The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-05
KurOpaIkIn's Future Plans Are a Riddle No Ont is
 Able to Solve z
JAPANESE ARMY IS Np
 CONEESSEOLY EXHAUSTED
Kuropatkin is Still in Command of the Railway and is in Possession of Mos. of the Rolling
 Stock.

St. Petersburg, September 4.-(2;20 a. m.)-There is bitter disappointment to- night, probably the keenest of the whole land campaign over the situation at the front. Up to Liao Yang, the retreating from, and the abandonment of positions had been expected, and that much the public and the officials thought they knew of General Kuropatkins plan of campaign.
 Had Liao Yang been abandoned with out a fight, the public at least would have looked forward patiently to a de- cisive stand at Mukden, but after desperate battle with victory for the in- stant apparently in sight, to find Liao Yang abandoned, its immense stores cap tured or destroyed, and the retreat con tinued under the most adverse conditions, severely tries public confidence in the commander-in-chief.
 stakeIbere's Narrow Escape.
 At this hour even the authorities know little more than what has already been given to the public. There Is still much doubt as to whether Kuropatkin is con-
 
 he has been able to do so but the public so far is not aware of General Stakel- berg's narrow escape from being cut off. The situation as it Is known to date, is that the Russian army Is south of the branch railway connecting Yentai station ten miles northeast of, Liao Yang, with the Yentai mines, where fierce fighting has been in progress.
 Actual fighting seems to have been sus- pended for the moment, the armies prob ably resting after their terrific and con- tinuous exertions of the past ten days, the longest single battle in history and it Will depend upon their respective recuper- ative powers as to which will first be able to resume activity
 Country is III Suited.
 The country is ill-suited to military op- erations. It is fiatter and more open than the region south of Liao Yang, but it is covered at this season with dense fields of Chinese corn, growing higher than a man on horseback. It is more suited to surprise tactics and to offensive opera tions than to orderly retreat.
 Ore feature of the situation, however, has apparently been overlooked by the local critics in their recent eagerness to chronicle a decisive engagement, namely that Kuropatkin is still in command of the railway, and apparently has saved majority of the rollin stock. This Is chiefly in requisition at present for the transportation of the wounded, but Muk- den, with strong defenses, is less than thirty miles north of Yentai. What force Kuropatkin is holding in reserve the au- thorities do not exactly know, but 1t is be- lieved that 1t must be considerable while European endorsements which have been rushing east for weeks past are pouring in there daily.
 Japs ConfessedIy Exhausted.
 The Japanese army is confessedly ex- hausted and is getting further from its base of supplies If it reaches Mukden without dealing Kuropatkin a crushing blow, and Field Marshal Oyama seems to be not yet able to envelop the Russian force, the Japanese will find themselves in front of a fresh and strongly defended city, where the Russians will be sure of warm welcome and renewed supplies, and against which 1t seems impossible that the Japanese commander will be able to hurl his brave but worn out and possibly starving braves.
 It is possible that even now Russian endorsements may be descending from the north to aid their retreating com rades at Mukden, which is less than two days ordinary march distant, even ignor- ing the railway.
 What effect the present result will have on General Kuropatkins reputation at home, it is impossible to say. It may be remembered, however, that before start ing for the far east, General Kuropatkin said that he fully expected his reputation to sink lower than his friends even dreamed, but that thereafter there would come turn and it would rebound. He was unwilling to predict where the turn would occur.
 The battleship Orel has gone to Cron- stadt This brings Rear Admiral Rojest- vensky's squadron up to it's full comple- ment.
 LIPTCN HAS HOPES.