The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-04
General KurOpatkin's Army Is
Almost Surrounded.
Gen. kuroki Is Behind Him
With 100000 Men.
GEN. OKU is in FRONT
NodZu on His Left Flank With
Army of $4,000.
Russians Must Win Victory, Sur
render or Move Westward.

New Chwang, Aug. 4.-General Ku-
roki with 100000 men is now behind
the Russian forces; General Oku with
an army of $4,000 men is on their
front. while fianking them on the left
is General Nodzu, with his division of
| $4,000 men.
| If General Kuropatkin is defeated in
this battle he must either move west
ward surrender.
| The foreign military attaches are
with the second army en- route for
the front to witness the battle.
| Japanese troop ships are expected
here tomorrow.
| The Russian troop at Port Arthur
have been driven back to the last line
of their defenses. The Japanese at
| tacking force has three hundred and
fifty guns in action.
| Japanese Occupy Hal Cheng.
| Toxic, Aug. 4.-Noon-The Japan
ese, victors at the battle of Somou-
cheng. have advanced and occupied
Hal Cheng.
| Naval Sortie at Port Arthur.
Toxic, Aug. 40 a. m.-Twelve
torpedo boat destroyers, four torpedo
boats and some gunboats emerged
from the harbor at Port Arthur on
| the night of August 1, but were driven
| back again by the Japanese warships
on guard outside.
As 1t Looks to Russians.
st. Petersburg, Aug. 4.-The army
organ makes no effort to foreshadow
events of the immediate future in the
far east and gives no clew to General
Kuropatkins intention, but it declares
that events of the last 10 days demon-
strate concIusively that the japanese
Inn cir
had been to strike the main army Of
the Russians and not as popularity sup
posed to take Port Arthur.
The paper says the Japanese general
advance began July %, the taking of
/ Ia Tche Kiao being a signal for the
fnal struggle in the valley of the Lao
| river. On July 81 after six days pre-
paration the armies of Generals Oku
and Nodzu moved against Hal Cheng.
The same day General Kuroki began
his advance upon Liao Yang, pushing
| the position of the Russian eastern
army at Yangze pass and that of Gen
eral Herschelmann at Yushu pass
equivalent to the Japanese "Yshulintzi."
This paper estimates the strength of
Kurokis army at 10000 men, of which
number 900 are on the high road to
Lao Yang, 10000 on Simatsza-Liao
Yang road, 10000 the roads to Muk-
den and 10000 in reserve. The paper
does not give the figures of Generals
| Oku and Nodzu's armies, which are be-
| lieved to bring the total close to 200, ,000-
The sailing of the cruiser division of
| the Baltic squadron has been postponed
| for fortnight. the cruiser Olega and
the transport Kamtchatka are ready to
go into commission. The vessels now
commissioned are the battleship Alex
apder III, the battleship Borodino. the
armored cruiser Admiral Nakhimoff,
the battleship Naverin, the battleship
Oslia bia, the protected cruiser Aurora,
the battlesnip Souvaroff. the battleship
Orela and two other cruisers, with quite
flotiIla of torpedo boats and torpedo
boat destroyers.
KurOpatkin Is Retreating.
Washington, Aug. 4.-The japanese
! legation today received the following
cablegram from Toxic:
General Oku reports that the enemy
is retreating northward, continually
since August 2 On August g. our army
occupied Hal Cheng and New Chwang.
situated 30 miles northeast of the open
port of the same name"
huropatlxin's Official Report.
st. Petersburg Aug. 4-3:2O P. NJ
General Kuropatkin's official details OF
the fighting of July 81 at Simoucheng
say that only division and a half were
engaged. The report does not mention
the loss of guns, neither was Lieuten-
sta ted in the dispatch from Toxic yes
terday. General Alexieff who COM
mands the Fifth East Siberian divis-
ion of General Stakelburg's corps was
posted on the other side of Hal Cheng,
July 81.
The war office does not intend to
publish the name of the actual COM
mander at Simoucheng for reasons of
military expediency.
The war office does not expect the
japanese to resume their advance for
several days.
Now they are probably again prepar-
ing for hanking movement on large
scale, and possibly awaiting the march
ing up of a strong column from New
Chwang.
The failure of the japanese to follow
up their success is evidently the cause
of great satisfaction to the general
staff here. Whether this feeling is due
to the fact that the delay wiz give
General Kuropatkin breathing space
and enable him to arrange his concen-
trated dispositions for the coming bat
tie or because it will allow him the
requisite time to effect his withdrawal
northward is of course unknown, the
general staff not even admitting that
the commander in chief is contemplat-
ing escape. In either event, however.
the Russians will profit by the declina-
ton of the japanese to pursue their
advance.
Frenchman Mistaken for Spy.
New Chwang Aug. French Con-
sular Agent Albert Kreutler, was ar
rested last night in a Russian house
where he was mistaken for a spy
After a short detention he was re-
leased.
Oyama Goes to. the Front
New Chwang, Aug. 4.-Field Mar
shall Oyama, commander in chief Of
the japanese forces in Manchuria, and
General Kodama, chief of staff left
Kai Chou yesterday and have estab-
lished headquarters in the field with
the army.