The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-03-10
RUSSIAN ARMY SPLIT?
Oyama Said to Have Broken Kuropat-
kin'S Center.
TIE SLAUGHTER WAS TERRIFIC.
Japanese Said TO Have Captured Thirteen
Heavy Siege Guns Reports Made by the
Russian General Do Not Put Such Gloomy
Face on the Situaton-He Refers to
Number Of Japanese Repulses.

St. Petersburg (By Cable).--A very
specific report is circulating in exceed
ingly -well-nformed quarters that the
day has gone badly with General ku-
ropatkin; that the Russian center is
broken and 10 heavy siege guns have
been captured by the japanese. If this
is true, it is pointed out here, the battle
is lost.
Tina. the battle OF Mukden will go
down in history with Liaoyang in the
long list OF Russian defeats is the almost
universal belief in pessimistic St. Peters
burg, which has forgotten the meaning
Of the word victory. The War Office
does not admit that the issue of the
great battle, which already exceeds i'll
magnitude OF operations and losses that
of Sllal1he, has been decided, although
it is positively stated in high quarters
that General Kuropatkin has telegraph
ed to Emperor Nicholas that it will be
impossible to hold Mukden, and that
the Withdrawal OF the army northward
has already been begun.
Nothing from General Kuropatsin
later than Monday has been given on.
but advices to St. Petersburg newspa
pcrs and dispatches indicate that the po-
stion Of the Russian army, after day
of furious and unprecedented fighting, is
desperate, but not absolutely hopeless
some Russian correspondents even pre-
dieting Russian victory soon and one
affirming that the extreme Japanese left
has already begun to retire southwark
Everything probably now depends on
General Kuropatkin's reserve.
While the Japanese hurled themselves
forward at every point, their iian eyer
gies were behind the blow west and
southwest in an attempt to envelope the
Russian right and drive wedge through
the line at Madzyapu; but General XII
ropatkin seems to have been able Sic
cessfully TO change front On the line OF
his scattered right, alighting- from north
west to southeast, to protect the ra'l-
road at Mukden; and at nightfall IT was
reported he was practically holding all
his positions. AT the same time he was
drawing in and shortening his line to the
southeast.
According TO reports, all the concer-
trated attacks Of the Japanese to the
westward failed, and the effort of Gen
erals Nogi and Oku to push the encir-
cling movement north and eastward
across General Kuropatkin's line Of COM
muilications was blocked. Reports,
however, are conflicting. One CORE
spondent tclegraphs of hearing firing to
the northward, towards Tie Pass, which
may be between Cossacts and a flying
column Of japanese.
While some RuSsiaa correspondents
perhaps attach undue importance to sew
eral minor Russian successes on the
southern front, which evidently were
simply counter-attacis and in no sense
real offensive movements, II Kuropat-
kin has plan for striking real blow.
upon which, il the opiaion eli experts,
his salvation depends. there IS no indi-
cation as vet of such purpose. The
commander-in-chisf has been conhning
his strategy, as at Liaoyang, 10 meeting
the attacks OF The Japanese and accept
ing battle al places chosen by Field Mar
shall Oyanla
Both sides are terribly exhausted by
10 days of continuous fighting. and all
the correspondents al the front Intimate
that the issue must be definitely decided
COON