The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-09-06


slams have been driven to their last
line of defenses, where they will prob
ably make a desperate stand. The
three Japanese armies are closing
round them rapidly.
'' RUSSIAN RoUT COMPLETE.
W Toxic, Sept. 3.-Fuller details of the
Operations of Field Marshal, the Mar
quir Oyama's army at, and north of
Lao Yang have at last arrived and as
result the ultimate annihilation of
General Kuropatkin's army is consid-
cred inevitable.
These messages have come direct
from the front, where the japanese con-
troll both the telegraph and other means
of communication and little doubt is
entertained as to their authenticity.
While no official reports are on hand
at this time, this is believed to be due
to the fact that in the general confu.
sion of the sudden shifting of the po-
sitions Of both armies, the proper sub
ject matter for official messages has not
yet been gathered.
There seems to be no doubt that the
General Kuropatkin has been caught il
trap, The troops which he has been
able to throw across the Taitse river
are absolutely at the mercy of the
Japanese divisions who have occupied |
the road between Lao Yang and Muk.
den, and the rest of his army cannot |
at present cross the river as recent
rains have produced a food which It
seems impossible to traverse.
Japanese correspondents lay empha-
sis upon their assertion that General |
Kuropatllin would be willing to sacrl-
flee almost anything if he could avoid
a decisive engagement at this time but
assert that he will be compelled to
face the issue now as the three Japan
ese armies are closing in upon him
and will not permit him to shift the
battle field further north
The japanese armies on both sides
OF the river outnumber the Russian
troops in the like positions by a con-
siderable percentage and those response
bic for the reports from the field seem
convinced that no other outcome Is
possible than the utter destruction of
General KuTopatkin's forces on both
banks of the river.
To the north of Liao Yang the JAP
anese and Russian armies are separ-
ated only by the last line of defences OF
the latter and it is not feared that these
will offer any too serious obstacle to
the superior numbers of the Japanese
troops.
RUSSIA'S UTTER DESPAIR.
Paris, Sept 3.-Oondon Times. - ,
The state of mind of the population of
st. Petersburg, as depicted in the dis
patches of the French correspondents in
the Russian capital, is one of utter de- |
spair. 1t is taken for granted now that
General Kuroki has succeeded in turn I
Ing the Russian left, that Field Marshal, I
the Marquis Oyamas strategy will also
be successful in other details of his plan s
Of campaign.
1t is said that the czar is in receipt
Of a communication from General Ku-
ropatkin stating that the numerical SUI
periority of the japanese troops, both
In infantry and artillery, would oblige
him to return to his original plan of re- {
treat upon Mukden.
This message has apparently formed
he basis nf subsequent statements
made by the Russian war office to the
effect that General Kuropatkin's aban-
ionment of his positions on the right e
Jank Of the Taitse river, was but an a
'ther quite natural episode of the evo- O
ution of the famous plan of the gen. 4
'ral. The news Of the occupation
II Lao Yang and the later retreat of
he Russians was interpreted in this "
manner by the officials of the war a
'fiice in the information given by them a
o the correspondents. ;,
When 1t became known later that
he railway line between Lao Yang and II
dukden had been cut, the war Office "
I'LL sought to find comfort in the fact Il
hat General Kuropatkin had inten. q,
ionally done nothing to prevent the ;.
utting Of the line as 1t might have
een his purpose to lure General Ku- .,
oki so far north as possible, in order >,
o cut the japanese general from his y,
ase. u
ANXIETY AT ST. PETERSBURG. .,
st. Petersburg, Sept 3.-The publica-
lon by the war Office of the text OF -,
ieneral Kuropatkin's message to the -
gar, explaining his reasons for his re- -
reat from Lao Yang, and of other a,
ficial reports is awaited with the ~
reatest anxiety. While 1t Is not be-
eyed that these messages contain any
hing of a hopeful nature, the GER
linty Of the complete miscarrying OF r.
General Kuropatkin's plans appear pre- h,
erable to every one to the terrible un- .,
ertainty engendered by the complete q
lck of official news. 90
While the morning editions Of the 81
ewspapers contain many private dis w
atches, comparatively little faith Is x
laced in them. In fact, none of them r.
eal with details foreign to the great Q,