Evening journal., 1904-09-15
BLAME IS PLACED
ON GEN. 0RLOFF
Kuropatkin's Report on Rus
sian Defeat at Liaoyang.
EERoIsM SHOWN IN THE RETREAT

1ans and Baggage Successfully Re-
moved From Abandoned City In Face
Of Terrible obstaelos--Popular Faith
In Commander Returning.
81. Petersburg, Sept IS. = General
ITopatkns Official report Of the bat
e of Liaoyang comes as a consider
bic relief setting az rest alarmisl
.ories Of the loss OF guns, the cutting
Il of divisions ana the death or cap
IRE of prominent commanders which
ave been freely circulating here. The
epOrt, which Is a very long one, enters
considerable detail into the various
,hases Of Tie battle and entirely bears
rit the declaration Of the newspapers
L the time that General Orl0d's fail
ne to hold the vital position at the
ientai mines was responsible for the
reaking down of the whole Of General
luropatkin's plan Of battle and turned
potential victory into defeat. The
manner in which the retreat was car
.cd out IN the face Of the terrible con-
lition of the country and the deter
mined pressure Of the japanese armies
locs much 20 restore General Kuropat-
,n's prestige in military circles.
The report dwells upon the terrible
iiiiicultlos encountered during the re-
reat to Liaoyang from positions on
he southern front. when twenty-four
horses and whole company Of infan-
w harnessed 10 single gun were not
able TO remove the gun from a quag-
mire. 1t is shown that the retirement
from Liaoyang TO the north bank of the
Iaitse river was carried out in gOc
order and with celebrity under cover OF
night on Aug 81 when it had becon e
evident that General KurOki was maxi
ing a determined drive at the Russian
communications north Of Liaoyang.
Generals Tribute to Troops.
General KuopatlSin pays tribute to
the courage and devotion of every arm
Of the service under his command ana
especially t. the bravery of the troops
TO whom was set the task of recaptur-
ing the Sykwantun hills, on the north
bank Of the Taitse river The engage
ment Of the night of Sept was pro-
ductivc OF some of the most severe
fighting of the whole battle. II was
practically company commanders
fight, commands being separated in the
darkness and independent units acting
upon their own initiative with the one
object of carrying ont the commanders
orders to retnke the heights.
This acco mt puts the Russian sol.
dier in very different light from the
generally accepted belief that ha IS a
mere military automaton, capable only
of acting IA a mass under specific in
structions.
The necessity Of retaking the Syk
wantun heights formed the first break
I'm General kuropatSin's plan and lost
him whole day, Sept ,. anGAthus de
layed launching the blow against Ku
rokl. and when the Russians had just
regaincd n foothold on the coveted po
sltion Orlofl's failure TO hold the Japa
nese advance against the Yentai mine,
threatened the development of Kuro
patSin on the north crippled the Who'll,
I
historic retreat TO Alukden.
The report as given out does moi
state the casualties, but the newspa
pers are authoritatively Informed tha
they were under 1900
The war Office is extremely reticen
regarding the present situation and IN
ture plans at the front. II is stated il
general terms that the army is concen
trated around Mukden. leaving the in
ference that il is ready to make anoth
er stand. There has been no rain tn
! past two days. and II is probShle th
country win now dry up and leave tw
months Of good weather for fall cam
palgning
Many things may happen during thl
period. but it is stated by a high au
thority that preparations are bein
steadily pushed looking to the winter
ing Of tho Russian army at Harbin.