Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1904-10-13
RUSSIANS TAKE
THE OFFENSIVE
Long Expected Forward Move
ment Has Been
Begun.
JAPANESE LINE is BROKEN
Japanese Forces Are Retiring to
Lao Yang-Flanking Tactics Drive
Them From Important Positions
kuropatkin Issues Order.

Mukden, Oct. 8.-(Via Tien Tsin,
Oct. 10.)-A crossing of the Taitse
east Of Benshiu by Russian cavalry,
shows that the Japanese are retiring
on their positions at Lao Yang and in
the nest of hills east of Yentai, as
though they were still desiring a de-
cisive action near Lao Yang. The
Japanese after approaching the Hun
silver appear merely to hold General
Kuroki's late battle ground, where
cannon firing upon the Russian cav
airy occurred during the morning and
afternoon of October 7. 1t was quiet
there yesterday. The Japanese right
is understood to be guarded by Jap
ahese force beyond where outposts of
Cossacks are stationed, but no action
between the Cossacks and Japanese
has been reported within a week. In
order to retake lost ground the Rus
slams have now task similar to that
of the Japanese, that is to make a
road over hitherto unmapped region,
but the season being dry is highly IA
vorable to the task Of road making.
The inactivity OF the Japanese is not
unusual. 1t recalls their retirement
from the vicinity of Kai Chou before
the battle of Vafangow. 1t also re-
calls General Kuroki's strategy
throughout the firing in Monitor Pass.
The japanese north front has been To-
Gated on line extending from Ben
sihu to the Yentai coal mines and
bending north in the center toward
Hau Pass.
st. Petersburg, Oct. 1O.-Following
is the text Of an order of the day is
sued by General Kuropatkin and
dated Mukden, October 2:
More than seven months ago, the
enemy treaeherously fell upon us at
Port Arthur before war had been de-
clared. Since then, by land and sea,
Russian troops have performed many
heroic deeds of which the fatherland
may justly be proud. The enemy,
however, is not overthrow.
'The troops of the Manchurian
army, in unvarying good spirits, hith-
erto have not been numerically strong
enough to defeat the Japanese army.
Much time is necessary for overcom-
ing all the difficulties of Strengthening
the active army so as to enable it to
accomplish with complete success the
: arduous but honorable task imposed
upon it. 1t is for this reason that, in
spite of the repeated repulse of Jap
anese attacks upon our positions at
Tatchekiao, Liandiansian and Lao
Yang, did not consider that the time
had arrived to take advantage of these
movements and to begin a forward
movement, and l therefore gave the
order to retreat.
"You left the positions you had so
heroically defended, covered with
piles of the enemy's dead, and without
allowing yourselves to be disturbed
by the foe and in full preparedness
for fresh fight. After a five days
battle at Lao Yang you retired on
new positions which had been pre-
pared previously. After successfully
defending all advanced and main posi-
tons you withdrew to Mukden under
most difficult conditions.
Attacked by General Kurold's
army you marched through almost i'm
passable mud, fighting throughout the
day and extricating guns and carts
with your hands at night, and return
ed. to Mukden without abandoning a
single gun, prisoner or wounded man,
and with the baggage train entirely
intact.
81 ordered the retreat with a sor-
rowful heart, but with mistaken conf
dence that it was necessary in order
to gain complete and decisive victory
over the enemy when the time came"