The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-30
DRAWING IN HIS FORCES.
Net Known Whether Kuropatkin Will Fight nt Liaoyana. f

Net Known Whether kurOpatkln Will 2 Fight at LiaoyanR.
 St, Petersburs. Aug. 2s.-General. Kuropatktn since yesterday morning hes been drawing in all his forces from his eastern and southern fronts toward Liaoyang. Anping, Tsigow, Liandian sian and Anshanshan, constituting the main positions of the outer defense lines of Liaoyans. have been abandon. ed. The heaviest fighting occurred on the extreme left where the Japanese advanced to the assault again and again with bayonets. The positions at Tsigow and Anping were delivered with fanatical bravery
 The Russians lost a large proportion of oficers. ten guns and from 1900 to 1000 men. but the Russians had been eenera1ly successful in beating off tne assaults all along the long line, and declare that the order to retire came as . surprise, just when they were expect inG orderA for general advance. This Is considered to be proof that General Kuropatkin. finding his main positions menaced on the flank and anticipating dimculties in withdrawing owing to tho condition of the roads which have sud denly been transformed into boes by the rain, considered that a retreat was imperative.
 The retirement from the east front was greatly impeded by the conversion of the Lan River into a mountain tor rent and this probably also accounts for the failure of the Japanese to fol- low up the retiring Russians.
 The Japanese column moving up the Liao River and attacking General Ku- ropatkin's west flank is regarded aa extremely dangerous and General Ku- TnkfR ~h ole A> working around General Herschelman's s position at Anping and to be moving toward Mukden. The strength of the enveloping Japanese armies may be Judged from the fact that General Oku alone, who Is coming up from the south. is ofilcially reported to have 75.00o men.
 Whether General Kuropatkin intends to accept the battle of Liaoyang may not be known positively for several days. but the belief several times in wicated in these dispatches prevails here that he will withdraw northward having found that he is not strong enough to cope with the Japanese and realixing that Liaoyang is made no longer tenable on account of the Jap anese threat at his west rear. His re- tfrement undoubtedly will cause keen public disappointment as 1t was gener- ally believed he had at least sufficient achievements to accept decisive en- gagement and by the military critics his retreat is interpreted to mean a great prolongationro the war.
 The Tokio report that General Ku- roki had succeeded In cutting the rail- road south of Mukden Is not confirmed by the telegraph department. where 1t is said no reports have been received of an interruption of cos inications. Of course. 1t is realized here that if the railroad north of I.Iao Yang Is cut the position of the Russian army would be rendered serious if not des . perate, as 1t would probably compel General Kuropatkin to accept an en- gaEcment against his will.
 The rain which has again been fall ing in Manchuria. probably will serve the Russians much more han thu Jap anese, as their retirement ns soon ns they reach the yallroaG.-will not be in,- paired. wherene D |: likely to almost completely stop the Japanese forward movement