The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-04-29

st. Petersburg, April 2S.-S:bO a.
M.-Disappointment prevails in 50.
Petersburg that no official dispatches
giving details of the operations on
the Yalu river have yet been made
public. The press dispatches are so
meagre as to becloud. rather than
enlighten the people. who are hourly
awaiting news.
The Associated Press has obtained
from the general staff the following
clear statement of the situation:
Before beginning the passage of
the Yalu. the Japanese evidently
completed the concentration of two
armies along the river. commanded
by Generals Kuroki and Oku. Each
army is composed of three divisions
and three reserve brigades. The to-
tai force is 100000. The Russians
on the Manchurian bank of the river
are inferior in strength.
Having perfected the essential
preparations, the Japanese, without
waste of time, commenced the pas
sage of the river, and the Russians
realized that it would be impossible
to prevent their crossing.
'"The Japanese front extended from
Wiju as far as Piek-Tong. over eighty
miles. We faced the possibility that
they would cross at score of places,
and all we could hope was to harass
and impede the crossing, for every
day gained enabled us to push our
preparations and bring up more men.
There are only two instances in his
tory where an army was unable to
cross a river-that of Napoleon at
Aspern and that of Prince Eugene
of Savoy, at Lech. Both failed be-
cause of floods. The Yalu proved
no exception to the established rule.
I'VE know that the japanese
first attempt to force a passage near
Chand-Che-Kow. 20 miles above
Wiju, near Siapoussikhe, on the Pous-
sikhe, a tributary of the Yalu, was
successful. This is important be-
cause q road leads from Siaopous-
sikhe northeast to Kwan Tien, which
commands one of the roads to Muk-
den.
'It is evident that the Japanese
devoted most of their attention to
crossing near Wiju. The river here
IL divided into several islands by
channels, the largest of which Is
Samalindo. Above and below Wiju,
the river was bridged at three points.
Up the stream near Sindiagou the
japanese were watched by a small
detachment OF Cossacks. but the
enemy was practically unopposed. AT
Turenchen, lower down, our outposts
directed a fire from field piece so
successfully that they destroyed the
moorings and wrecked the pontoons.
The enemy was thrown into disor-
der and suffered considerable loss.
Still further down the stream the
Japanese proceeded to make a third
attempt at crossing.
I'VE do not think that the japanese
will attempt to land at Takushan or
Tatung-Kau, now that they have
crossed the Yalu. The object of such
landings has been to cause a diver
sion, so as to enable the Japanese to
cross the river. Takushan is not a
good strategic point. The road
leading therefrom is bad and troops
can only be supplied with great diff
GUILTY.
With regard to future operations
we cannot speak. The Russians will
not show their hand at this stage,
but will continually harraSs the enc
my, choosing their own time for bat
tle."
military expert who is particu-
larly impressed with the Importance
Of the Japanese crossing near Siao-
possikhe, said that the use of the
road therefrom would enable the
enemy not only to march upon Muk-
den, but to outf1ank the Russian
position at Feng-Huan-Cheng and
cut off any of General Rennen-
kampff's coSsacks, who may have
gone to join the attack on Gen-San.
Mo6E II