Arizona republican., 1904-08-28
PHOENIX, ARIz.. AUGUST 2S, 1904
The Coming Battle.

Interest in the far eastern war has again been transferred from Port Ar thur to the country about Liao Yang where according to the dispatches Of fhs last three days the clouds are 1hickening for a bloody storm. The engagements between the outposts are becoming more and more frequent as they did just before Molten Pass and Varangow, eliminating in each case st the end Of three days in a general engagement. There is no doubt that there will be within the next two days & more comprehensive engagement in fsont of Liao Yang than any other eInce the beginning of the war.
 The impression is general and not unnatural that the Russians will suf- fer another defeat. So far as can be gathered they are still greatly outnum- bered and the indications are that considerable part of the force engaged l2 the attack upon Port Arthur has been withdrawn for service in the north.
 There has been an entire absence e Information regarding the reinforce Inents which Kuropatkin has received during the last month in which there has been a practical suspension of hos tilities. All that is known of the Japa- nese strength has been learned from Russian sources. It is estimated at St. Petersburg that Kuropatkin is con- Eronted by 25O.OOO Japanese. It is also Etated at St. Petersburg that he would shortly be reinforced by 35,CO0 men. If Shat k all the additional strength he is likely to receive and if he has not been already considerably reinforced since the engagement at Molten Pass his strength would seem to be wholly in adequate.
 It was given out about the middle ng June by an official of the Russian war office, about the time the extensive mobilization orders went out that they would result in giving Kuropatkin q strength of 25COOO men by the middle Cf August. It is now near the end .of the month.
 The opportunities of the Russian general to retire northward within the last month have been numerous. It hns long been supposed that his pres- enE position was not tenable, but ac- CUfdins to dispatches from both St. Petersburg and Tokio he evidently in- tends to try to remain there rather than retire with his main army upon M1kden, as it was thought he would G0 after his latest reverse. It is quite possible that he is better prepared for Q meeting with the combined Japanese armies than he had been supposed to be and that the prediction of the war office official two months ago has been at least in part fulfilled. This view is strengthened by the unusual delib- eratiOn with which Kuroki has been moving and which it was surmised was OCCnSiOned by a purpose to await the fall of Port Arthur in which event he would be strengthened by the 15O,OOO men who have been engaged there.
 It ts apparent from the Japanese dis patches of yesterday that the pressure llpon Port Arthur is to be partially re- lleVed, though the constant attack up- on the place is not to be even tempora- rlly abandoned. Whether the Japan csc change of plan is made because of growing conviction of the impreg- inability of the fortress and the unwil- 0ez ,F the loss of life which has been going on. OF whether a considerable part of the h~siesing force is urgently needed iI the north, can only be surmised.
 It i# only reasonably certain that there is pending battle which if not decisive. will be more nearly so than any which has yet marked the course of Ihe war.