New-York tribune., 1904-09-03
AT LIAO-YANG-AND ELSEWHERE.

The motto of Louis NJ, divide ct impera
has been YariOusiy interpreted and applied,
with various results. Obviously, men say. It
means that those who are to be ruled, or con-
quered are 10 be divided, so that they may
offer no united resistance TO your rule, or may
be conquered separately and piecemeal. Bona
parte reduced the doing of that in war TO an
exact science, with unsurpassed success.
Others. who were by no means either Bona
rartes or Louis MS. have tried it in vain.
There are those who have audacously applied
the rule in a subjective instead of an objective
way and have divided their own forces in
order the more effectively 10 subdue the enemy.
The Japanese, who never finch from daring
experiments, have been trying that plan.
They did it with great success in their Chinese
war Of ten years ago. and they have had some
success with it in the present war. In the
last week they have resorted TO il on a stu
pendous scale at LiaO-Yang. with at least in
itial success. few hours at most should de-
termine whether or not that success is to be
completed and confirmed.
They have been doing that sort of thing for
many weeks, all the time since they began
10 confront General KurOpatkin. KurOki
NOdZu and Oku each had his own army, widely
separated from the others. No one of the
three was larger than Kuropatkin's if as large
There were those who lived in daily anticpa-
lion OF seeing Kuropatkin suddenly hurl him
self with fun force against one of them and
destroy it before the Others could close in 10
its aid. BOnaparte would have done so. But
KurOpatkin not BOnaparte. So. step after
step, The three armies moved up against him,
one confronting his centre and one threatening
each flank and step by step he retired before
them. Ali the while, month after month he
was preparing Liao-Yang as the great, impreg-
nable base beyond which he would not re-
tire. but 10 the gates OF which the Japanese
were 10 be lured to their ruin At that mighty
fortress he concentrated and consolidated all
his troops, somewhere from 10000 10 100000
men. There was his chosen field for the Arrna-
geddon which should destroy the might of
Japan and enable him 90 fulfil his promise of
debating peace 10 Toxic. But as before the
Japanese came up. not consolidated. but divided
into three -four. with deep. swift river be-
tween two parts OF their army. Surely II
was an ideal opportunity for Napoleonic tao
ties on KurOpatkins part But again the old
story was retold. Possibly there is still a
chance for the Russians 10 strike a deadly blow
at fhe one isolated wing of the japanese army
to go M IL with a rush, heads down, as The
London Times" suggests and crash ii 10 dust
as they pass over it TO Moulkden But the
psychological moment win swiftly pass A
few hours VIII see the rest OF the Japanese
army across the Tai-rse-Ho; and then?
II is impossible TO discern as much hope for
The Russians IN the open plain toward Moukden
as there In the bonbproof fortresses south
kof the rai-Tse-HO. II they could not resist the
panese there. IL seems impossible that they
do 50 now. III they were afraid Of being
\cd while they were within Notifications
there VIII be no less danger in the un-