The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-29
The Story of the Crossing.
(By the Associated Press.)

st. Petersburg, April 28.-(ThurS-
ay) $3.50 a. m.-Disappointme pre-
ais i'm st. Petersburg that no official
Ispatches giving details of the oper-
tons on the Yalu river have yet been
tade public. The press dispatches
&c so meagre as to becloud rather
ian enlighten the people who are
curly awaiting news.
The Associated Press has obtained
ON the general staff the following
ear statement of the situation:
Before beginning the passage of
lie Yalu the Japanese evidently COM
leted the concentration of two
rmieS along the river, commanded
Generals Kuroki and Koku. Each
rmy is composed of three divisions
nd three reserve brigades. The to-
Il force is 100000. The Russians on
lie Manchurian bank of the river are
Iferior in strength.
Having perfected the essential
reparations, the Japanese without
-aste of time, commenced the pas
age of the river and the Russians
aalized that it would be impossible
, prevent their crossing. The Japan
sc front extended from WIFI as far
$ Pick Tong, over eighty miles. We
iced the possibility that they would
ross at score of places and all we
ould hope was to harass and impede
he crossing, for every day gained en-
bled us to push our preparations ana
ring up more men.
There are only two instances in
istory where an army was unable to
ross a river-that of Napoleon at
sperm and that of Prince Eugene, of
avoy, at Lech. Both failed. because
floods The Yalu proved no ex-
option to the established rule.
Went Over at Two Points.
eve know that the Japanese cross
& at least at two points.
heir first attempt to force
passage near Chand-Che-K ow,
yenty miles above Win, near
iaopoussikhe, on the Poussikhe. a
.ibutary of the Yalu was successful.
his is important, because road
,ads from Siaopoussikhe, northeast
Kwan Tien, which commands one
the roads to Mukden.
cit is evident that the japanese de-
oted most of their attention to cross
lg near Wiju. The river here is d.
ided into several islands by channels,
he largest of which is Samalindo.
bove and below Win the river was
ridged at three points.
up the stream near Sindiagou,
he Japanese were watched by a
small detachment of Cossacks, but the
enemy was practically unopposed. AT
lower down, our outposts
ERECTED fire from small field pieces,
80 successfully that they destroyed the
and wrecked the pontoons.
rhe enemy was thrown into disorder
md suffered considerable loss. Still
'urther down the stream the Japanese
proceeded to make a third attempt at
crossing.
1--WE do not think that the Japanese
viii attempt to land at Takushen or
au, now that they have
crossed the Yalu. The object of such
landings has been to cause diversion
10 as to enable the Japanese to cross
The river. Takushan is not a good
strategic position. The road leading
-herefrom is bad and troops could
,nly be supplied with great difficulty.
s'With regard to future operations
We cannot speak. The Russians will
not show their hand at this stage. but
will continually harasS the enemy,
choosing their own time for battle"
A military expert who is particular
" impressed with the importance of
the Japanese crossing near Siaopos-
sikhe. said that the use of the road.
therefrom would enable the enemy,
not only to march upon Mukden, but
to outfiank the Russian position at
Teng- Huan-C heng, and cut off any
of General Rennenkampff's Cossacks
who may have gone to join the attack
on Gensan.