The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-15
The Battle OF Sentai.

There seems to be no doubt that the
tremendous battle which began on Mon
day and still continues, along line Of
which Yentai, station on the Port Ar
thur railway north of Liaoyang, is the
pivotal point, is destined to end in II
second defeat of Gen. KURoPATKIN.
The Russian commanders right, centre
and left, which had gained some sue
cesses previously to Oct. 10, have all
sand men, which had been detached from
the extreme left for the purpose of
capturing the town Of Bensihu, and which
had crossed the Taitse River, has been
cut of by the japanese, and is in danger
of capture 1t is evident from the official
dispatches on both sides that the fight
ing has been desperate and that the
losses, although not yet authoritatively
computed, have been appallingly great.
When all is said, however, the Battle
of Yentai cannot be described as de-
cisive victory for the. Japanese. 1t has
stopped the forward movement upon
which Gen. KURoPATKIN Unexpectedly
resolved, and which he now seems I'M
likely to renew during this years cam
paign Yet, of the one thousand guns
which he is said to have brought into
action, the Japanese claim to have taken
only thirty-eight and of the two hun
dred thousand Russian soldiers alleged
to have been on the field, only Il few have
been made prisoners. 1t would be alb
surd, therefore, to compare the Battle of
Yentai with any of those historical COM
bats which have resulted in the total eur
render of one of the combatants, as at
Sedan, or in the irretrievable weakening
of the vanquished, as at Leipsic. The
utmost that can be said of Marshal
OYAMA's victory at the hour when we
write is that the Japanese have regained
most OF the positions which they occu-
pied when the Russian advance began
on Oct. 4. 1t does not appear that
they are any nearer to an occupation of
Mukden than they were then. 1t remains
optional, apparently, with Gen. KURoPAT-
KIN to await requirements at Mukden,
or to retreat in leisurely way to Tie
Pass, which Is more defensible.
The repulse of the Russian southwark
movement has. Of course, put an end
to the hope of relieving Port Arthur, if
any such expectation was entertained;
and we may now expect at any hour to
hear of the surrender of that fortress.
The three Japanese armies in Manchuria,
respectively commanded by KURoKI,
hn
rectlon of Marshal OYAMA, can then be
reinforced by the greater part OF the
infantry and artillery which have been
engaged in the siege. Thus strength
ened, tits conceivable that the Japanese
Commander-in-Ch will decide to pros
ecute winter campaign and to continue
the thanking movements on the east and
west of the railway which are intended
to drive Gen. KURoPATKIN back to Har-
bin, if not across the Amur River.
1t is doubtful whether, for long time
to come the Russian reenforcements will
much more than counterbalance the
losses sustained in battle and from
disease. SO defective are the sanitary
regulations of the huge army under
KURoPATKIN that it would not be sur
prising if in winter quarters hundreds of
soldiers should die daily. AS We have
previously pointed out, on the authority
of a Trustworthy correspondent, the rate
at which reenforcements reach the Rus
sian commander does not, on an average,
exceed four hundred day. The Japa-
nese, on their part, suffer scarcely any
loss, except that which results from
wounds received in battle, so admirably
effective are the precautions of their
medical staff. Under the circumstances,
1t is by no means certain that at the open
ing of a spring campaign the Russians
will possess the great preponderance Of
force upon which they seem to be count
ing.