Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-05-09
RUSSIA is DEPRESSED.
Reports from the Front Cause Con-
sternation at St. Petersburg.

| st. Petersburg, May $50 y. NJ
| Two official dispatches calculated to i'll
| crease the depression existing among
| all circles IL Russia, were given out.
| last night. From the point of view Of
| the progress of the campaign the most
| important is that regarding the cap
| ture by the Japanese without oppoSi-
| ton of Fcng Wang ChenG. Nay q. The
| second gives details concerning the
| killed, wounded and missing among the
| troops under the command of Lieut.
| Gen. Zassalitch. rs the result of the
| tlghting on the Yalu, the number of
which totals 1897 officers and men.
General Kuropatkin forwarded mos
sage from Lieut.. General Zlssalitrh.
who had been left in command Of the
column retiring from Frng WaHS
Cheng, which dcstXiheI the movements
Of the enemy in connection with the
| occupation of the town.
The information caused no surprise
| to the officials, who had already been
| advised of the decision that no attempt
would be made to hold Fcng Wun.,
Chcng, the superiority OF the Japanese
| i'll ali fighting arms cnsuring Il disaster
| similar to that at I<iu Lien ChcnC
Therefore. General Zassalitrh was given
strict orders that there would be no
| fight at the rear guard. The Russians
| left while General Kuroki was making
| his dispositions for 4 big battle.
The Japanese approached from two
| directions along the main road and up
the valley, placing batteries so as to
| command the town. This procedure on
| the part of General Kuruki shows that
| the entire Japanese plan of operation
| had been thoughtfully prepared ana
| every division commander knew exact
| ly what he should do.
Now that General Kuroki is cstab-
| lished at Fcug Wang Chcng the Rus
| slams are puzzled us to what move he
! will next make. The fact that he sent
| two companies to Daliandiapu Use, ten
| miles north northeast of Fpng Wang
| ChenG, might Indicate his purpose to
| roCccd along the road to Ting Chan
Gi;ln, ninety miles north from where
he would march due west to I.iao Yan:;
| This would permit an effective llanl.
movement, but it is not considered
proba bic, the likelihood being that nc
| will move along tn" road by which tn"
| Russians rctrcated toward I.iHo Yang
| This road branches off at Chats Chang;
- miles westward of FcnG Wang
! Chcng.
| a march on this place would compel
| the evacuation of New chWan-. as tn"
| force there would hc in danger Of the
| IL Struction or Of being subjected to Il
| siege by the armies convcrgiu:; from
| Hal Chcng ana the southern portion nr
the Liao TunS peninsula.
| There is no confirmation up to the
| present. of the rcrort that the Rus
| slams are preparing to cvacuate New
Chwanr, but few would be surprised If
it should turn out to be correct Thn
| effect Of a march along the road to
IIai Chen- would be to place absolute
ly in the control Of the Japanese all
Manchuri:I between the Yalu ana the
Liao TunS peninsula with the exception
of Port Arthur.
The Russians admit that at this stage
of the war the Japanese control the
territory mentioned, the Russky In
valid, the amy organ, making this
| concession. The remainder of the press
| is silent
Only one afternoon paper referred to
the abandonment of Fcng Wang Chcng.
Tucked away in Il corner Of that paper
was Il small item saying that the post
| and telegraph Offices at that point were
| closed.
| Where General Kuropatkin's main
| force is now stationed has not been
announced, though General Zassalitch
| states that the cavalry left for Schlind-
jane. There continues to be the great
| est ignorance regarding the plans of
the commander in chief, who is taking
every prccautinn to prevent Informal
ton reaching the enemy, the censor at
Lao Yang refusing to pass single
press despatch which in any wayJin-
! dicatcs the Russian movements. Mes
! saSes from other points are strictly
| censored.
1t is bclivce1 that General Kuroki.
instead OF proceeding to Val Chang.
will move northwest along the road to
Lao Yang. He will fmd the Russians;
entrenched at Tien Cori Chan pass,
west of Mao Tien Ling pass
| The gruesome figures in the Russian
losses on the Yalu are higher than hal
been reported by Major General Kash-
talinSky.
Il The list enables an exact statement to
be made of the force under Gen Zassa
Itch. which were made up exclusively OF
eastern Siberians and included the 9th.