The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-06
MAY ROB JAPS IF COMPETE VICTORY Kuropatkin Deserves Praise if He Reaches Mukden RUSSIAN TROOPS PRAISED If Japs Cut Them of They Must Fight Another Great Battle Before the
 Victory VIII Be Com
 plete.
RUSSIAN TROOPS PRAISED

London, September 6.-The race of Gen. eral Kuropatkin for Mukden enthralls the British papers and public. and military and other critics scarcely dare venture a surmise as to it's result.
 The best position incilnes to the belief that Kuropatkin will get through with respectable remnant of his great army, thus robbing the Japanese of the com plete fruits of their victory, but is Is re- alized that the Russians will not be out of the woods for several days.
 The latest report is that General Ku- ropatkin Is once more in danger of being cut off. and 1t is believed here to be like ly that this report will be repeated sever al times before the issue of the struggle is decided. English military critics base such opinions as they have upon the tre- mendous typographical difficulties Gener- al Kuroki must overcome before inter- cepting Kuropatl5in. who they hold has shown ability to take advantage of every phase in the strategy of retreat. If Ku- roh now succeeds after failing in the in- itial attempt he will have accomplished in English eyes an almost superhuman achievement.
 Here, it is almost taken for granted that a Japanese occupation of Mukden must quickly ensue. No serious English critic supposes that Kuropatkin will dream of making such another attempt to stay the Japanese advance as he did at Iiao Yang.
 If. the Russians can reach Harbin. they will, according to English opinion, be lucky.
 Big Engagement Must Be Fought. Before that becomes a question of mo ment, however, it Is expected that des- perate engagements must be fought and that the Japanese are expected to risk even heavier casualties than they sus- tained at Lao Yang in the final en- deavor to annihilate General Kuropatlsin, whether on the way to Mukden, or in the neighborhood of Mukden itself. The fate of General Kuropatldn's force, say the English observers of the struggle, Tn which they are so vitally interested, de- pend upon the Russian generals ability l to confine these efforts to rear-guard ac- | tions.
 General praise is again accorded the | Russian commander for his temporary extrication and to the Russian troops for their splendid discipline in defeat.
 The Standard says:
 For the first time in centuries Eu- rope has gone down before Asia and Oriental troops have vanquished in fair 1 fighting a western army
 Yet the paper goes on to reiterate the crowning triumph for the moment Is de- nied the Japanese, though Kuropatkin, | despite his extraordinary achievement" " is still exposed to disaster.
 Two Fine Achievements The Daily Telegraph after declaring that Kuropatl1in's operations and the de- fense of Port Arthur stand out as two fine achievements which have done the most to maintain the prestige of Russian arms throughout a campaign which oth- 1 erwise has formed story of unfavorable 1 incompetence, and uninterrupted dis aster," adds that the critical moment of the retreat Is only likely to be reach ed when General Kuropatkin arrives at the Hun river, some miles south of Muk- l den.
 | "Onee across this serious obstacle, the Russian forces will be in sufficient safe | ty though the passage of the river may | be made a terrible, expensive operation. | If the Russian army gets to Mulkden in any considerable force, Japan will have reached the limit of her advantages, and although we are convinved that she will maintain what she has conquered, she | will have to face the utmost test in a 1 defensive struggle before the truce of exhaustion is forced upon the combat | ants.'