Arizona republican., 1904-05-01
BATTLE SMELL
The Great Land Conflict is
 Near at Hand
ON THE YALU
The Last so Big that it has Been Put In the Battle Class-Russian Faith hi the Ability of kuropatkin to Entrap and Destroy.

Entrap and Destroy.
 St Petersburg, April 3O.-1O:3 30 D. m.--l All news from the front indicates that the armies of General Kuroki and Gen. eral Oki, comprising about 100, GOO men, 1 are being rapidly pushed forward and will be thrown across the Yalu as speedily as possible. Japanese trans ports have also appeared at the mouth of the river, and supported by a few warships. will assist in the operations The Japanese seem to ba following closely the tactics pursued by them furtng the Chino-Japanese war. having already occupied Ku Lien Cheng, above
 Antung, where they crossed in 1895. The beginning of serious land lighting is considered to be not far distant, al- though a heavy movement of troops may not begin for several days, not
 withstRnding the Japanese are crossing in several places above Wiju. It is be-
 iieyed that the Japanese anticipated
 more resistance on the Yalu than they have met with, for the reason that their
 armies were not in position to cross att
 the moment thea dvance guard forced
 passsge. With the advanced hody,
 some guns were hurried over and the
 Japanese outpcsts were entrenched.
 Dcsultory picket firing has occur1e cd
 constantly, but no importance is at
 taehed to it.
 While Russian plans never contem.
 plated strong resistance to the Jap
 anese on the Yalu. it is evident that the latter expected show of defense on
 the river and some surprise is manifest ed even here that practically nc attempt
 has been made to impede the enemy's
 crossing. In explanation of this it is significantly intimated by members of
 the general staff that General Kuro-
 patlIin has some secret plans, and that
 the Japanese may soon find themselves in q trap.
 General Kuropatkin's skill as a strat- egist is the thing in which the Russian
 army reposes blind faith. "Wait until the denouement," officers of the gen.
 eral staff say. They consider that Gen
 eral KurOpatkin's skill as strategist
 approaches real genius. Many. officers
 claim that as chief of staff General
 Kuropat,Sin was largely Instrumental in organizing the victories of General
 Skobeloff and they delight to tell how years ago during the big field maneu-
 vers at Moscow against the Grand
 Duke Sergieus, he drew the whole of
 the grand dukes artillery into ambus- cade. ending the campaign at q single stroke. It is estimated here that it will take the Japanese at least a week
 to bring over their men and baggage
 and prepare for an advance upon the first Russian line, which is strongly posted at Feng Huan Sheng, fifty miles west of the Yalu on the Pekin Eoad.
 The general staff does not believe t
 to be possible for the Japanese to de- liver successful frontal attacks on this
 position, the country being exceedingly | difficult and also favorable for disas trous ambuscades. Members of the staff are inclined to think that the Japanese may try fianking movement to the northward but they say that if they do so it can only be a diversion owing to the bad condition in which the roads will be for the next fort
 night. The talents of the respective commanders as strategists. it is ax- pected, will be demonstrated by n ser | ies of moves and counter moves. Within the last few days General Kuroopatkin has advised the emperor | that he is we'll satisfied with the dis positions made of the Russian troops
 to meet the Japanese advance upon the Feng Huan Cheng line. He also made a favorable report on the strength of
 tn! Hai Cheng line amove Newchwang and the conditions on the Liao Tung peninsula. It is said that General Kuropatkin upon his arrived at Liao Yang doubted the eXpediency of hold Ing that place. but he is now con i vinced that it should be held, while it is admitted that the Japanese may be able to land at several plnces on the peninsula and even cut the railway. It
 is believed that they will not care to take the risks involved in such a move ment.
 Vice Admiral Togo could easily hold tho Russian fleet in port during the djsembarkation of the Japanese troops but to insure their safety afterward he would be compelled to maintain a con stantly superior force outside the har- bor to prevent possibility of the Rus sian fleet seizing the Japanese base and cutting off communications leaving
 them to sustain an unsupported land attack.
 An invasion of Liao Tung would be like all invasion of England" remarked an officer of the stan. AS Field Mar Count Won Moltke said: There are
 many ways in but not 0 s.ngle way out"
 4 DIARY OF WAR.