The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-05
KUROPATKIN'S DEFEAT.
st. Petersburg Is Hopeful That He Has
Made His ESCAPE.

st. Petersburg Sept. 5.-1:15 m.
The feeling of national grief and
disappointment caused by General
Kuropatkin's unsuccessful attempt to
make a stand at Lao Yang, deep and
bitter as it is, is somewhat tempered
by the development of the fact that
the Russian commander-in-chie had
removed the bulk of his stores north
ward before the battle, leaving a mere
shell at Lao Yang, and that he Sue
ceeded in extricatng his army and
especially General, Stakelburgs corps
from the clutches of the Japanese.
The war office here believes that the
battle is virtually ended and that
Kuropatkin's line of retreat is open.
While admitting that Kuropatkin
sustained a severe reverse the war Of
fee considers that the failure of Field
Marshal Oyama to hold and cut off
Kuropatkin is a strategic defeat for
tiles figure that Oyama had a numeri-
cal superiority of $4,000 men in the
operations against Kuropatkin.
The exact position of the Russian
flank is not known at the war Office,
but it is not believed that the Jap
anese can now develop enough
strength to endanger it's retirement,
being without precise information
themselves. The absence of news
from Toxic of anything decisive is also
regarded, as a good indication that
Kuropatkin is free.
The officials of the war office do not
expect a renewal of the fighting for
several DAYS. which they think the
while Kuropatl<in collects his army
preparatory to pushing the troops
northward. He has a double track
railroad and the high road. When
the fighting recommences it is ex-
pected here than it will be in the ma
ture of a series of rear guard actions
as the final withdrawal is effected.
There are no facilities at Yentai for
defense.
According to the military authorities
all Kuropatkin's hopes and plans for
victory were dashed by the wonderful
celerity with which Oyama's right push
ed northward after crossing the TaitSe
river Here Kuropatkin's information
evidently was faulty in believing that
he had before him the whole of the Jap
anese forces which had crossed over to
the right bank. He already had COM
pleted a preliminary bombardment of
Kuroki's forces Friday and was about
to strike him when he discovered that
another Japanese column had crossed
the river further up stream, and had
worked around still further northward.
The latter column was marching with
great rapidity westward to cut the rail-
road and close the door on the Russian
retreat to Mukden. Just at this point
there is a hyatus in the reports. Wheth-
er Kuropatkin actually attempted to
deliver a blow against Kuroki is not
clear. At all events if he did he was
of the northerly Japanese column The
latter took him by surprise.
General Orloff's division, which suf-
fered so severely, had just arrived from
European Russia Although this di-
vision was thrown into confusion and
lost frightful number of men, the tenn
porary check it was able to give the
probably saved the railroad
Kuroki freed from Kuropatkin,
hastily westward to intercept
General Stakelburg, who was crossing
the river from the left bank. 1t was
then that Kuropatkin though Stakel-
burg'S corps was lost and so reported
to the war office, but Kurok was too
late. Stakelberg not only succeeded in
getting his corps across but marched at
high speed thirty miles to Yentai, act
ual1y arriving in time to come to the |
support of the hard pressed Orloff.
The war office processes ignorance of |
the losses of guns and men sustained |
by the Russians but there is no doubt |
many thousands have fallen.
The retreat of Kuropatkin has evil |
1ently thrown everything into confus |
on at the front and the reports re- |
ceived are meager and incomplete.
The military expert of the Novoe |
Vremya says the chief question of the |
is whether Kuropatkin will |
succeed in collecting all his forces from |
Lao Yang and effecting a retirement |
% Mukden in view of the hanking posi- |
ion taken up by the Japanese.
"Reinforcements." the paper says.