 1WdE Ol1CC pItSu14S7c that the movement was carried out, as the latest adyices yesterday were that the crossing of the river was not being opposed. The fact, disclosed for the first time in these dispatches last night, that the strongest Russian position prepared by General Kuro- patkin was not around the town of Liaoyang, as the public had been led to believe, but on the right or north bank of the TaitSe river, was a secret so successfully guarded that not even an intimatiofl of it had leaked out. 1t is now explained that the Russian c0mmander-in-chief had all along an- ticipated that the Japanese, when they made their advance on Iiaoyang, would pursue the identical tactics which had been so successful in every previous stage of the campaign, and while attacking in front would at tempt by a wide detour to outfank the Russian position. This time General Kuropatkfn was not caught mapping. He was prepared for just / what happened, and as soon as be re- ceived word that General Kurokf had crossed the Taitse twenty miles above Lia0yang and was moving westward KurOpatkin met the move by throwing his whole army over at night. By this piece of strategy Kuropatkin, in the opinion of the general staff, gained an immense advantage. His army is concentrated on one side of the river and the road is still open for it's re- tirement northward, while the Japan csc armies, which must act in unison, are separated by the river, which places Kuropatkin ia position to op- pose KuEOki with his whole army o1e stranded on the other side, which gives Kuropatkin possible opportun- < itys to initiate Napoleon'S tactics and defeat the opposing forces in detail.
 ssThere is only one parallel i'll his tory" said a high officer of the war office to the Associated Press to-day, t'and that is Metz, when Prince Fred efick Charles straddled the Moselle with the German armies. But Kuro- ' patkin has not repeated Marshal Ba- zaine's mistake of sitting still while the enemy closed him in.''
 Kuropatkin's great strength in cav 2 airy, in the opinion of the war office, will stand him in good stead now
 Whether the whole of Kuropatkln's army got across yesterday is Ifot defe anftely established, the war office not having yet received complete advices,  crossing of the river was not being interfered with In view of the To kio dispatch received this morning it is possible that the troops forming the l Japanese screen and portion of the Japanese right flank did mot succeed dn crossing the river. There are two good regular bridges at Liaoyang, over which the Russian crossing was effected, and then there is the railroad bridge, about two miles down the stream.
 The 4Tokio report that Kurokfs forces were in action at Heiyingtai north of the Taitse river. indicates that General Kuropatkin has already engaged him with portion of his army.
 It is understood that, throughout the fighting of the last few days Kuropat- kin's main reserves did not leave their position on the right bank of the river.
 The report that telegrapllie com. munication between Liaoyang and Mukden has been severed is not ad- mitted at the war office, which points out that it has been receiving oIiy two telegrams daily from Generals Kuropatkin and Sakharoff Two were received yesterday apd-two are ex pected to-day, although none had been delivered up to noon.
 The absence of press telegrams is explained by the transfer of the head telegraph office at Liaoyang to Shak, he, fifteen miles north. which was ne cessitated by the fact that Japanese shells were dropping into the office one of which killed two operators Monday. The field telegraph, which is working between Shakhe and Kuro patkin's headquarters, is not avail able to correspondents, who would have to send their messages by ex press rider to Shakhe, a difficult task owing to the heavy roads.
 The public here is still in complete Ignorance of the new phase which the battle entered upon yesterday, but in ferest is at white heat. Every for eign telegram is eagerly bounced upon and the newspapers are printing ex tra editions four or five times day a f11fntr heretofore unprecedented Tn