The San Francisco call., 1904-09-06
Genius of Kuropakin May Not Save His Army From
AnnhiIaton by Its Pursuers

LONDON, Sept. 6.-The race of Cen
eral Kuropatkin for Mukden enthralls
the British press and public and mill
tary and other critics scarcely dare
venture a brief surmise as to it's re5
suit The best opinion inclines to the
belief that Kuropatkin will get through
with a respectable remnant of his great
army, thus robbing the Japanese of
the complete fruits of their victory,
but ii is realized that the Russians will
not be ''out of the woods" for several
days.
The latest report is that General
Kuropatkin is once more in danger of
being cut off, and it is believed here
to be likely that this report will be
repeated several times before the issue
of the sanguinary struggle is decided.
English military critics base such opin-
ions as they have upon the immense to-
biographical difficulties General Kuroki
must overcome before intercepting
Kuropatkin, who, they hold. has shown
ability to take advantage of every
phase in the strategy of retreat If
Kuroki now succeeds after failing in
the initial attempt he will have accom-
plished, in the English view, an almost
superhuman achievement.
Here it is almost taken for granted
that Japanese occupation of Mukden
must quickly ensue. No serious Eng
lish critic supposes that Kuropatkin
win dream of making such another at
tempt to stem the japanese advance
as he did at Liaoyang.
HEAVY FIGHTING LOOKED FOR.
If the Russians can reach Harbin
they will, according to English opinion,
be lucky. Before that becomes a ques-
-
pected that desperate enga gements
must be fought and the Japanese are
expected to risk even heavier casual
ties than they sustained at Liaoyang
in the final endeaVor to annihilate Gen
eral Kuropatxin, either on the way to
Mukden or in the neighborhood of
Mukden itself. The fate of General
KuroDatkin's force depends, say the
English observers of the struggle, in
which they are so vitally interested,
upon the Russian generals ability to
confine these efforts to rear guard
actions.
General praise is again accorded the
Russian commander for his temporary
eXtrication and to the Russian troops
for their splendid discipline in defeat
The military authorities say that if
the genius of Kuropatkin and the NOR
ale Of his men had not been strik-
ingly brought out in the recent dis
patches there would be scarcely an
English paper to-day that would not
declare the fate of General Kuropat-
kin's entire force already sealed.
Spencer Wilkinson, in the Morning
Post. points out that If General Kuro-
patkin endeaVored to retreat in single
column his transport and force would
be so large that his first army corps
would have been marching three days
before the second could sart to follow
IL. The railroad is of little use to him
Wilkinson asserts, and he says that
kuroDatkin must be retreating in a
series OF parallel columns, each not
larger than one army corps, and be-
hind these the rear guard.
MUST WORK A MARVEL.
IF Kuropatkin can move his army
over the thirty miles that separate
Yentai and Mukden," Wilkinson SAYS.
he will break the record for such
performances. The Japanese columns
win have little difficulty in coming up
with his rear guard and engaging it
whenever they please"
The Standard says: For the first
time in centuries Europe has gone
down before Asia and Oriental troops
have vanquished in fair fighting a
western army
Yet the paper goes on to reiterate
ment is denied the japanese, though
kuropatkin, despite his extraordinary
achievement" is still exposed to dis
aster
The Daily Telegraph, after declaring
that Kuropatkin's operations and the
defense of Port Arthur stand out as
two fine achievements, which have done
the most to maintain the prestige of
Russian arms throughout a campaign
which otherwise has formed a story of
unfathomable incompetence and unin-
terrupted disaster" adds that the
critical moment Of the retreat is likely
TO be reached only when General Kuro-
patkin arrives at the Hun River, some
miles south of Mukden.
LAST BAR TO SAFETY.
Once across this serious obstacle.
the Russian forces will be in sufficient
safety, though the passage of the river
may be made a terribly expensive oper
alton, 1t says. IF the Russian army
gets to Mukden in any considerable
force, Japan will have reached the
limit of her advantages and, although
we are convinced that she will main
tain what she has conquered, she will
have to face the utmost test in a de-
fensive struggle before the truce of ex-
haustion is forced upon the combat
ants"
The Times believes it is impossible
that the heroic rear guard" which
defended Liaoyang, has had time to
reJoin Kuropatkin, whose long and
dangerous retreat" It believes to be
seriously menaced.
The military critic of the Times be-.
lieves that Kuropatlin must sacrifice
his rear guard if he hopes to get the