The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-10
DEFEAT OF KuRopATKIN.
Oyama Stands Forth as One of The
Great Masters of Offensive
Strategy.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press.)
st. Petersburg, March Go a. NO.
The battle of Mukden has resulted
in q Russian defeat.
Field Marshal Oyama has once
more proved himself one of the great
est masters of offensive strategy since
/ Napoleon, while General kuropatk1n
| is now engaged in endeavoring to de-
fend his title as a master of success
full retreats and bring off his army
with it's immense train, safely to Tie
Pass, where a position was long ago
/ prepared with the contingency in
view.
The problem before the Russian
COMMUNICATIVE is much more diff
ficult than the one he met success
| fully at Lao Yang since now he is
threatened on both TANKS, his left wing
i being entangled in a mountainous re-
gion far from the railroad. Neverthe-
/ less Russian military men express a
fair degree of confidence in General
Kuropatkin's ability once more to ex-
tricate his army and avoid Russian
Sedan. Besides his skill in rear guard
action they base their hopes on the
physical condition of the Japanese
soldiers, who, though they are con-
| ceded to be the greatest marchers in
the world, are we'll nigh exhausted
by their strenuous endeavors of the
last fortnight.
To Break 1t Gently.
Only to the initiated is the news
of the reverse positively known at this
time. Emperor Nicholas and high
military officers of course were in
formed by General Kuropatkin's tele-
gram on Tuesday stating tersely that
Mukden must be abandoned, and they
received details of the withdrawal as
they appeared in excised portions of
the official dispatches given out yes
terday. Last evening a newspaper
contained a vague report of doubtful
origin credited to Chinese sources, but
the first positive statement was de-
rived from the Associated Press dis
patch from General Kurokis head
quarters the contents of which was
quickly telegraphed to many Liberals
from friends abroad. The report prob
ably will not be printed in this morn
ing's papers, the government, true to
its policy of breaking bad news gent
ly, only preparing the way by author
izing the publication of a number of
premonitory kilograms. The news,
however, is only what was expected,
ultimate retirement having been dis
counted from the moment Oyama in
augurated his brilliant move west
ward.
From information in the possession
of the Associated Press it is known
that General Kuropatkin contemplat-
ed retirement before the beginning of
the battle and that he had hoped to
accomplish it without serious COM
bat. The Japanese however. forced
him to accept battle. The double
turning movement compelled him to
send the major part of his reserves
to the fighting line and rendered an
effective counter-stroke out of the
. m "a IN
was Immediately taken on March s.,
as was stated by the Associated Press
on that day. Withdrawal was actual
ly begun during the night
The Great Problem.
4 The great question now and owes
| which the general staff burned ite
lights late into the night is whether
Field Marshal Oyama has entangled
the Russians in his strategic net sufli-
GENTLY to prevent successful re-
treat to Tie Pass. General Rennen-
kampff's force to the eastward admit
tedly is in great danger of being cut
off and a considerable force of Jap
anese appears to be operating on the
Russian right we'll toward Tie Pass.
If the Japanese succeed in reaching
the railroad and interrupting traffic
If only for few hours. it may have
the greatest consequences for General
Kuropatkin who is now engaged in a
race with the Japanese to reach the
naturally defensible position 40 miles
inorthward. Thus far he has stood
loft all attacks directly against the
| TANKS of his army and holds the way
of retreat open. He undoubtedly was
forced to abandon a number of siege
guns on his Shakhe position. but if he
succeeds in turning over the army in
tact, with the principal portion of it's
ARTILLERY train to his successor the
Russian case will be by no means
desperate. for Oyama will again have
missed his quarry and comparative
ly barren victory will have been pur-
chased at enormous cost of life.
Enough of Kuropatkin.
All reports indicate that the jap
anese were utterly reckless of sacri-
fees making attack after attack es-
pecially on the center and westward
against machine guns and infantry fire
which literally moved down the ad-
Vancing columns making human
flesh so cheap that the survivors
could bastion themselves behind piles
of corpses.
After this action General Kuropat-
lSin's deposition may be regarded as
certain. War. Minister Sakharoff is
picked as his probable successor
though Grand Duke Nicholas Nicha-
laevitch of board of strategists may
be entrusted with the direction of af-
fairs. A strong faction of the army
those high in influence about the EN-
peror opposed General Kuropatkin
from the first and thus his early de-
feats were condoned because it was
realized that General Kuropatkin was
doing all that man could do with the
tools at his command. 1t is now fell
that after twice having had the op-
portunity to show what he could dc
/ x1-tfI FIJI arm md
failed to accomplish victory either
time his removal is advisable.
A high military official said last
night that the Emperor had had