Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-09-22
WAR NOTES.

At the beginning of the week the sit
uation had not been materially changed.
The Knssians were busy strengthening
| the defenses around Mukden, and forti
flying Tie Pass, twenty miles north. The
official reports of the battle at Liao-
Yang put their losses at 2a,05S men, in
Guiding two generals and 256 other Of
fcers. Reinforcements and supplies
were continually coming in from Har-
din. Kuropatkip wired to st. Peters
burg for more officers.
The Japs were gradually closing in on
Mukden, their centre was yet at the
Yen Tai coal mines, though divisions
were advancing from the East and also
from the Liao valley, and their idea
seemed to be to surround the place.
The Japs did not finish burying and
burning their dead around Lao Yang
until Thursday A Chinese army is en-
camped on the west bank of the Liao
river, about forty miles west of Muk-
den, and the Chinese governor of the
city requested the Russians not to make
stand at Mukden owing to the danger
of destroying the sacred tombs"
At st. Petersburg it was thought that
Kuropatkin would retire to the Tie
pass.
The Japs were very greatly disap-
pointed with the results at Liao Yang.
OF course they made the Russians move,
as they haye in every battle since that
on the Yalu. but they hoped to capture
or annihilate their army, and this they
were prevented from doing by Kuropat-
kin's retreat. and the advantage the
railroad gave him in transporting his
heavy guns pnd provisions. while they
had to wallow through the mud.
They are now closing in upon Muk-
den, and that they are preparing for
still greater effort is shown by the fact
that the militia of Japan has been call
ed out and is being hurried to the
front
In the meantime all the resources of
Russia are being hurried to the front,
and in the next battle Kuropatkin's
army will probably be larger than ever.
The action of the Russian govern
ment in receding from its position that
fuel and provisions are contraband of
war per Sc, and acknowledging that
they are only conditionally contrahand.
will relieve the tension between that
government and Great Britain.
The sudden appearance of the Lena
at San Francisco, was probably to test
the position of our government on
questions of neutrality and they prompt
ly found out where we stood The
Lena and her crew will rsmain at Mare
Island Navy Yard until the war is
over
. Conditions at Port Arthur are becom-
ing unbearable to the Russians and the
commander is reported to have received
permission to surrender at discretion.
Monday and Tuesday the Japs were
reported as advancing along their entire
line. extending from the Liao river TO
| the mountains. distance of twenty
seven miles. Their left wing was re-
i ported near Simuntun to the north of
| the Hur.
The main Russian position was at
Tie-ling or Tie pass, through which the
Liao river flows, and they were foitify
| ing the pass and the mountains to their
left or east. Their firing line was along
the Hun river, branch of the Liao, to
the South of Mukden.
A combined land and sea attack on
Port Arthur was reported, Tuesday, as
being in progress.
The censorship of their dispatches
| caused some Of the newspaper cor
respondents to establish themselves at
Cheefoo, the Chinese port across the
bay from Port Arthur, and to rely up
on refugees for their stories These
have sometimes been exaggerated, and
their reproduction in japanese papers
have done harm there, hence the Jap.
commanders will hereafter allow the
correspondents with their army free
rein, and we will get straighter news.