The San Francisco call., 1904-06-01
RUSSIANS EVACUATE DALNY AFTER APPLYING
THE. TORCH AND MANCHURIAN BRIGANDS INVADE
AND PILLAGE THE TOWN UNTIL JAPANESE ARRIVE
st. .Petersburg's General
Staff Reports Fcngwang-
cheng Fights.
Repeated Clashes Between
Soldiers of KurOpatkin
and KurOki.

ST. PETERSBURG. May 81, 1880 p.
pl.--The War Office has received a de-
tailed report OF the fight at Aiyang-
pienmen. about sixty miles northeast
of. Fengwangcheng. on Saturday night.
in which two battalions 0t Japanese in
fantry and one squadron of japanese
cavalry, numbering about 1900 men. ate
tackled five SquadrOnS OF Cossacks. The
Russian losses. were seven Cossacka
killed aYd one officer wounded and
nine horses killed.
The following officiaI dispatch has
been received by the: general staff:
''Frcm May 80 to May so all has been
quiet in the: neighborhoOd of Ferg-
wangcAeng. -. -
'.At 1O:3O D. m, May 27, a force OF
Japanese infantry from Kuandiansian
commenced a frontal flank attack upon
the position occupied by eur COssacks
near ShaOago. fifteen versts northwest
of Kuandiansian. The Japanese. under
the cover of darkness opened a run.
ming, desuitory fire. using field search-
lights. The Cossacks retired on foot
to Chanlin pass, two versts west of
Shaoago, and subsequently on Aiyang-
pienmen, sixteen versts west of Chan
lin pass. The firing ceased at 2
o'clock on the morning of May 2S,
When the Japanese ceased the pur-
suit at the entrance of Chanlin pass.
The same day the first section of Jap
aaese detachment approached Aiyang-
pienmen. but afterward retired to the
summit of the hills west of the town.
"At 10 a. m: they formed up in order
of battle, the force consisting OF two
battalions, with one other in reserve.
At IL a. m. battery of artillery took
up position and opened fire with
shrapnel. While crossing the valley the
Japanese infantry, advancing in close
formation, suffered heavily. At 1920
the Cossacks, observing that the Jap
anese were turning their right flank.
retired in good order on Saimatsza. The
FIRE of the rear guard ceased at p.
m. We lost two officers and seven
Cossacks."
There is considerable talk in unoff1-
cial circles regarding the strength OF
the Japanese force which engaged the
Cossacks at Aiyangpienmen. 1t is evil
dent that the Japanese have a large
body of troops northeast of Fengwang-
cheng, which, it is suggested. will ad-
vance when General KuroM deems the
moment opportune to effect a turning
movement on Mukden.
"On May 80 the Japanese advanced
toward Saimatsza. Their movements
were watched by Cossacks. When this
telegram was dispatched the Japanese
had not arrived at Saimatsza
up to May % the Japanese had not
occupied Siuyen. All is quiet on the
coast. at Newchwang and at Seniu-
chen.
Shortly before noon on May 80 our
cavalry opened fire near the railroad
station at Hagenfuchu against an ad-
vancing Japanese force consisting of
eight companies Of troePs and four
machine guns During the ensuing
battle our mounted men brilliantly at
tackled a japanese squadron on the
enemy's left flank and almost COM
pletely annihilated it. The sotnias
then attacked the infantry, but retired
under the fire of the machine guns.
The advance of the japanese infantry
in order to turn our left flank was
stopped by the fire or our battery.
which inflicted considerable loss on the
enemy. Our losses have not yet been
definitely ascertained, but so far as
known one officer and 20 men were
wounded and 20 horses were lost.
The Russian press is sparing of its
comment on the Kinchou affair." but
there is an evident disinclination to
accept the Japanese official reports in
their entirety. The general tone of the
papers indicates the belier that in the
event of the fall of Port Arthur II
would not decide the war. Much praise
is given for the splendid defense of
Nanshan made by the Russians against
superior numbers.
The statement emanating from Paris
that General Kuropatkin was sending
10000 troops to the southwark in an
attempt to save Port Arthur from the
Japanese is declared here to be un-
true.
BY an imperial ukase just issued
the control of the ports of Reval, Svea-
borg and Libau and all the naval
forces of the Baltic has been transfer
red to the commandant of the port OF
Kronstadt, with the title Of commander
in chief of the feet and ports and of
the defense of the Baltic Sea. The OBJ
ject of the consolidation of the COM
mands is to insure uniformity in the
measures adopted in the defense of the
coasts of the Baltic during the exist
ing state of war.
The renewed intimation of foreign
mediation in the war is considered in
Government circles to be entirely out
of place and impertinent. in view of
Russia's specific declaration in diplo-
matte circles that mediation was re-
garded as being beyond the range of
possibility at the present time.
A.