The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-14
THE WAR TO DATE.

| The japanese have made good use of
203 Meter Hill, which they captured
November %. 1t took them just four
days to get large guns mounted in safe
positions at the summit, and then they
began to lombard the Russian battle
ships in the harbor. They had been
wasting great quantities of ammunition
on those ships for weeks, but as their
fire was then from the north the ships
could get protection behind Peiyu Hill.
Under the new conditions the japanese
fire was from the west, and the ships
could get no shelter except by going
outside the harbor and hiding behind
Tigers Tail Peninsula, which for some
reason they did not care to do.
OF the Russian battle ships, the
Pobieda, Poltava, Retvizan and
Peresviet are all reported sunk, or,
rather, submerged in whole or in part
at their anchorage. The Sevastopol,
the only remaining battle ship, lies in
such position that the Japanese are not
sure whether they have damaged it or
not. The two cruisers, the Bayan and
the Pallada, are reported as aground or
badly listed. and both have been on fire.
The gunboats and destroyers are so
small that they make hard targets to
hit, but those of them not already de-
stroyed can hardly hope to escape long.
This is most inglorious end for a
battle fleet. but it has not been tamely
accepted because of any lack of cour-
age on the part of the Russian officers
or men. An explanation of their re-
fusal to make a sortie is probably that
the sailors could not be spared to die
at sea when they were SO greatly need
ed to help man the Notifications of the
oft ole
the case that the naval guns had long
since been removed for use in the forts
and that the ships had been without
repairs so long that they could not be
effectively unanswered at sea.
AS to the future of the siege, one the
DRY is that the Japanese, having no
longer any fear of the fleet at Port Ar
thur, and having made sure that no
other Russian ships can enter the har-
Dor and live, will now trust to the slow
process of starvation to capture the
town, instead of renewing their assaults.
Such may be their decision, but, on the
other hand, they seem to be pushing
their trenches and tunnels steadily for
ward, and desire to have the houses
in the city for the army to live in dur
ing the winter may make an assault
seem worth their while. Certainly the
would be very great.
Kouropatkin and Oyama still con-
front each other in strong intrench-
ments along the line of the Shakhe
river, and there is nothing in the ac-
counts of the skirmishes which come
from day to day to justify any infer
ence as to their Intentions Little fights
seem to occur impartially at all points
of the line. Lone Tree Hill, which the
Russians call Poutiloff Hill, is. however.
singled out for special attention, as the
Japanese are reported as bombarding it
at least once or twice a week
While the armies are ouiescent
Kouropatkin is availing himself of the
opportunity to reorganize his forces.
Since the departure of Alexieff he has
had a free hand. At the present time
he has probably 300, 900 men all told,
but when his reorganization is COM
plete he expects to have three armies
of 10000 men each, which he can
match, army to army, against the com
mands of Oku, Nodzu and Kuroki. His
three commanding generals will be
Linievitch, who has heretofore been at
Vladivostok; Grippenberg, who reached
Hardin a week ago. and Kaulbars who
is now due in Mukden-