Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-07-13
JAPS AREPLOD-
DING FORWARD
Midst Terrific Heat and orenehinq
Rains the Lite Yellow Soldiers
Press Steadily on.
Foreign Attache, and Press Represen
tatives Accompany Them-Mor.
ale of Men Is Excellent.

General Kuroh's Headquarters in
the Field, Tuesdiy. June 2S. via Ping
Yang, July 10, va Seoul. Korea. July
11.-For the first time during the war
newspaper correspondents and mill.
tary attaches haze been permitted to
accompany the hpanese troops on an
advance. insteat of remaining be.
hind with the headquarters of Gen.
eral Kuroki. Almost all the cores.
pondents are row attached TO the
staff division g'nerals, and although
they are not on the field fighting line.
they now witness the operations from
a closer range tan heretofore. Lieu.
tenant General an Hamilton, one of
the British attacles. travels with Gen.
eral Kuroki. Colonel Hume. another
British attache. and Colonel f. II.
Crowder, of the general staff of the
American army are TO 90 with the
western column, while Captain p. C..
March of the artillery corps. United
States army. is to travel with the
eastern column.
The country through which the
army is advancing is a succession Of
ranges of closey wooded hills with
narrow valleys between them. The
valleys are sow with corn. There
are many steep passes and ledges
which require much road building.
Sunday was ,ppressryey hot, and
the army on the Peking road camped
in shadeless AMI sandy fields. The
soldiers improvied shelters of boughs
and cornstalks, lut still they suffered
much from the heat. Monday brought
heavy and chilling rain, and the
army was soaked for twenty-four
hours. There wge few tents and the
men huddled unler trees or built
shelters on the hanks of the river.
Today. Tuesday II Is still raining,
but the army is again on the march.
The men, dripping wet, are plodding
steadily on through the deep mud.
Neither sun nor rain affects the
ardor of the soldiers, who are in fine
condition and keen to meet the en-
emy. The men are wonderfully hardy
and there is remarkably little strag.
Cling or dropping out )f line.
The Chinese in this region com.
all their grain and provisions, and
they are now helping the japanese
In all possible ways.
Toxic, July Z. II a. n.-Operations
of paramount Importance are going
on within the war zone, but the gov
ernment succeeds In yelling them in
almost absolute secrecy. Since the
occupation of Dalny, the government
officials have been silent concerning
conditions at Port Arthur. II is gen
orally known. however, that the ia
panese army and the navy are daily
tightening their relentless grip on the
besieged city and that a final assault
followed by fall of the fortress is
now only a matter of weeks. II Is
known that engagements of varying
importance are constantly occurring
in the hills surrounding the city. The
day and night and is frequently en-
gagged, but the forces and number of
guns OF the besiegers, as well as their
positions. details of past operations
and future plans are secrets which
probably will never be revealed until
the final and decisive action.
Fragmentary information from var.
ious sources. especially Chinese,
reaches Japan, but ifs publication
here or the sending of it abroad is
forbidden under severe penalty. To
the japanese people II is like the en-
actment of great tragedy in a
thronged theater. upon which the cur.
tain never is lifted.
Much concerning the siege of Port
Arthur could be published without in
jury to the japanese cause, but the
general staff having resolved to avoid
aiding st. Petersburg or General Ku'
ropatkin with a single shred of In.
formation, has placed an absolute en-
barge on the transmission Of all news.
Geographical and local conditions,
both In Japan and at the seat Of war,
make 1t possible 10 enforce this EN-.
barge with almost complete effect
No foreigner accompanies either the
Japanese forces which are besieging
Port Arthur, the army under General
Oku. or the army which has landed
at Takushan, and the newspaper cor.
respondents and foreign attaches with
General Kuroki are made to remain
within circle having radius OF lit
tie over half a mile. The Russians
are forced to travel a field along a
Japanese front, which extends Off 250
miles, in order 10 determine by ac'
tual scouting the positions and the
strength of their enemy. and added
TO this they must discount a series OF
clever feints and rushes designed to
deceive them.
Many false reports concerning the
war operations are being sent abroad ;
these the japanese welcome as being
Just so much sand and chan thrown
in the eyes of the enemy.
LIaoyang, July Japanese. led by
Chinese guards, have badly cut up
two companies OF Russian troops near
the village of Afatoy. During thick
fog the japanese surrounded and de
stroyed the Russian outposts. The
rest of the Russians at the post, after
a desperate struggle, cut their way
through the japanese lines, losing So
OF their men. The Japanese also lost
heavily.
Newchwang, July I, afternoon tde
layed in misunderstanding Russian
forces are everywhere preparing &C
tively 10 meet the Japanese advance
| -, - hoard again lac,