Omaha daily bee., 1904-09-23
Policy of Falling Back Not SO Unpopular
as it Was Some Time Ago.
;osSAcK CAVALRY is BUSY SCOUTING
Fear Expressed that There is Shortage Of
Coal at Port Arthur,
RUSSIANS SURE PLACE CAN HOLD OUT
VlndivostOk Reports that Russian
Warships at that Place Have
Been Repaired and Are
Ready for Duty.

! Copyright, by New York Herald Co.. 1904.
ST. PETERSBURG, Sept. 22.-(New York
Herald Cablegram-Speeial Telegram to
! The Bee.)-Knowledge that General Ku-
| rokrs army has been reinforced by two.
| If not three fresh divisions outnumbers
ing considerably the reinforcements Gem
| eral Kouropatkin has been able to receive
since the battle of Lao Yang. causes a
| belief here that General Kouropatkin will
again avoid anything approaching a de-
cisive battle.
Seeing the advantageous results of tho
| recent retreat from Lao Yang. as re-
| 1ected in the consequent disastrous fall in
| the price of Japanese bonds, the policy Of
! retreat, which at one moment threatened
to become unpopular, is now fully ap-
| proved in the highest quarters.
The fact that the crops have been gath
cred is Of great Importance to Russians.
giving them open ground. more suited to
the tactics of a strong cavalry force.
Two-thirds of the distance to Tie Ling
is an open plain. easily defensible.
Utmost confidence prevails here that Port
Arthur can resist all present and future at
tacks, the only doubt existing is to the
quantity of ammunition.
Russian Cavalry Busy.
| GENERAL KUROKIS HEADQUAR-
TIERS IN THE FIELD, Sept. 17-(Via,
Fusan, Sept. 22.)-The Russians are re-
coinnoitering along the Japanese frontier
with a large force of cavalry, supported
by guns With three guns they appeared
yesterday evening within 5000 yards of
Yentai station and threw a few shells at
| the station. They continued the cannon
aiding at intervals all today. The Russian
| force on the Mukden road extends from
Shuliho, eight miles north of Yentsi, to
Tsotots five miles northeast.
Port Arthur short of Coal.
TSINGTAU. Sept. 22.-3 p. m.-Several
colliers arrived here within the last ten
days. 1t is believed the cargoes are In
tended for Port Arthur.
S. Davidson an American merchant who
had a Russian coal contract and was or
dered to leave Port Arthur on February
10 last, is now at Tsingtau. TIe tells the
Associated Press correspondent that when
he left there was less than 100000 tons OF
coal there. The Russians are offering
stupendous price inducements for delivsae
of the coal.
On account of the Russian warships haVs
ing been compelled to keep up full steam
day and night for nearly eight months
and the enormous quantities of fuel re-
quired for the water condensing plant,
| there must be coal famine there now, un-
| less coal has arrived.
The Japanese have since cut Off the water
! supply, when the garrison would have to
depend entirely upon the condenser. II
coal famine prevails the town must be get
ting water from impure water wells, which
would also have to be served to the sick
and wounded iceless
Captain Matouzwitch has recovered suf-
ficiently to leave the hospital, and the other
wounded Russians here are convalescent..
VIadivostok Squadron is Repaired.
ST. PETERSBURG, Sept. 22.-1l:5 a. M
Captain Cladot, Vice Admiral Skrydloff
chief of staff, has arrived here from Vladi-
vostok with important dispatches for the
emperor. In an interview Captain Cladot
informed the correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press that the repairs of the pro-
tected cruiser Bogatyr had been completed;
that the damage to the armored cruisers
Gromboi and Rossia did not necessitate
their going into dry dock and that the
ships were fit to resume active service.
He admits the mission of these vessels is to
prey upon commerce. but says that they had
hard fight with Vice Admiral Kamlmura's
ships when the latter attempted to cut off
their retreat Cladot says the Russians
will be unable to recapture Port Arthur in
the event of its fall without having the
mastery of the sea, and he urges the dis
patch of every available ship to the far
east, including the Black sea feet
Admiral Birilef the Russian naval COM
mander at Cronstadt, has ordered the bat
tleship Orel, the cruisers Oleg and Jemt-
chug and the transport Kamtchatka to be
ready for sea September 25, and the cruiser
Izummud on September Co. They will join
Vice Admiral Rojestvensky's SQUADRON.
Sailing of Fleet I'm Doubt.
The correspondent OF the Associated
Press is informed on good authority that
Grand Duke Alexis, the high admiral IA
vors sending out the Baltic fleet TO the far
east by way of Cape Horn. but 1t is stun
undecided whether the fleet will start thus
year.
The Russ and Novoe Vremya refuse to ac-
cept the low estimate of the japanese
financial and military resources, contained
in the English dispatches They say they
have 10 reason to suppose that they are
more correct than the pictures of the sit
uation in Russia published in the British
press. The Russ is convinced that the
Japanese are able to place as many able
bodied men in the field as France, whose
capacity, the Russ says, Is 250OOCO men.
The paper admits that Russia is greatly
handicapped by the distance OF its army
from headquarters here and urges doubling
the Siberian rail way line.
1880 b. m,-Geaeral Kouropatkin telo-
graphs under yesterdays date that the
Japanese continue their attempts to turn
the Russian left. but without success.
According 90 the latest information re.
ceived by the War ofhce. Field Marshal
oyama's advance forces are still thirty
miles south and southeast OF Fushun. The
War office does not expect a battle AZ