The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-06-17
r ANNoYs RUSSIANS
.Persisten Efforts to Get Into tho Rea,

Persisten Efforts to Get Into tho Rea,
of kuropatkin Looks Bad.
st. Petersburg, June l5.-Each day
brings g sensational report. Today it is
that four Japanese ironclads and two
cruisers have been sunk. and on the Rus
sun side the Retvifan lost. Probably,
like so many previous ones, the report is
purely due to Imagination. More serious
news is that regarding the continued ef-
forts of General Kuroki to outtlank Gen
eral kuropatkin's right wing, which is
interpreted by the military critic of the
i~Birschewya and Nredomosti to indicate
the intention of the Japanese TO try to
cut Off the retreat of the Russian army to
Hardin. With the enemy about to occupy
Kin kow. the plan of the campaign clear
,ly is to surround the Russian center at
Lao Yang. The Japanese. however, for
get that reinforcoments are pouring in
daily.
All the newspapers feelingly call atten-
,tion to the chivalry of the Japanese in
,hurying Russian dead, numbering Go at
Nanshan, but the news that SAC Russians
are prisoners at Toki comes as a bitter
pin.
The Novoe Vremya. after having fumin-
hted yesterday about the supposed sale of
the submarine boat Protector to Japan,
today makes the amendment de honor
able and says 1t was a mistake.
Where Russia Dominates.
Paris, June 1.-THE Hcrald's European
edition publishes the following from its
military expert:
1T is interesting to note that the Jap
anese on June 3 or all the east coast of
Corea only had one troop of infantry,
numbering about 500, who We're stationed
at Wonson. This troop does not include
cavalry or artillery. One may imagine,
therefore,, the excitement of all the in
habitants when they learned of the pres
ence in the neighborhood OF numerous
Cossacks, having with them light field
pieces and being followed by infantry.
ON the other hand. the Russians Were
able to make certain, by one of their pre-
vious raids, that the garrison of Ping
Yang IS very weak and that of Seoul is
not likely to be very large and all the
available forces of the Japanese nave
been sent to Manchuria. Under such
conditions the Russians are vcritable mas
ters of all northeast Korea, where it is
almost certain they will not be harassed
in their repeated raids They are said to
number 4.G00 or 5000, a figure which Will
enable them to carry out some bold at
lacks on the land line of communication
of General Kuroki's arm with Seoul. This
line is the mandarin road which passes
through WIFI and Ping Yang. A railway
under construction runs parallel to 1t and
- - - Ia AiNA,s
Conditions May Change.
LAS long as the Japanese can freely use
the sea to carry supplies they need not be
alarmed by attacks made on their land
communications But If the fortunes of
war should reverse Their naval supremacy
or render the opposing fleet about equal.
the question of conveying supplies by land
would again become for the
Japanese, and the role of the Russian
forces in D0rtharn J<orna would acuIIjra
a much greater Importance.
These forces at present arc only pre-
pairing for sucn an event, but the knowl-
edge they are daily gaining of the re-
sources. roads and bypaths of the coun-
try, added to the good understanding
they are creating and the wise methods
they employ toward the population, in
spite of certain incidents due to mistakes
all these circumstances will result in
the Russians at a given moment in
an exceptionally Favorable position to at
the rear of General Kuroki's army,
if later on 1t should be obliged to have
its supplies sent by way of Korea.
"A slight advance continues to be noted
in the Japanese outposts which are dis
putting the ground with the Russians. A
column which threatened Lao Yang IT
seems is passing through Tung Yang Pc,
thus seeking to turn on the north of Mo
Tien pass, which 1T is almost impossible
to force. if, as must be supposed, 1t is
occupied by Russians.
But the news, significant as to Its pos
sible consequences, is that which comes
from the Herald correspondent at Muk-
den, according to which on jun u Cen
eral Kuroki advanced to The north of
Wang Cheng. This news lacks
confirmation. but 1T is in any case very
probable, as we a several times point
"a otItn