The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-06-09

E ~ miles wide and
dominated from
GEN. kouRoPATK1N sea to sea by the
Kinchou heights, which form a strong
and useful outpost to Port Arthur. Be
tween hinchou and Port Arthur there
was no available landing place for the
Japanese troops. 1t was necessary for
them. therefore. to land above KinchOu
and march down over 1t before they
could take Port Arthur. Owing to the
! circumscribed area mnneuvering for
possession Of Kinchou and Nanshan
hill behind was almost impossible. The
situation resolved itself into a plain
case of fight.
The b&ttle lasted for six days, but
the severe fighting was on Thursday,
May 20. The Russians fought like he
roes. but the japanese fought like mad
men. The Nipponese combination of
fanatical, reckless bravery with cool,
precise calculation, as demonstrated in
the battles Of the Yalu and Kinchou,
has never before been seen in MILL
tary history.
1t is hardly too much to say that
live japanese are invincible. The only
way to stop them when they receive
definite orders to go ahead is to kill
them. And from present indications
the only way Russia will be able to
whip them In this war will be to kill
them all. As long as there is a live
japanese army anywhere in Manchu-
ria it is apt to be victorious.
The world is beginning to regard
the Jap soldier with excessive and un-
easy admiration. What sort of SOL
der Is he who can In three months
upset all the carefully collected and
thoroughly accepted dicta over MILL
tary art-who can disprove the infalli-
bility Of the lessons of Cold Harbor,
st. Private, PIevna, Shipka Pass, and
the Tugela-who can in the face of
modern rides carry a strongly fortified
and numerously occupied height by d.
rect assault?
Later news of the Kinchou- Nanshan
fight makes the Japanese victory even
more overwhelming. They captured
fifty guns from their enemy besides"
as their official report puts it, many
other things" After taking Nanshan
hill. at p. m. on the night Of May 2G.
the indefatigable Japs pressed on, and
on the morning Of Friday. May q. Oc-
cupied NaQuanling, the second line Of
the Rukt'an defense. Japanese troops
now enyelop over half of Talienwan
Bay. ON which Dalny is situated. The
japanese acknowledge 5000 killed and
and say the enemy left 400
dead on the field.
The Russian general staff acknowl-
edges that 1t will be difficult If not i'm
possible for General Stoessel to make
another stand outside Of Port Arthur.
Probably the siege Of that stronghold
will begin forthwith. The japanese
imply they will endeavor to storm it
within two weeks. If they succeed in
this seemingly impossible attempt
their success will mark a new epoch in
the worlds history.
SO much for General Oko's Port Ar
thur army. The movements of Ku-
roki are, not so theatrical or traceable.
Kuroki's left is at Takushan on the
sea, where he has base. His lines
extend northeast to Fengwangcheng,
where is his center and main concen-
tration. This place is fortified by
10000 troops. Advance guards have
been thrown out from Fengwangcheng
on the two roads to Haicheng and
Liaoyang. Between the japanese
scouts and the Cossacks there is con-
dnual skirmishing.
The strength of Kuroki's entire force
Is unknown. The troops landed at Ia
kushan have been estimated by the
Russians at about 10000. Kurokis
right constitutes the mystery. How
strong it is, where 1t is, and what it
purposes to do are all matters of con-
lecture 1t is on the road which leads
10 Mukden. Some days ago there was
, rumor that 1t had appeared above
thereby cutting off the retreat
If the Russian concentration at Lao
rang.
Kuroki's line is SO long that it seems
ls If an active enemy might attack
ts various columns and beat them in
letail, but the ground in which such
operations would have to be carried on
S exceedingly broken. If a superior
Russian force Of 10000 or 10000
moved to crush Kuroki's right wing,
t would find itself unable to draw out
he full effectiveness Of its numbers
,wing to the narrow passes and mis-
,rable roads over which it would have |
o maneuver. While Kuroki's line is
ong from end to end, 1t is not equally
hin in all places. but is concentrated |
n three columns at Takushan, Feng- |
and the unknown point |
forth or northeast Small bodies of |
Jossack cavalry have been able to in
ert themselves between the three
POINTS Of concentration and get in the |
ear of the japanese. The raiders |
ave done little material harm. Their |
hief value has been that Of scouts
nd collectors of intelligence.
kouropatkin's army lies parallel to
kurokis at distance of 100 miles.
The scouts and advance guard of both
rmies are keeping touch in the in
erval. Kouropatkin's right rests at
iewchwang. and his forces extend
long the line of railroad through Hsi-
heng to Liaoyang and Mukden. The
main concentration is at Liaoyang Be
ause of the railroad, however, the
russian troops are exceedingly mo-
'ile, and the center Of gravity can be
apidly shifted. Liaoyang is being
veil fortified.