The San Francisco call., 1904-04-28
RUSSIANS ADMIT
THEIR INABILITY
TO CHECK ENEMY
COnfne Efforts TO Hamper
ING the Brown Mems
Advance.
Mikado'S Troops Are Now in
Position to March Upon
MukdeI.

ST. PETERSBURG, April 2S.-Disap-
pointment prevails in ST Petersburg
that no official dispatches giving details
OF the operations on the Yalu River
have yet been made public. The press
dispatches are so meager as to becloud
rather than enlighten the people, who
are hourly awaiting news. From the
general staff the following statement
OF the situation is obtained:
Before beginning the passage Of the
YaiD the japanese evidently completed
the concentration Of the armies along
the river. commanded by Generals Ku-
roki and Oku. Each army is composed
Of three divisions and three reserve
brigades. The total force is 100000. The
Russians on the Manchurian bank of
the river are inferior in strength.
Having perfected the essential prep
srations, the japanese, without waste
Of time, commenced the passage Of the
river, and the Russians realized that it
would be impossible TO prevent their
crossing. The japanese front extended
from Win as far as Piektong, more
than eighty miles. We faced the posi-
bility Of their crossing at a score of
places. and ali we could hope was to
harass and impede the crossing. for
every day gained enabled us to push
our preparations and bring UP more
men.
There are only two instances in his
tory where an army was unable tc
cross a river-that Of Napoleon at As
perm and that Of Prince Eugene OF
Savoy at Lech Both failed because Of
floods The Yalu proved no exception
L. this established rule.
We know that the japanese crossed
al least at two points. The first at
tempt to force a passage near Chang
chekow, twenty miles above Wiju, on
the Pousskhe a tributary Of the Yalu,
was successful. This is important, be-
cause a road leads to Kwantien. which
commands one Of the roads TO Mukden.
1t is evident that the Japanese de-
voted most Of their attention to cross
ing near Wiju. The river there is di-
vided into several channels by islands,
the largest OF which is Samalindo.
Above and below Win the river was
bridged at three points.
Up the stream near Sindiagou the
japanese were watched by small de-
tachment Of Cossacks. but the enemy
was practically unopposed. At Turen-
chen, lower down, our outposts direct
ed fire from a field piece so success
fully that they destroyed the moorings
and wrecked the pontOons. The enemy
was thrown into disorder and suffered
considerable loss. Stin farther down
the stream the Japanese proceeded to
make. third attempt at crossing
We do not think that the japanese
viii attempt TO land at Takushan or
Tatungkau, now that they have crossed
the Yalu. The object Of such land
ings has been to cause a diversion so
as to enable the japanese TO cross the
river. Takushan is not a good strate-
gic point. The road leading therefrom
IS bad and troops could only be sup
piled with difficulty
With regard to future operations we
cannot speak. The Russians will not
show their hand at this stage, but will
continually harass the enemy, choos-
ing their own time for a battle"
A military expert who is particular
ly impressed with the Japanese cross
ing near Siaopoussikhe said that the
use Of the road therefrom would enable
the enemy not only to march upon
Mukden, but 70 flank the Russian po-
sitiGn at Fengwangcheng and cut off
any Of General Rennenkampf's Cos
sacks who may have gone to join the
attack at Gensan.