The Irish standard., 1904-05-07
SERIOUS DEFEAT
OF Glars FORCES
five-Day Battle Ends in Utter Rout-Enor.
NOUS Loss on Both Sides-Newchwana
Captured-Japs Fail to Bot
tie Up Port Arthur.

London. May 4.-The Chefoo CORE.
'spondent of the Daily Chronicle
cables the following under yesterdays
(Tuesday) date: 'The Japanese
landed troops and attacked and can.
tured Newchwang last evening. the
Russians falling back to protect the
railway"
Five Days of Fighting.
Toxic, May 2.-After five days of fight
ing, largely with artillery, the first
Japanese army under Gen. Kuroki, has
forced crossing of the Yalu river, and
ON Sunday, with gallant infantry
charge covering frontage of four miles,
1t drove the Russians from Chiutien-
'cheng and the heights on the right bank
sof the Tho or Aida river, which enters
the Yalu from the north almost opposite
Win. The Japanese turned the left
flank of the Russian position, and in the
battle of Sunday they swept away the
new front interposed by the Russians to
check their onward movement. The
present position of the Japanese is a
dominating one, and they may force the
abandonment of the defenses erected by
the Russians at Antung and other points
lower down the river.
st. Petersburg Electrified.
st. Petersburg, May 4.-St. Petersburg
is electrified by the sensational news Of
fighting on land and sea. From Gen.
kuropatkin, conveying Lieut.. Gen. Zas-
:salitch's report, came graphic details of
the battle of Turenchen, as the combat
on the banks of the Yalu is officially des-
ignated, which show the savage charac-
ter OF the fighting displayed by the Rus
slams in their effort to hold position
commanded by the japanese and their
orderly retreat to Fengwangcheng,
where they are now entrenched, conduct
ing en- route brilliant rear guard en-
gagement, in which they inflicted heavy
loss on the enemy.
Viceroy Alexieff's command of Port
Arthur has been signalized by the re-
pulse of another desperate attempt by
the japanese to close the entrance to the
harbor.
The appearance of a number of Jap
anese ships off Kaiping and Siniuchen,
on the west coast of the Liaotung PENN
,sula, below Newchwang, forbodes the
decentralization of Japanese troops with
the intention of cutting off Port Arthur.
Battle Of Yalu Was Fierce.
Important as was Alexieff's achieve
ment, in spite of the magnitude of the at
tempt of the Japanese, who this time
sent in ten fireships to block the Port
Arthur entrance, it is dwarfed by the de-
tails Of the fighting on the Yalu, shows
ing the severe losses suffered by the Rus
slams, who have removed 800 wounded
alone to Fengwangcheng, while it is es-
timated that the Japanese loss is be-
tween 5000 and 1000. If this statement
of the Japanese loss is correct, the Rus
sian authorities say that Gen. Zassa-
Itch must be given credit for carrying
sout that part of his orders to make the
crossing Of the Yalu as costly as possible
to the enemy.
Russians Outnumbered.
Unfortunately Zassalitch had only TO-
900 men, Of whom 1000 were unable to
participate in the fighting, as they were
occupying Antung, and Gen. Kuroki,
approaching the inability of his op-
.ponent to bring up reserves, threw his
~weighty force upon the points selected
for attack. The japanese had from 49,
1000 to 10000 men, besides the greater
quantity of them being of heavier cali
lber than those of the Russians. Thus
<outnumbered the Russians actually en-
gagged more than five to one. The Jap
.anese succeeded in flanking two Russian
.battalions on both sides and enveloping
them in the rear. The latter, with music
playing martial air and with fixed bay
sonets, priest holding aloft a cross,
charged, and the japanese opened before
them, after which they succeeded in
reaching the supports. 1t was one of the
most gallant actions of a bloody day. 1t
is regretted both in military and church
circles that the priest was severely
wounded.
Rear Guard Fights Nobly.
Because Of the weakness of the Rus
:sians, they were unable to hold their po
:sitions. Enfiladed by the enemy's fire,
men and horses began to fall, a few
mounts only surviving. The men yet I'M
wounded sprang to the guns in an effort
TO remove them, but the mountainous
nature of the country and the heavy roads
prevented this, and the guns were aban-
,doned, their breech blocks being first
removed. Three batteries thus lost their
guns.
1t is cause of satisfaction to the au
;thorities that in spite of the severe Rus
Sian loss, Gen. Zassalitch had sufficient
strength to sharply bite the pursuing en-
emy, who lost 300 in this movement
alone. The opinion here is that this
rear guard engagement was one of the
most dramatic bits of fighting during the
battle. Three times the Russians halted
and twice the mikado's cavalry were
hurled back, only to come on again. A