The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1904-03-11
THE STRUGGLE
ON THE LAND
Further Operations in the
Conflict Must Be
on Land.

With Korea occupied by the Japa
nese; with all the strategic points along
the Korean coast from NJ tpc TO Yon-
gampho held aud fortified; with the
Russian feet in iha harbor Of Port Ar
thur and the Vl2divostok fleet not
specifically to be counted upon at this
season of the year owing to the ice on
the harbor Of that northern port OBJ
viously. further operations 10 the con-
hct must take place on land As has
been said large force Of japanese
have been able to debark at New
Chwang, 100 miles north of Port Arthur
while all the important points along the
southern bank of the Yalu in Korea
have been occupied and strengthened
by the rebuilding Of earthworks so thai
the river may now be said to be guarded
from Win to Vladivostok ou the north
by the Russians ard on the
south by the Japanese, who
thus wait face to face An advance
was reported to have been made by The
New ChNang force ou February l6
toward .Mukden with the object Of
seizing TIE Manchuran railway at that
point and, with such force as might be
able to cross the Yalu, cutting off Port
Arthur aud at the same time the fur
ther retirement Of the Russians toward
Harbin. Indeed a large force of the
japanese were on the date mentioned
said to have crossed the Yau and driv
en- the Russian troops back toward the
railroad, 100 miles away Whether
these reports are true or not it is clear
ly the fact that the great struggle OF
the war will take place, either at the
Yalu river, or in Mauchurla, between
the river and the railroad. At tbe
outset Russia Proclaimed her aOIhty to
send down into the war district 30O,0uO
troops by way OF the Manchuran road
but such a possibility has been secuted
by those familiar at first hand with
conditions governing the employment Of
that road.
At the present moment it is confessed
impossible to move more than four
trains a day out of Harbin, aud with d
train capacity on 1900 the daily move
ment would be of S,00U men. 1t is not
to he expected that the japanese will
lie indoleut while the threatened 100000
are being transported south. A long
time resident Of Seoul now visiting ID
this county, and who witnin six months
had been over the Manchurian railway
from Vladivostok Ia Pekln said, With
with reference to the capacity Of the
road:
at is inconceivable to me bow Rus
sia can carry down that road, and sup.
port au army Of over 100000 men. 1t
should not be imagined that the Man
churian road is an American road il
any sense Of the word. 1t is what is
known as half weight road; that is q
forty pound road, being, accordingly
lighter even than many suburbat
trolley systems in this country. More
over the land is mountainous; the
tributaries of the Yau have necesstated
the use of bridges. II the Japanese
can get to this road, its destruction
would be an easy matter" Gerald
Austin in the Pilgrim for March.
REVIEW OF WEEKS WAR NEWS.
A dispatch from ST. Petersburg under
date of March says the Russians
have taker advantage of the stormy
weather to improve their defenses
The dispatch also says that the Japa-
nese feet has been weakened by dam
ages sustaiLed since FEBRUARY % to the
extent OF six cruisers, five torpedo boal
destroyers and one gunboat,
dispatch to the New York Herald
from Tieu Tsin under date of March
says: There has been a three day
bombardment by the Japanese Of Por
Arthur. timed at half past eigh
tAis Saturday morning. The attacI
was kept up at intervals Monday, Tues
day and Wednesday. When thu
Japanese ships tirs attacked the town
they were at distance Of 9ss mile
from the forts, and then hey drey
closer, their range being Az miles
Princess Alice of Bourbau, the divorce,
wife of Prince Fredrick of Schoonsbur.
has joined the Russian red cross socet,
and started for the camps in the far east
High department officials have beel
much disturbed over r1mors tina
China is preparing to take an active
part 10 the war and is Mobilzinl
troops to that effect,
"A dispatch from Seoul under date 0
March 8 says all The Russian forces
numbering 10000 infantry and cavalry
are reported to be in full retreat. Th
northern part of Korea is now amos
free of cossacks.
naval expert predicts that Kore
will prove mouse-trap 10 the Japanese