The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-09-09
SUMMARY OF WAR NEWS

White General Kuropatkin Is sttll
straining every nerve to reach Mukdeh
With his army, evidence multiplies that
he does not expect to stop there, ou'
will hurry on northward toward fiar-
bin. Reports say the head of the Rus
sian transport train has already passed
the city. going northward, but the main
body of the Russian army is reported
around Mental, which is only one-thlrd
the distance from I.iao Wang to Muk-
den.
Russian adNices from the front begin
With hopeful expressions about kuro-
patkin's chances to get to Mukden Dut
these are followed by de-
tails of a situation which seems to
leave small ground for hopefulness. II
is pointed out mat while Oku and
Nodzn are doing all possible damage In
the rear, Kuroki is h%urrying on his
extreme right wing toward a point
only three miles south of Mukden. at
the crossing of the Hun river. This
Japanese force, which crossed the
Taitse thirty miles east of Liao Yang
is supposed to consist of troops that
nave beer through none of the actual
fighting. and while exhausted by long
forced marches are fresh i'm compare
son with the others. of either army.
Likewise. the Japs are reported send
ms bP YIN mum iINSi' ~
junction of the g%unboats and the flank
ing arrry would easily hold the Russian
army at the crossing until the armies
in the rear should get into position for
a telling assault. The next general
battle is likel,- to be for the crossing
of the Hun.
Tokio's advices. however. which are
the only ones received from the front
today. indicate that the Russians are
concentrating at Yentai. M that the
big battle may be fought there instead
of farther north at the crossing Of the
Hun. The Russian and Japanese adj
vices appear to differ considerably as
to how far north Kuropatkin's army
has got from LAO Yang. the Russians
placing 1T considerably farther north
than the Japanese submit. kuropat-
kfn's strategy doubtless will continue
as heretofore to avoid a decisive battle
II possible.
Mukden is a large city-rated at
25o,000 population-and would be ade-
quatc winter quarters for a great army.
Hardin is much less in population. but
is the junction of the three branches of
the Chinese Eastern railway. From
here, one line runs east to N~ladivostok.
another south TO Port Arthur and New
chwang, and the third westward to
European Russia. To command Har-
bin is. for the Japs. to command both
termini and about 1000 miles of Rus
sta's great transcontinental railroad.
From Mukden to Hardin is about go
miles. lmost due north. 1t is is a
terrific march for an army in the con-
dition of Kuropatkin's, With an enemy
at its heels. The Japanese can provis-
ion themselves, on such a march. from
light draft boats running up the Lilac
river to Mukden and a long distance
beyond: while the Russians would
bring their provisions down the rail
road from Hardin. The Russians would
have the better end of the commissaria
arrangements. and this might hell
them. But a flight of early 300 miles
from Lao Yang to Harbin-woult
compare of the Moscow retreat o.
Napoleon. and would bring the season
down into the early weeks of a Man
churian winter.
That kuropatkin is In grave danger
of being forced to a battle south o,
Mukden is apparent from two piece.
of information. both from Russian
sources; one, that there has been heav,
c~annonading only fourteen miles below
Mukden. and the other that most o
kuropatkin's army is far south of THU
l point. Some of the Japanese force,
: therefore seem already to have inter
posed themselves across the path. I'm
: less he is strong enough to sweep then
D aside k~uropatkin must face both way
] and fight, for today's advices add tina
t the rear guard actions are becomin,
1 severe
= The Associated Press review of TIL
DAYS var news says:
"Fighting a continuous rear guar
t action With the Japanese who hang t
e his TANKS. ~kuropatkin continues t
D fall ack over roads made sodden b
- two days heavy rain. The heads O
r his long commissary trains have passe
through Mukden and continue NORTH
ward. 1t is reported that in spite c
$ bad roads and persistent attacks o
d the Russian rear the retreat is orderl,
e Details of the fighting and the exae
: position of the opposing armies al
e lacking.
1.-The Russian general staff, while 40
n hitting that 1T has received no officif
: advices since last evening. denies tn
o report that Kuropatkin's rear guar
s has been annihilated. From Toki
o m the official report that the bull
o of the Russian forces are still at Yer
s tai.
Whether or not Kuropatkin wi
make nothe stand at Mukden is nc
t. indicated in today's advices. In S
Petersburg it is argued hat the fac
q that his com1nisSary trains nave passe
on through Mukden does not indica1
that the Russian commander propose
to evacuate the city without a stru,
- gle. but only that they are taking u
e their proper position in the rear"
N -. - $500 H.