Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-11-10

inflicted fatalities only on the Eng
fish, it has practiced target shooting
| at several other nationalities. 1t fred
on the Swedish steamer Aldebaran,
! likewise on the German steamer Sonn-
! tag, on the Norwegian steamer Skaa-
! toll. and on q Danish torpedo boat
/ These extraordinary performances may
/ be explained by Rojestvensky's orig
| inal proclamation that he would fire
on any ship which approached bin.
| His officers evidently interpreted his
words to mean that they must fire
on every ship which they approached.
| The British trawlers, for instance, had
/ their nets down and ware barely NOV
! ing along The Russian squadron came
! upon them and promptly fred.
The War in Mauchuria.
| After ten days of comparative quiet
/ along the Shakbe river there are signs
! that the two armies are again coming
/ together. The Russians claim to be
| the aggresSOrs in certain places, but
| dispatches from correspondents at Gen
| eral Kuroki's headquarters state that
! the Russians have now been driven out
of their last position south of the
Shakhe river. In the sPinion OF the
Chicago Record-Herald. it would ap-
pear that the Russians are no longer
strong enough to take the offensive
on a large scale, while the Japanese
have as yet shown no desire to push
their way further to the north. There
is sure to be great deal of scattered
! fighting before winter sets in, but
| whether there will be another pitched
battle is uncertain.
The battle of the Shakhe river will
be memorable in history for the econ
omy of lives with which the Japan
csc fought it. In the battle of Lao
yang, although the Japanese had to
charge again and again upon Russian
intrenchments, the losses Of the Rus
/ slams were the heavier-the proper
ton being about four Japanese killed
and wounded to five Russians. In the
battle Of the Shakhe the figures thus
far available would indicate that the
Russian losses were at least three, and
| possibly five or six. times as great as
the Japanese.
Concerning the losses. we have two
facts upon which we can absolutely re-
ly. because both come from japanese
official sources. and Japanese official
statements have not once during the
war been open to the slightest suspi-
cion as to their literal truth. The first
is that the total Japanese casualties
killed and woundea-numbe red 1873
| officers and men. The second is that
the total number Of Russian dead
buried by the Japanese Or the field
was 1883. Now In the Japanese ar
ures, the ratio of killed to wounded
was as one to six, and If that same
ratio should apply TO the Russians
their total casualties On the basis Of
the dead buried on the field would
number about 10000.
The Russian official statement places
the total number of killed, wounded
and missing at 500 officers and $4,000
men. This sets the lowest limit Of
the losses, but unfortunately we can
not feel confident that it Is the whole
truth. An earlier figure purporting to
come from an official report of General
KurOpatkin's. but not verified. puts
the wounded alone at 80. 1853 We have
also the estimate Of correspondent
at Mukden, who places the dead at
5000 and the wounded at 10000. If he
was as much too lew on the wounded
as on the dead (using the Japanese fig
IRE of burials as the test, the total
Russian casualties by this reckoning
would be nearly 5000.
Reports from Port Arthur indicate
renewed attack on the Rihlung and
Keekwan forts just north of the city.
The end of the siege may very possibly
be approaching. There are indications
that the resistance Of the fortress Is
fast weakening and cannot be sus-
tanned much longer. The Japanese are
vance post here, another one there,
minor fort here, and few machine
guns yonder. They are always closing
in, never receding. They are strength
ening their artillery every day, while
the Russian guns cannot be added 10
nor replaced when worn out. Nogi fills
up the gaps in the ranks as fast as they
are made, while Stoessers gaps con-
stantly grow bigger and cannot be
filled up. Weight must shortly tell.