The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-03
Great Confidence Felt in Ku- rOpatkin's Ability to Cope
 With the Situation
RUSSIANS USE BALLOONS
 ID LOCATE THE JAPANESE
Experts Think laps Are Attempting an Almost Impossible Task In At tackinc Liao Yang With
 Divided Forces.

St. Petersburg, September 3.-3:19 a. m.) The text of the dispatch sent to the emperor by General Kuropatkin Thurs day evening, the gist of which was given out by the war office and was cabled by the Associated Press at 4:50 o'clock Fri day afternoon was not made public Fri day night as expected It was promised to the local press and was awaited with feverish impatience until o'clock this morning when 1t was announced that it would be issued today. All the news, therefore, as far as St. Petersburg is con cerned is contained in telegrams from foreign sources and there Is painful sus pense awaiting news from Russian sources.
 Continued and dogged confidence in General Kuropatkin is expressed in many quarters and the public generally as well as many of the military authorities, absolutely refuse to believe that Liao Yang has been abandoned, or if it has, that General Kuropatkin is not in bet ter position to make strong stand north of the Taitse river.
 Emperor in Good Spirits.
 There seemed to be an air of consider able confidence at Peterhof Friday night. An official who saw the emperor Friday afternoon said he was extremely conf- dent and in good spirits.
 Experts who are familiar with the nature of the intricate and powerful de- fences constructed north of the Taitse by General Velitchko, one of Russias fore most engineers, believe that the Japanese are trying to accomplish an almost im- possible task in attacking Liao Yang with divided forces. It Is pointed out that General Kuroki will have to make a considerable detour to reunite his forces. The bridge heads abuttng on the north bank of the Taitss river, are strongly defended by entrenched artillery, while 1t is understood that there Is a strong rear guard still on the south bank to contest the Japanese advance thus making the bridges utterly impracticable for Japanese crossing The river itself therefore, becomes an important factor in the general scheme of defence.
 Temporary LuII Expected.
 temporary lull in the fighting would not be surprising. The men on both sides have already made almost superhuman efforts, and It is thought that there must soon be a let up of some sort
 The report that Rear Admiral Prince Ouktomsky, now in commend of the naval forces at Port Arthur, is to be court-mar- tialed, utterly lacks confirmation. The story possibly originated in the same sources as the earlier report of his deposi- ton and his suicide
 Nemirovitch Danchenko, the well-known Russian correspondent, in the service of the Associated Press, in a dispatch from LiGo Yang, dated August 3i, says
 Balloon of Great Service.
 ''The Russian balloon corps has been of the greatest service throughout tho sev- eral days fighting in locating the Japanese advance through the thick cover of the Chinese corn fields, where Japanese columns frequently tried to creep up and surprise the Russian positions.
 ''The Japanese are using lyddite and shi- nose powder. The latter IS terrific in It's effect, and its brown haze is easily dis tinguished from the slopes of the hills, where hundreds of Japanese guns all day long poured in deadly rain of fire.
 The soldiers are in excellent spirits. General Stakelberg is personall visiting and inspecting the various positions. In some of the batteries it has been impos- sibe to remove the killed or wounded for three days"