The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-09-10


thirty imles.
st. Petersburg, Sept. cit is re-
ported that Gen. Kuropatkin's rear
guard has been almost annihilated,
and that the main Russian army is in
imminent danger of being surrounded.
1t is impossible at this hour to OBJ
tain any statement from the authorities
regarding the reported preparations for
the abandonment of Mukden. This
is the first intimation that such a
course is contemplated. If it turns out
to he true it means the abandonment
of the whole of Southern Manchuria
and the winding up of the present cam
paign. In fact, should Mukden be
evacuated, there would be no point for
wintering the army of quarter OF a
million, with its many wounded, short
of Hardin.
On the other hand the evacuation of
Mukden would give Field Marshal
Oyama commodious winter quarters
and the practical control of two lines
of railway. The Kinchou-Sinmintin
line, tapping rich Chinese territory,
stonps a little short of Mukden, with
which it is connected by good wagon
road.
The report of tie prospective evacua-
ton of Mukden,if we'll founded, would
indicate that the crippling effect of
the Liaoyang fighting ON Kuropatkin' s
army is more serious than has as yet
been intimated.
A summary of the war situation to
date shows that the whole Russian
army, or at least the main portion of
il, is already above Yentai and is
pushing on toward Mukden. Field
Marshal Oyama's entire army has
crossed the Taitse river and part of it
is hanging on to Kuropatkins flank.
A strong fanking column on the
east is pushing rapidly north in an
effort to head off the Russians.
Against this column Gen. Kuropat-
kin has sent out strong cavalry divi-
sion to the northeast, which it is be-
lieved is already in position to check
the Japaneses hankers, while to the
westward Kuropatkin is moving di-
vision toward Singmintin, thirty miles
west of Mukden, to meet any interior
ence that may be attempted from the
direction of Yinkow or Newchwang
; Oyama's advance is reported to be en-.
gaging the Russian rear, but it is not
|, expected to develop anything more
than series of rear guard actions,
; tending to harass Kuropatkin's retreat
The japanese have thrown a strong
thanking column across the Taitse riv-
er, about thirty miles northeast of
Liaoyang. This column is hurrying to
the northeast and endeavoring to get
in between the Russian army and Muk
den. 1t is against this movement that
Kuropatkin has dispatched Gen. j. en-
nenkampf with strong Cossack divi-
sion, which it is believed is already
blocking the eastern high road. Kur.
opatkin has thre roads over which he
is marching toward Mukden, besides
the double-tracked railroad. The lat
ter is chiefly occupied in the trans.
portation of guns and equipment, of
which there is great quantity. The
soldiers are marching in light order,
and most of the wounded have already
been dispatched by rail.
Gen. Kuropatkin, in a telegram to
the general staff, filed at p. M, Sept.
3, north of Yentai, says the japanese
on Sunday engaged his rear guard
south of Yentai, the fighting continu-
ing until Monday.
Kuropatkin estimates his losses up
to and including Sunday, at 10000.
This is considered to be a very con-
sentative figure. The loss of the Jap
anese will probably double this num-
Der, owing to their position as attackers
Kuropatkin says nothing regarding
the loss of guns, but it is probable
that some of the heavier emplacements
at Liaoyang had to be abandoned.