New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-11
rBr 1,p.yESE ADVANCE.


-, Iananese advance in South
= H,a.,,,,-io II # Is true is sufficiently slaT'-
a. = sa+isfv the strongest craving LOT seN9
- In briaf IL amounts 10 THIS that 'o
T.r.,oeo instead Of fighting at the 1aIu " =
or st6rminC Port Arthur, have IN sun I-. -
-, q LARGE body Of troops into the cOuH19
to+,-aen tho two and between them alu 1.Ou-
do, We are told they are at une " -
Chang. That IS an important toMI 4! Us o,,d
Lung-Wang a tributary OF the 1"iu - -,
olso on the great highroad and line OF lhe pio-
..-.5 r,iIroad from IiaO-Yang, on the Mali
r,TrIan railroad. TO Antung at the mouth Oh
tba Vain II is about forty miles from Ailtuns
on1 tho Vain and about the same distance lLOiN
the coast at Ta-Tung-kOw and not more Ilian
fifty miles from the coast at Ia-hu-ohal' - -
r,orbons eiobtv miles from LiaO-Nang ana lhe
emo distance from Hai-Cheng, little more
tbon a hundred miles from Moukden ana hedIIS
two hundred from Port Arthur. II colhilialiuS
absolutely the line Of communication between
the Manchurian railroad and the lower I"Iu
River and also menaces, by its proximity 10
the railroad at Hai-Cheng and Liao-Nang' COM
municstion between Port Arthur and Moukdeh.
The war man issued with last Sunday IT'D
nna shows all these places with accuracy ana
nerspicuity and makes the situation perIecuy
clear. - 49,,
The first question that arises is how the
Jananese got there. Some assume that thty
advanced thither from COrea across the 1aIu
River That may be; but 1t is TO De observer
that such movement would Involve IonE
land march, at least from Chinampho' ABOUT
two hundred miles over execrable roads at the
very time when they are at their worst II
would also mean either that the Russian army
ON the Yalu had been put TO flight or that there
had never been any Russian army there. Elther
Of these hypothesis may possibly be true.
Each is improbable. We are therefore inclined
10 think that II they are ut Fung-W ang-ChahS
the Japanese got there by another way through
a clever but simple bit Of strategy. We nave
said the place I'm question IS only hfty miles
from Ta-Ku-Shan. The latter place is consld-
cradle port at the mouth Of the Dayan RIVER
the MINER reaches Of which run close 20 Fung-
Wang-Chang The country between Ia-hu-
shan and Flung Wang Chang is level and not
difficult 10 traverse The coast at that point IS
not fortified by the Russians and has received
practically no attention during the war. The
Rourchier Isla.ids lie only thirty miles Off Ia
Russian. and there were some time ago reports
that japanese troops were being accumulated
upon them. 1t is particularly plausible theory
then. that while they have been making mo
tons" 10 attract the attention of the Russians
10 the Yalu. 10 Port Arthur, 10 Ning-kow and
to Vladlvistok the Japanese have quietly rushed
in army al an unrOuslueTeu anu uil- aittu
point on the Manchurlan coast, and thus have
reached a vantage point from which they can
threaten the Russian positions on the lalu, az
Port Arthur. at Ying-H ow and at Moukden all
at once.
The second and more practical question IS
what can they do supposing them 10 be there
The answer Is obvious. They can put the Rus
sian army on the Yalu. II there is one. In bad
predicament They can cut its communications
at the rear and force il 10 fight for hfe ana
then the other japanese army at Ting laug
can advance NJ the same time and thus take
the Russians between two fires; or THIS Japan
csc army can advance upon Liao-fanc or Hat
Cheng 10 cut the Manchurian railroad and $50
late Port Arthur. We are told the Russians
are massing all available troops on the rail-
road at those points to defend II against such
attack. OF course, IL will not escape notice
that this japanese force is itself between the
two fires Of the Russian army on the Nalu and
that on the ManChurian railroad; but II has an
obvious advantage over them both in its greater
mobility and its more secure base Of supplies.
Beyond doubt its presence at Fung-Wang- Chang
means mischief and portends some uncommonly
Interesting complications