The Irish standard., 1904-05-21
RUSSIAN RETREAT
TO BE CONTINUED
GEN. KURoPATKIN PREPARING
TO LEAVE LIAoYANG FOR
MUKDEN.
SEEKING TO AVOID
DECISIVE COMBAT
Plan to Cut Retreat of Commander
Cars Troops Are Gradually Being
Driven Back in Daily Skirmishes
|aps Destroying Railroad.


St. Petersburg, May 19.-Confirming
the limitations that it is Gen. Kuropat-
ain's purpose to avoid a decisive CON-
bat with the Japanese at the present
stage of the war, the statement was
made by the general staff Wednesday
that the commander in chief is making
preparations to fall back on Mukden
and then on Hardin.
kuropatkin's decision to withdraw
from Liaoyang can only mean, accord
ing to experts, that there will continue
to be affairs of outposts unless another
Gen. Zassalitch should develop. The
controlling strategic point at Haicheng
will not be held, as believed, Kuropat-
kin deciding it to be unwise to isolate
more troops, who would, not being as
we'll supplied as those at Port Arthur,
find it difficult to subsist until relief ar
rived.
The general staff confirms the an
nouncements Of the. abandonment Of
kinchou by the Russians after the dis
mantllng OF the forts and the removal of
SAO ottAo W L VII AL luuT.
To Cut Line of Retreat.
Rome, May 19.-According to the tele-
gram received here from Toxic, two jan
anese divisions have arrived near Mulk-
den with the object of cutting Gen. Kuro-
patkin's line of retreat northward.
Daily Skirmishes Reported.
Washington, May 19.-The Japanese
legation has received the following
cablegram from Toxic:
'The commander of the landing forces
In the Liaotung peninsula reports that
between the 9Th and 10th instants there
have been daily skirmishes, Japanese
detachments successfully driving the
enemy back and destroying the tele-
graph and railways. At Pulantien and
vicinity on the 10th after serious fighting
the japanese occupied the heights three
and one-half miles from Kinchow. The
japanese casualties were Jag including
nine officers killed"
Japs Cut Railroad.
Toxic, May 19-An official report
from the Second Japanese army shows
that the railroad north of Port Arthur
has been cut in five places
Kaichou Occupied.
Chefoo, May 19.-As a result of the
engagement which the Japanese had on
Monday with the Russian garrison at
Kaichou, on the west coast of the Lao
tung peninsula, the Russians were
driven out Of Kaichou, which is the near
oct mint 10 kyau,cbu,oDo wifi, +ho ~,
ception of the Lao river, where there is
sufficient water to allow of the landing
of troops.
Chinese, who recently arrived here
from Newchwang, while confirming the
above, also say that the japanese are
diminishing on either side of the rail-
road north and south Of Kinchou.
Prepare for Land Attack.
London, May ia dispatch to the
Central News from Liaoyang, dated
Wednesday, says that according to news
which reached there from Port Ar
thur, there have been no further at
lacks on the beleaguered port since May
IL. The Japanese, who landed at Pit
sewo, it is added, appear to be pushing
preparations for land attack, which it
is expected will be accompanied by re-
neWal OF the bombardment by the Jap
anese fleet. The Russians sustained no
losses during the Japanese operations
having for their object the clearing of
Russian mines from Kerr bay.
Gen. Zassalitch Relieved.
st. Petersburg, May 49, - 1t is an
nounced that Lieut.. Gen. Zassaltch has
been relieved of the command of the
second Siberian army, division, and that
Lieut.. Gen Count Keller, former gov
ernor OF EkaterinoSlav has been ap-
pointed to succeed him. Since the battle
of the Yalu it has been predicted that
Gen. Zassalitch would not long retain
his command, but there has been no dis
position to act hastily. The elnpcrors
advisers could not forget that while Zas-
salitch did not carry out the plan OF oper-
ations which had been previously deter
mined upon, he had displayed Il stubborn
resistance which showed to the enemy
and to the world that the Russians had
Not lost the courageous spirit of past
generations. What will become of Zas-
salitch, whether he will remain in the
far east or be assigned to less impor-
tant region cannot be learned, but it is
emphatically stated that there is no in
tention to disgrace him, and that If he
returns from the far east it will be on
sick leave and at his own request. 1t is
generally believed that he will find it
convenient to make such an application.
Lieut.. Gen. Count Keller recently re-
signed the governorship of Ekaterin-
oslav in order to 90 to the front. He ia
far ADLER soldier than an administrator,
and ic vp1npor than Gov Yocca1ifch