Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-01
IN MANCHURIA.
Problem of How Large Army Russia
Can Support.

General kuroki's Headquarters, In
the Field, OndatedD via Tien Tsin.
Sept. 30-(E,VeningJ.-The most inter-
estng military problem at present is
how large a Russian army the railway
can support in Manchuria. While the
army is south of Hardin, almost all
the necessary food supplies can be OBJ
tanned in the country, but the farther
north it goes the more it must dtpend
on the railway. while al the same time
the japanese will gain AN advantage by
having an increased area to draw from
The richest section of Manchuria is
the country of which Liao Yang is the
principal market, and the crops in that
secrion in this season are usually large.
Mel chants who are acquainted with the
country believe that il kuropatkin
should retreat to Hardin he must bring
nearly every pound of food by means
of railway especially as this years crop
in the Sungari valley had proved a fail
ure. BESIDES this every horse for thu
Russian commander must be brought
over the railway.
If winter campaigning is attempted,
on which point there is much specula-
tin. it will become increasingly diff
cult after December, because the
ground freezes to so great depth as
to render intrenching operations al
most impossible. The organization Of
| the japanese army continues to be as
efficient as ii has been since the be
ginning Of thu. campaign. Most of the
troops are equipped with winter cloth
| ing when the first cold weather and
| snow arrives, and khaki has been re-
"a
markdhle quickness.
| The railway will operate to Lao
| Yang within a week ana through trains
will be running to the front from Dalny
| and New Cnwang.
The. harvesting is progressing slowly
| in thu, fields in front of the Japanese
army aud to the southwark. Thou
sands If chinese are employed as team
STEERS and coolies by the japanese army.
There is therefore. great scarcity of
labor and as a result many of the
crops are neglected.
The thick nillet which has been a
great factor i'll the movements of both
armies has nearly all been reaped and
is now little more than bare plains.
The correspondent of The Associate
er Press rode from Lao Yang to New
Chwang ana found that surprisingly
little damage had been done to the
grain. considering that two great
armies had fought over the country
while with the exception of a lew
buildings. which had been burned IN
the RUSSIAN settlement at Lao Yang,
there We're some small evidences of de-
struction.
The territory is far from being as
devastated as might naturally nave
been expected.
The reports which charge the Japan
csc troops With looting at Lao Yang
were greatly exaggerated. Some of the
q soldiers. who first entered Lao Yang,
' finding plenty to drink. helped them
. selves and did some looting of small
articles from the shops, but the con-
) duct of the japanese army as a whole
throughout the campaign in respect
ing property has been irreproachable.
The footing done at Lao Yang was in
significant. and compared with the
Iooting at Tien Tsin and Pekin, by for
cign troops in 1900, it is not worth
of mention.
Conditions at Mukden are bad. There
; are 30.O00 refugees there without re-
: sources and in the deepest poverty.
The Tartar general is conducting a re-
| lief system, to which Russia has con-
, tributed.
: \ committee for the relief of desti-
tute Chinese throughout Manchuria
has been organized with Henry 3.
| Miller, the American consul general at
New Cnwang, as chairman.
r Missionaries are again active. The
: japanese authorities are assisting
t them and have permitted all the mis-
; sionaries to return to their posts.
: The Japanese army has made liberal
donations to the British mission hos
pital at Lao Yang and for the relief of
wounded Chinese.