Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-29

St Petersburg, Aug g (12:5O p. m9- General Kuropatkin since yesterday morning has been drawing in all his forces from his eastern and southern fronts toward Liaoyang. Anping, Tsegow, Liandiansian and Anshansan, continuing the main positions of the outer defense line of Liaoyang, have been abandoned. The heaviest fight ing occurred on the extreme left where the Japanese advanced to the assault again and again with bayonets. The positions at TsegOw and Anping were held by the Tenth European corps. The attacks were delivered with fanat- deal bravery. The Russians lost large proportion of officers, ten guns and from 1,5O0 to 2,0OO men, but the Russians had been generally success ful in beating off the assaults all along the lime and the Russians declare that the order to retire came as a surprise, just when they were expecting orders for a general advance. This is COLI sidered to be proof that General KurO- patkin, finding his main positions men, aced on the flank and anticipating diff faculties in withdrawing owing to the condition of the roads, which have suddenly been transformed into mud bogs by the rain, considered that re- treat was imperative. The retirement from the east front was greatly i'm peded by the conversion of the Liao river into mountain torrent, and this probably also accounts for the failure of the Japanese to follow up the re- tiring Russians.
 The Japanese column moving up the Liao river and threatening General Kuropatkin from the west is regarded as being extremely dangerous, and General Kuroki's extreme right seems also to be working around General Herschelmann's position at Anping and to be moving toward Mukden. The strength of the enveloping Japan csc armies may be judged from the fact that General Oku alone, who is coming up from the south, is officially reported to have T5,O0O men. Whether General Kuropatkin intends to accept battle at Liaoyang may not be known positively for several days, but the be- lief several times indicated in these dispatc tches prevails here that he will withdraw northward, having found that he is not strong enough to cope with the Japanese and realizing that Liaoyang is made no longer tenable on account of the Japanese threats at his W0SI fT0dT. HIS T6LITSIu0uC uIuOuDL- edly will cause keen public disap- pointment, as 1t was generally be- heved that he at last had sufficient re- Inducements to accept decisive en- gagement, and by the military critics his retreat is interpreted to mean great prolongation of the war.
 The Tokto report that General Ku- roki had succeeded in cutting the rail- road south of Mukden is not con firmed by the telegraph department, where it is said that no reports have been received of any interruption of communications. Of course, it is realized here that if the railroad north of Liaoyang is cut the position of the Russian army would be rendered seri- ous, if not desperate, as it would probably compel General Kuropatkin to accept any engagement against his will.
 The rain which has been falling in Manchuria will probably serve the Russians much more than the Japan csc, as their retirement as soon as J they reach the railroad will not be dmpeded, whereas it is likely to almost completely stop the Japanese forward movement