The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-03-24
HEAVY rear GUARD
Fighting Reported
DESPERATE BATTLE rs RAGING
NEAR KAIYUAN, NORTH
OF TIE PASS.
TURNING MOVEMENT OF
JAPANESE Is FEARED

Mikado's Men May Fall on Russian
Troops When They Emerge from
Mountains - Linevitch Assumes
Command of Army.
Yinkow, Manehuria, March 2O.-lt is
reported that the Russian rear guard
is fighting heavy action in the vicinity
of Kaiyuan, about 20 miles north of Tie
pass.
Japs Pressing Rear.
st. Petersburg, March 20.-Telegraph-
ic communication with the retreatlng
Russian army has been cut for over "a
hours, but the authorities hope it is only
temporary declaring that they have no
information that the Japanese have
reached the railroad IN Gen. Linevitch's
rear. Nevertheless with the curtain
down the war Office naturally is the prey
of the direst forebodings. The last
from the rear. The telegram, although
dated Changtufu Gao miles north OF Tie
pass, at four o'clock Thursday after
noon was sent from Kaiyuan, 80 miles
north of Tie pass, and only reached st.
Petersburg Saturday morning. 1t was
very brief, saying simply that the army
was retiring in good order and destroy
ing the railroad as it went, but was con-
stantly pressed by the Japanese, the rear
guard action being continuous. There
were ominous words in the concluding
sentence as follows: I'VE believe the
Japanese are making a wide turning
movement north and that they are ready
to fall upon us when We get out of the
ringlike group of mountains which sur
round the Tie pass gorge"
Slight Advantage for Russians.
In the long retreat to- Hardin the Rus
slams only have the advantage of the
Mandarin road as far as Kaiyuan,
whence it bears eastward to Kirin while
the railroad continues north to Hardin.
According to the general staff, however,
good wagon road runs parallel to the
railroad. But for am army of a quarter
of million men encountered with i'm
pedimenta, with any active enemy re-
lentlessly pursuing a nd operating on its
tanks and the consftan threat of the
enemy closing the nkfe of retreat it is
admitted that the s1ngle railroad and
wagon road afford Lbaor prospects of
Gen. Linevitch beins b able to bring off
the remnants of the Sirnay confded to his
care without a tremendous sacrifice of
life. If the Japanese actually succeed
in throwing a str9Ikg force across the
line of retreat II .iSe{ ecognized that the
army might be fore III to capitulate
In the meantimeFfthe mobilization of
a new army has altteady begun in sew
eral provinces, although the order has
not yet been published. A divisioo of
the imperial guards at St. Petersburg
received orders Saturday. The news
papers generally indorse Linevitchs
selection as temporary COMMANDMENT
chief on the ground that Kuropatkins
lack of success made his supersession
imperative. At the same time it is recog-
nized that Kuropatkin's failure also
rests on other shoulders and pity is ex-
pressed at his sad fate.
LlneVltcn IakeS command.
A telegram from Gen. Kuropatlzin to
Emperor Nicholas, dated March IT.,
says: I'm accordance with the orders of
your majesty received March 16 hand
ed over to Gen. Linevitch to-day the
command of the land and sea forces
operating against the Japanese"
Gen. Linevitch in a telegram to the
emperor under the same date says: In
pursuance of the orders of your majesty
of March 16 assumed command to-day
of all our forces, military and naval
operating against the Japanese"
Will Garry War to Limit.
Toxic, March 20.-Formerly the con-
sentative element in the high councils
of Japan favored setting limit to the
Manchurian advance. 1t opposed adj
vancing to Hardin, but the results of
the victory at Mukden are removing OPP
position, and the bulk of opinion and
judgment now favors pressing advan-
tages and carrying the war to the utmost
limits possible. Beyond the general re-
tirement OF the Russian along the rail-
way northward, little is known here of
the details of the past three days events
in Manchuria. Various reports of the
number of additional Russian prison
ers captured are in circulation. One es-
innate is 10000. 1t is impossible to con-
firm the reports. There is much specu-
lation over the extent of the Russians
retirement. Hardin is regarded as a
logical base, but it is suggested that
they may attempt to hold the Kirin
line. The country between Kiayuan
and Sungari is inhospitable.