The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-08-03
JAPS SLOWLY CLOSING IN
Russ'an Armies in the North Re.
ported in Danger.
RUMOR OF JAPANESE LOSS

Generals Oku and Kuroki Are Gradually
Closing In Upon Their Foes An
Unconflrmed Report From st. Peters
burg Says Japs Lost 10000 Before
Port Arthur F~ortifcattons.
st. Petersburg. Enthusiastically and
cautiously General Oku's army from
the south and Genaral Nodzu's army
from the east are closing in upon Ia
shi-Chao, where General Kuropatkin
is reported to be ~entrenching. One
hundred and thirty thousand Men are
involved in the movement.
General Sakharoff reports
that General Kuroki is massing his
troops near the Pkhanlin Pass, and
moving out by both roads upon Hal
Cheng. Heavy pressure from this
quarter would render Tashi-Chao IN
tenable.
All the Japanese energies nov seem
to be concentrated on Tashi-Chao and
Hai-Cheng. The operations to the
north, which throughout may have
been feints, have been suddenly US
pended.
The growing activity of Chinese ban.
dts in the Valley of Lao River at this
critical moment means additional en-
barrassment to General Kuropatkin.
The unusually well-informed military
critic Of the Russky Viedomosti be-
lieves that General Kuropatkin is de-
liberately surrendering his southern
positions, like that Of Kai-Chow, for
the purpose of, drawing on the Japan
ese into the open country at or above
Tashi-Chao, where the Russians will
be able to deploy large forces and to
derive the full advantage from their
superior cavalry. He attributes Gen
eral Oku'S advance to the necessity of
helping General Nodzu, whose divis-
ions are stalled in the Chapan and Da-
lin passes on account of transport diff
ficulties and the stubborn resistance of
General ~Zaroubaieff, commander of the
Fourth Siberian Army Corps, whose
forces will have to be cleared out be-
fore a southern advance is made. .
The critic thinks that the Japanese
game Of strategy is to effect a juno
ture between Nodzu and Oku in order
to force Kuropatkin to the northward,
and If this plan should be successful
to combine with Kuroki near Lao
Yang.
The General Staff has received a dis
patch from General Sakharoff, report
ing that the Japanese have commenced
to construct field works on the heights
between the railroad line and the road
from Kai-Chow to Tashi- Chao.
Skirmishing occurred between the
advance guards near the village Of
Siadian-Tsia. The Japanese retired
when the Russians were reinforced.
General Sakharoff adds that a num-
Der Of outpost engagements have &C.
cured in different directions, with
trifing losses on both sides, but indi-
eating the persistent advance of the
Japanese.
A special dispatch received from
Mukden repeats the story of a Japan
csc repulse at Fort Arthur with the
loss of 10000 men. The dispatch says:
News has been received from reli-
able sources that the Japanese Third
Army attacked Port Arthur and was
heavily defeated, an immense number
being killed by Russian mines. The
total loss is about 100000"
1t has developed that the official re-
port, which was at first supposed to
emanate directly from Viceroy Alex
Jeff, was not specifically fathered by
him, but was given out as a report
reaching his headquarters from Jap
anese sources"