Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-04-29
FIGHTING BEGINS
ALONG YALU RIVER
Japanese Garry the War
Into the Enemy's
Country.
SAY THEY WERE REPULSED
Japanese Made Night Attock on Rus
sion Outpost -- We're Driven Back
BY WatchfuI championships APP
pear in Japanese Rear

|
Lao Yang, April 2S.-Japanes
troops which crossed the Yalu rive
north of Euitjiou CTchangdjiou
charged, during the night OF April 26
the Russian position near Lizavena,
Village on the Manchurian bank OF the
Yalu. They were repulsed, but thei
| Oss Is not known.
Two gunboats steamed UP the rive
10 the support of the Japanese, when
Russian field battery at Amisar
| opened on them, resulting in a fight
which lasted for twenty minutes. The
| Russian fire was too hot ard the gun
boats were forced to steam out Of
| range.
The Japanese were aided in crossing
by their occupation of the island OF
Samalindo.
st. Petersburg, April 2s.-Disap
pointment prevails in ST. Petersburg
that no official dispatches giving de-
tails of the operations on the Yalu
river have yet been made public.
Press dispatches are so meager as to
becloud rather than enlighten the
people, who are hourly awaiting news.
The Associated Press has received
from the general staff the following
statement of the situation:
2 Before beginning the passage OF
the Yalu, the Japanese evidently COM
pleted the concentration Of the armies
along the river, commanded by Gen.
erals Kuroki and Oku. Each army is
composed Of three divisions and three
reserve brigades. The total force is
1000. The Russians on the Man.
churian bank are inferior in strength.
Having perfected the essential
preparations, the Japanese, without
waste Of time, commenced the pass
age OF the river and the Russians
realized that it would be impossible
to prevent their crossing. The Japan
csc front extended from Win as far
as Pick Tong, over eighty miles. We
faced the possibility that they would
cross at a score of places and all we
could hope was to harass and impede
the crossing, for every day gained en-
abled us to push our preparations and
bring up more men.
There are only two instances in
history where an army was unable to
cross a river; that Of Napoleon at AS
perm and that of Prince Tugene OF
Savoy at Lech. Both failed because
Of floods. The Yalu proved no excep-
ton to the established rule.
1--WE know that the Japanese cross
ed at least two points. Their first
attempt to force passage near
Chand Che Kow, twenty miles above
Win, near Siaopoussikhe, on the Pous.
eikhe, a tributary of the Yalu, was a
success. This is important, because
a road leads from Siaopoussikhe
northeast to Kwan Tien, which COM
1T is evident that the Japanese de-
voted most of their attention to cross
ing near Wiju. The river here is di'
vided into several channels by islands,
the largest of which Is Samalindo.
Above and below Wiju the Yalu was
bridged at three points.
up the stream near Sindiagou the
Japanese were watched by small de-
tachment of Cossacks, but the enemy
was practically unopposed. At Tu-
renchen, lower down, our outposts di.
rected fire from a field piece so sue
cessfully that they destroyed the
moorings and wrecked the pontoons
The enemy was thrown into disorder
and suffered considerable loss. Still
further down the stream the japanese
proceeded to make third attempt at
crossing.
I'VE do not think the Japanese will
attempt to land at Takushan or Ia
tung Kau, now that they have crossed
the Yalu. The object of such landings
has been to cause diversion so as
to enable the Japanese to cross the
river Takushan is not good strate
gic point. The road leading therefrom
is bad and troops could only be sup
piled with great difficulty.
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 a battle
A military expert who Is particular
ly impressed with the crossing near
Siaopoussikhe said that the use of the
road therefrom would enable the enc
my not only to march upon Mukden
but to outflank the Russian position al
Fungwang and cut off any of General
Rennenkampf's Cossacks who may
have gone to join the attack on Gensen