The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-03

Aipike. The whole course of the Yalu
between Ambikhe and Antung is d1-
Vided by islands, the largest, Somalin-
da, facing Kulien Cheng. Another lies
between Housan and Sindiagow.
The Japanese forces, the staff be-
Heves, appropriated hundred thou
sand men, of which four divisions,
thirteen battalions and fifty six guns
were in action. They prepared for
crossing the river by posting all their
available guns, of which the Russians
say the Japanese had five times more
than they along the line facing Kulien
Cheng and Antung, and also landed
from their warships AT guns. This
array of artillery eventually made
Kulien Cheng untenable. Under cover
Of powerful batteries north of Sindia-
gov, the Japanese crossed to- Housan,
occupying the height. AS the latter
position would have enabled them to
direct a raking fire against the Rus
SANS at Kulien Chen, Gen.. Sassulitch
ordered it to be retaken Friday.
This was done, but on Saturday the
Japanese, under cover of battery, re-
occupied 1t, the defenders falling back
across the Litzavena and continuing
the fight with the Japanese, who were
attempting to flank them from Chin
Cow. The Russian force at Antung
and Kulien Cheng had meanwhile re-
treated to it's second line, few miles
westward The whole Russian force
engaged yesterday formed a semi cir
Gle, the horns of which were being
gradually drawn in preparatory to re-
firing to a position further west.
A member of the staff said that the
issue ultimately turned probably upon
whether the order to withdraw was
given at the proper time. A slight de-
lay at a critical moment might have
enabled the enemy's vastly superior ar
tillery to concentrate on the Russian
compelling the abandonment of the
guns. But, If so, the Russian plans
will not be changed by accidental
losses. Gen. Sassulitch would continue
his retreat, contesting stubbornly a
possible Japanese advance along the
Feng Wang Cheng road, which runs
through hilly country, crowned with
heights and exactly suited to Russian
tactics.
The exact extent and location Of the
movements along the lower Yalu river
are somewhat obscured by the confu-
sion of geographic names. Kulien
Cheng, which was the main objective
of the Japanese attack, the shelling
of which is given in the Russian dis
patches as Turenchen and in the Tokyo
reports at Chiu Tien Cheng, is west of
the bank Of the Yalu a few miles north
of Antung. The preliminary operations
which resulted in the Japanese occupa-
ton of Kosan, or Khussan, also took
place on the west bank of the Yalu,
thus enabling this force to move down
from the north in conjunction with the
main Japanese attack delivered on Sun
day morning against Kulfen Cheng.
The fall Of this statigically important
The fall of this strategically important
nearly opposite Wi-ju, across the Yalu,
impossible and caused the Russians to
burn and abandon the town. 1t is evil
dent that the fighting has been con-
fined to YaIu estuary, which is now in
the hands of the Japanese.
F'eng Wan Cheng, to which the Rus
slams have fallen back, is thirty or
forty miles northwest of Antung, inside
or west of the famous Willow Palisade,
which was once the boundary of Man
churia. This point also controls the
famous Peking road, the great caravan
and trade route running via Lao Yang,
Feng Wang Cheng and Antung and
connecting the Chinese capital with
Korea.