The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-17
Soldiers of Both Manchuriar
Armies Retire to Dugouts.
Cold Has Accomplished What
Shells Could Not DO.
AN INACTIVE WINTER
As Promised for BeIIigerents
Along the Shakhe River.
StoesseI's Report Says Nothing
About Surrender.

Mukden, Nov. 16.-3 p. m, via Tien
Tsin, Nov. 17.-Four days sharp cold
has silenced the artillery and infantry
nre between the opposing positions
and has driven the soldiers into their
dugoutS along the entire entrenched
line. The apparent impossibility for
either side to eject the other from their
burrows and the fact that in the event
one side succeeded in advancing it could
not dig the other out of its cantonments
on account of the frost, seems to prom
Use winters inactivity, although the
japanese three days ago made a small
reconnaissance towards the extreme
east and pushed back the Russian
cavalry a few miles as though they
were investigating the possibilities for
a fiaEking movement. 1t seems impos-
sible that either side in either case
could more than occupy it's opponents
winter quarters.
The wells on the lines are dry and on
both sides of the Shakhe river, the sol
diers approach unarmed and get water
under recognized mutual sanction not
to fire on a single soldier. Here the
noble art of war is confined to fist
cuffs and swapping cigarettes, jack
knives, food. all of which are priced.
Fam1liaritieS are inevitable, where long
lines are in continued contact. The
armies have now been stationary for so
long that they are drawing supplies of
rear, all other supplies being exhaus-
ted.
The perfunctory ceremonies of intro
ducing the three days celebration of
the birthday of the Dowager Empress
of China, began November 13.
At the Drum tower and also at the
Bell tower, which are features of the
main streets of all capitals, large
shrines were erected enclosing a tablet
inscribed with the word ''Jansou,"
which like ssBanzai'' means "ten thou
nd to fha dx-r1o oCfNy
Before the tablet are food offerings,
also incense. Last night a hundred
ornamental fancy lanterns and trans
parencies with congraIulatory inScrip-
tions were displayed in the streets, but
not a single soul came for the purpose
of witnessing the illuminations.
Today being the dowager's birthday
flags and streamers We're to be seen
in all the streets. The Tartar general, |
Taihochi, and the territorial officials
kotowed to the dowager's tablet in the
period of ten days prayers in all the
dynastic shrines about this "China's
second capital continue.
The Tartar general with the officials
of the five boards and also the native
military mandarin dined with General
Kuropatkin at the Confucian temple
outside the west gate with the native
guilds which bear the expenses of the
birthday celebration. Though conscious
that the profits of the retail trade are
greatly in excess of normal times the
gfulls nevertheless on account of Muk-
den being no longer a wholesale mar
ket and a way station for the immense
goods and grain caravans, lament the
deserted highways and condOne with
the officials of the five boards by which
Manchuria, like China proper, is ord1-
narily governed and who awaits from
year to year the promised restoration of
their functions.
Private advices from Pekin contain
warnings that the emperor is increas-
ingly inane, sickly and insignificant
and the dowager thinner and older
and lacking in cordiality to foreigners,
although perfunctory in matters re
former courtesies, while the most
conspicuous reform" is said to be the
new corrupt board of war.
Gen. StoesseI's Report.
ST. Petersburg, Nov. 17.-Stoessefs
report has not been given out but the
Associated Press understands 1t con-
tains no request for instructions re-
garding the surrender of Port Arthur.
It is intilnated that the report goes
at considerable length into details of
the recent fierce land fight but says
the interior line of defenses remains
intact. General StoeSSel oelleveS ne
will be able to Withstand the Japanese
assaults for some time to come The
blockade has been run by ship with
a cargo of war munitions, food and
hospital supplies. Some warships in
the harbor have been damaged by
shell fire but not seriously. Many
guns have been removed from the
ships and mounted on shore, where
large drafts from the crews are taking
turns in aiding the garrison in its his
toric defense of the fortress.
Japanese Were After Her.
Chefoo. Nov. 1.-THE three Jap
anese torpedo boat deStroyers which
entered the harbor this morning to
ascertain if the Russian torpedo boat
DESTROYER Rastoropny was here, dfSap-
Deared for a time, but reappeared this
afternoon. The japanese consul sent
a cutter out to meet them and in
formed the nearest destroyer, the
Kasumi, that the Rastoropny had been
sunk The consul says this was the
first the ships knew of the sinking of
the Rastoropny. The Kasmui trans
n1itted the information by wireless
telegraph to the japanese flagship.
whereupon the deStroyers disappeared
In the direction of Port Arthur.
The sinking of the Rastoropny by
the Russians relieved the japanese of
an embarrassing position A repeti-
'tion of the torpedo boat destroyer
F2yeshitelni incident would have
caused indignation, while a failure to
would have appeared like admitting
previous wrong doing
Relieve Port Arthur Will Hold Out
St. Petersburg. Nov 17.--As re-
s,,lt of the dispatches received from
General StoesSel the war Office ex-
presses entire confidence that Port
Arthur will be able to hold out until
cif1c squadron.
Japanese Must Move First.
nT,,lxden. Nov. 17.-via Pekin.-If
+1a-e is to be any activity at the front
a. f1,a near future, it is apparent that
- Initiative must be taken by the
Iananese. It is reported that the