The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-02
Japanese Generals Haze Him
 Htmmed in and Are DriV- 4r ing Him North
,<.JSSIANS NOW BELIEVE
 LAPS HAVE 3OO,OOO MEN
General Engagement Seems Inevitable and Latest Reports Indicate That a Great Battle Is Now
 In Progress.

St. Petersburg, August 2, 2:36 a. m.-The greatest anxiety prevails here for news of the general advance against the south- ern and eastern positions of General Ku- ropatkin's army.
 The public believes that the decisive battle of the campaign is being fought. but this has not yet been established. Indeed. the Associated Press hears from the keenest military attachees at St Petersburg that fer several days the main body of the Russian army has been moving north towards Mukden, and that when the present line to the southeast Is forced. the Japanese will find that they have only crushed the shell. Should this prove to be so. General Krropatkin will doubtless be obliged to destroy the im- snense quantity of stores accumulated at Liao Yang.
 Shrewd military critics, however, do not believe that General Kuropatkin can es- cape a general engagement His army forms a wedge with General Oku ham mering away at the point, and General Nodzu and Kurold operating with driv- ing movements of great force against the sides. If one of the latter should break the southern force would be doomed
 Amazed at Immense Strength.
 The general staff seems amazed at the immense strength of these cooperating Japanese armies.
 The Japanese evidently have succeeded in concealing the real number of their men and guns, which the general staff now believes must be in excess of 9Oo,0OO men with between 300 and 400 guns.
 While General Oku issAolding the Rus sian army at Hat cherS ill check. Gen eral Nodzu is evidently trying to work around the vital position at Simoucheng. At the same time General Kurok is try ing to flank the first Siberian army corps which was commanded by the late Lieu tenant General Keller at Yangzatin, on the main Feng Wang Cheng road, and is also pushing a strong column through direct toward Liao Yang on the Saimatsze road. There Is a road leading north from Simoucheng which strikes the Feng Wang Cheng- -Liao Yang road, west of Yanzalln If Simouchen should be forced, a rapid advance along this road would pocket the first Siberian corps.
 The report received from Toxio late to- night that Simoucheng had actually been forced, did not become generally known. The general staff remained in session until almost a. m. and on adjournment 1t was stated that nothing beyond the days of ficial despatches had been received.
 Russians in Perilous Positions.
 te hue tx.... .tt.f5. the TolSio report, but if 1t is true as point ed out fin the foregoing. it leaves the Rus sian forces in an exceedingly serious posi- ton.
 Lacking definite information, and if the Russian formation has not been broken by the capture of Simoucheng the au- thorities here say that if Kuropatkin ac- cepts general engagement they believe it will occur near Anschantschan, half way between Hai Cheng and Liao Yang. fin which case the Hai Cheng force will fall back to the Simoucheng force under General Mistchenko, on the northward road to Yanzalin, which is already forti- fled with view to such a contingency.
 Yanzalin would then become the ad- vanced position for Anschantschan. the natural strength of which is shown by the fact that it was the only position the Chinese successfully defended against the JdpdHtSt
 It Is possible that if Simoucheng is evacuated, 1t may be in pursuance of the above plan, and 1t Is also possible In this case that General Stakelberg may get away north, but in any case, his re- treat with Oku hanging to his rear, must be a difficult operation, even with the railroad to help him.
 Hoping for Further News.
 There was hope of further news from Russian sources regarding the progress of today's battle. and crowds hung around the bulletin boards until a. m. when, finally, they dispersed disap- pointed
 The only real news of the day was con tained in the brief dispatch to the Asso- ciated Press from Haicheng, filed there at 5:45 o'clock in the afternoon, saying that an artillery duel had ragged all day along the entire front, but that the Rus sians at nightfall continued in their posi- tions.
 No news was received from Port Arthur today.
 It has been learned that Captain von Essen commanded the vladiyostoek squadron during the recent raid