The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-05-25
NEWS FROM The war IN The EAST.
Peninsula Abandoned Save Only
Port Arthur.
Closing in on Mukden--7Japanese Lines
are Steadily Advancing.

ohoSHs AO~J9
fighting line is steadily nearing Muk
den where Viceroy headquarters Gill
remain. Little reliable informaition
can be obtained by the newspaRr cor
respondents, who are forbidden to
proceed to the scene Of onerations
and official informatiop1s Withheld un-
Il Il advioee are SEN, St. Petersburg.
It is low kno7g however, that the
japanese are almost within striking
distance OF tie Russians aud that the
forces protecting Liano Yang are
stretching estward from the railroad
along thP MAO Tien mountain range
The Jypslese are advancing in three
columns ah are now north of Sin Fen
and Fd'ng Wang Cheng. Two col
umns asreieported to be working fur
ther to- te northward with the object
Of turYply the Russian position and
advanSc1g upon Mukden.
fous small engagements have
bee q Ought, but no decisive action
has : ken place. Port Arthur is now
cor1 ietely isolated by the japanese
eM. Btion at PooIandien.
~ ISsals japanese are now operating in
al Z ged country, we'll suited to the
RaSian defense; but north of Liao
Ya.g to Mukden, the country is fat
pialn. intersected by rivers The
weather recently has been hot and
dry but the rain which has fallen in
the past two days has made the roads
almost impossible for vehicles and
when the rainy season begins, at the
eEa of June, this plain will be con-
yerted into a morass. This condition
will probably result in the practical
suspension of'operations.
sSt. Petersburg, May 18, 2 a. NJ
Adyices received by the general staff
show that the japanese are practical
~ masters of all of the southern end
of the Liao Tung peninsula, save Port
Arthur and the territory commanded
By its guns This result, SO promptly
brought about, is due to the failure
OF the Russians to make opposition
Of any consequence to the japanese
advance.
A member Of the general staff said
to. the Associated Press that the re-
meval of the. guns from the fortifca-
tons erected at Kin Chua and the
destruction of Port Dalny were pri-
marily for the purpose OF .concentrat.
ing the entire Russian force at Port
Arthur. If the men and guns were
scattered the effect would have been
to distribute the. mems Of defense Of
the fortress oysr number of points
sstrategically weak.
The destruction of Dalny was the
result of no sudden determination
but was due to the probability that
force attempting. to hold this place
could be SEPARATED from Port Arthur
and captured, thus inhicting further
loss OF prestige to the Russians which
could not be permitted at this time.
To defend the whole. of the southern
end OF the Liao Tung peninsula, it
would have been necessary to have
an army equal to that which the jap
aneseN could have landed.
The weakness of the Manchurian
AMY, said this officer, left only one
course, namely that of. nobiliziDg
sufficient troops at Port Arthur to
hold it until relief came and abandon
ing every boint outside which did not
contribute to strategic. defense of the
fortress. It has been learned that the
ground over which the Japanese must
charge to capture the fortress is heavi-
ly mined. If they do capture it, the
officer said, they will pay frightful
price.
The destruction of Dalny is COM
plete,5 the breakwater and the build
ings as we'll as the piers and docks
having been blown up
Chefoo, May 10, 11.3o a. m.-Rus-
sian refugees who arrived here today
on junk from Port Dalny say that