The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-10
Abandoned the Attempt.

St Petersburg, September lo.-Q50 a. m )-It seems to be definitely established that Field Marshal Oyama's tired troops practically abandoned on Wednesday the attempt to hold off General Kuropatkn and the latter's army has arrived safely at Mukden after frightful experiences in floundering through mud and mire over the Mandarin roads.
 Some descriptions of the scenes along the line of retreat are almost incredible. They tell how the men lay down in the mud and slept in drenching rain with out shelter.
 It is evident that the last determined effort of the Japanese to bring Kuropat- kin to bay was made on Tuesday, but the Russian commander-in-chidf faced about and two corps with artillery beat off the Japanese while the remainder of the troops continued the march to Muk- den. After that, the Japanese could only hang on to the Hanks and try to shell the retreating columns from the hills. The outposts are still in contact, but they are not even exchanging shots.
 Are In Horrible Plight.
 A late Associated Press despatch sent tonight from Mukden described the hor- rible plight of the tentless and shelterless soldiers.
 The let lied statement of Russian loss es which 1t is r1mised will be issued Saturday. is awaited with interest The ganer:.l eA:,eetatior is that the losses will approximate .u C,9 as against 5000 for the Japanese.
 The work of DLrying the dead was left to tEe Japanese, but the task was al- most iinposslblr. 1 he awful rains have handicapped the work of cremation on which the Japal, SC relied, and only shall tow trench Lu:iais were permissible un- der the circumstances. Not only is this work one of great difficulty, but it is all most valueless from a sanitary point of view, the storms undoing it soon after 1t is accomplished.
 The ear of the wounded has taxed the hospitals to the utmost. One correspond-' ent says that 12.000 wounded had passed through the Mukden hospitals up to Sun day, and only the most severe cases could be attended to by the nurses and sur geons. Many, therefore, had to be left to the rough but well-meant care of their comrades
 Separation Was an Advantage.
 One of the chief advantages possessed by Field Marshal Oyama according to the Russian experts consisted in the greater elasticity in the movement and in handling on account of the separation of the three respective armies of General huroh, Oku and Nodzu. Kuropatkn very late also introduced the same system, after a fashion, when he created the eastern and southern armies under the respective commands of Generals Ivanoff and Zaroubaieff, but these armies had not been acting independently for months, while the Japanese armies had been so acting.
 On his arrival at the seat of war Lieut.. Gen. Bilderling of the Seventeenth army corps took over the command of General Ivanon, who, though a seasoned and tried commander. familiar with his men, with the field of battle. and with the tactics of the Japanese, had to give way to a man older in years, who possessed none of these advantages. The change in com manders at such a critical time is con- sidered here to have been extremely un- fortunate. Although it is admitted that the eastern army had to face Kuroki who has earned a reputation as the most skilful of the Japanese leaders, the poor showing which it made in comparison with the southern army under Zarou- baieff. perhaps not altogether unjustifi- able, might be attributed to this change of commanders, and the battle might have been won if Bilderling had been able to duplicate in the east the splendid fight which Zaroubaieff made against Oku.
 Great Storm in Mukden.
 Mukden, September 9.-This evening around Mukden has occurred the great