The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-02
LAO YANG HAS FALLEN
st. Petersburg Says That Kuropatkin
Has Moved Back to Meet the Flank
ing Movement of KurokI. Toxic
Advices Declare that All the Enemy
South of Lao Yang are in Retreat,
the Japanese Pursuing. Communica-
tions With Mukden Severed.
(By the Associated Press.)

st. Petersburg, Sept. 2.-(Fflday)-
1925 a. m.-The news of the occupa-
ton of Lao Yang and the withdrawal
Of the Russian army to the right bank
of the Taitse river reached only a
small section of the people of st.
Petersburg at late hour and caused
intense excitement and disappoint-
ment. The majority of the inhabitanta
retired to rest believing the Russian
arms had again been successful and
that the Japanese attacks had been
repelled. Ugly suspicious, however,,
had been rife during the day owing.
to the absence of press kilograms from
Liao Yang, leading to the belief that
the communications had been cut by
General Kuroki
The following statement was OBJ
tanned by the Associated Press from
the War Office at 10 o'clock Thursda.
night:
General Kuroki's army crossed in
force to the right bank of the Taitse
river and it therefore became neces-
sary for the Russians to be in posi-
ton to repel a blow in this direction,
..In view of this development in the
operations General Kuropatkin decid-
ed TO abandon his positions on the left
hank and TO concentrate UlS Nilolu
army on the other side of the river.
This position is the strongest both in
character and in site. The great Is
sue will be finally decided there.
"By the withdrawing to this position
the Russian army avoids the danger
of being divided by the river and en-
lows the advantage of cOmpactneSS.
General Kuropatkin's move, there,
fore, is not to be cOnsiderei as a re"
treat but rather as the carrying out
of a we'll defined idea"
The withdrawal OF the Russians to
the right bank involved the abandon
ment of Lao Yang, which is situated
on the left bank. The japanese took
advantage of this to occupy the city,
hut the sternest part of the fighting is
still before them unless General Kuro-
patkin decides at the last hour to
again fail back to the northWard. It
is more than likely, however, that he
will decide to fight to a finish. The
cards are all in his favor. 1T is believed,
now that he has the japanese divided
by the river. thus eifectually turning
the tables upon his foe.
The determined pursuit by the Jap
anese of the Russian outposts when
General Kuropatkin gave the first or
der to withdraw was probably due to
their anxiety to keep the Russians
south OF Lao Yang until Genefai
Kuroki should be able to strike from.
the northeast General Kuropatkln.
however, saw the trap and cleverly
avoided ii.
Up to the hour of filing this dis
patch the War Office has not given
out the details of the fighting of Sep
tember 1. but it is believed that this
fighting exceeded in fierceneSS that OF
any previous day.
The absence of press kilograms from
Lao Yang on September / aroused
suspicious that changes of importance
were proceeding which the military
censors did not wish to be made
known.
A telegram from the Associated
Press correspondent at Mukden, filed
at 9:27 on the evening of. September
1 states that the train service be-
tween Mukden and Liao Yang has
been interrupted. but the disDat'S,
does not mention whether telegraphi1
communications are open.
First Effort to Cross the River.
According to a dispatch from Liao
Yang, General Kuroki made his first
attempt to cross the Taitse river late
i'm the evening under cover of a heavy
bombardment of the extreme Russian
left. The japanese artillery which
had been firing uninterruptedly for
IA hours that day ceased about Q
o'clock and then suddenly re-openeG
about IL o'clock to conceal Kurokis Z
preparations for crossing the river
These preparations necessitated the es-
tablishment of pontoon bridge as