Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-09-08
.sU.aMh5Y uF WAR NEWS

| Whi.e General kuropatkin is still
strainin2 every nerve to reach Mukden
with his army, evidence multiplies that
he does not expect to stop there. but
will hurry ON northward toward Har-
bin. Reports say the head of the Rus
! sian In; nsport train has already passed
the city going northward. but the main
body of the Russian army is reported
around Yentai, which is only one-thild
the distance from Lao Yang to Muk-
den.
Russia advices from the front begin
With hopeful expressions about kufo-
natkin's chances TO get TO Mukden. but
these assurances are followed by de-
/ tails of 4 situation which seems to
leave small ground for hopefulness. 1t
is pointed out that while Oisu and
Nodzu are doing all possible damage In
the rear. kuroki Is hurrylng ON his
extreme right wing toward n point
the crossing of the Hun river. This
Japanese force. which crossed the
| Taitse thirty miles east of Lao Yang,
I IS supposed TO consist of troops that
have beei: through none of the actua,
fighiing. and while exhausted by long
forced marches are fresh i'm compari-
SOY, with the others. of either army.
Likewise. the Jnps are reported send
ing gunboats up the Hun river. a
junction of the gunboats and The flank
Ing army would easily hold the Russian
army at the crossing until the armies
IN the rear should get into position 70,
q telling assault The next general
batile is likely to be for tie crossing
OF the Hun.
Tokio's advices. however which are
The only ones received from the front
today. indicate that the Russians are
IN Av1ft fft,rr W..
big battle may be fought there instead
Of farther north at the CROSSING of the
Hun. The Russian and Japnnese adj
vices appear to differ considerably as
to how far north kuropatkin's army
his got from Lao Yang. the Russians
Placing IL considerably farther north
than the Japanese submit. knropat-
kin's strategy doubtless will continue
as heretofore to avoid decisive battle
If possible.
Mnkden is a large city-rated at
100000 population-and would be AIDE
Guafe winter quarters for a great army.
liarhin is much lc.s in population. but
is the junction of the three branches Of
the Chinese Eastern railway From
here one lire runs east TO Nladivostok.
another south to- Port Arthur and New
cawang. and the third westward to
European Russia. To command! Hair
bin Is. for the Japs to command both
termini and about 1000 miles of Rus
slas great transcontinental railroad.
From Mukaen to Hardin is about 23O
miles. almost due north. 1t is is a
terrific march for an army in the con-
dition of i<uropatkin's with an enemy
at its heels. The Japanese can provis-
Ion themselves. on such march. from
light draft boats running up the Lao
river 10 MuKden and long distance
beyond: while the Russians would
bring their provisions down the rail
road from Hardin. The Russians would
Lave the better end of tho comnissariat
arrangements. and this might help
them. But flight of nearly 300 miles
from Lao Yang to Harbin--would
COMPARE of the Moscow retreat of
Napoleon, and would bring the season
down into the early weeks of a Man
churian winter.
That Kuropatkln is in grave danger
Of being forced to a battle south of
MhSden is apparent from two pieces
of information. both from Russian
sources; one, that there has been heavy
cannonading only fourteen miles below
Mukden, and the other that most of
kuropatkin's army is far south of this
point Some of the Japanese forces
therefore seem already to have inter-
posed themselves across the path, I'm
less nc Is strong enough to sweep them
aside Kuropatkin must face both ways
and fight, for today's advices add that
the rear guard actions are becoming
severe.
The Associated Press review of the
days war news says:
Fighting continuous rear guard
action with the Japanese who hang to
his TANKS, Kuropatkin continues to
fall back over roads made sodden by
two days heavy rain. The heads of
his long commissary trains have passed
through Mukden and continue north
ward. 1t is reported that in spite of
bad roads and persistent attacks on
the Russian rear the retreat is orderly.
Details OF the fighting and the exact
position of the opposing armies are
lacking.
THE Russian general staff, while adj
uniting that it has received no official
advices since last evening. denies the
report that Kuropatkin's rear guard
has been annihilated. From Toxic
comes the official report that the bulk
of the Russian forces are still at YEN
tai
Whether or not Kuropatkin will
make another stand at Mukden is not
Indicated in today's advices. In ST.
Petersburg it is argued that the fact
that his commissary trains have passed
on through Mukden does not Indicate
that the Russian commander proposes
to evacuate the city without a strug-
gle. but only that they are taking up
their proper position in the rear"
drawn by steaming mules. horses and
r-f~