The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-04
FIGHTING CONTINUES.
Russians Bombard the Japanese From
Numerous Points

Toxic, Feb. 4, p. m.-Manchurian
headquarters, telegraphing under date
of February 3, says:
Thursday, February 2, the enemy's
artillery bombarded from several
points our right wing. Otherwise the
situation is unchanged. In the djrec-
ton of our center at 1870 Friday
morning, February3, one company of
the enemy's infantry attacked our out
posts from the Mukden road, and later
another section was attacked in the
neighborhood of Weinchayents Both
attacks were repulSed.
''In the direction of our left the en-
eny has been attacking in the neigh
borhood of Liutiolzou since the morn
ing of February 2. Their force, which
consisted of the First ana Fifth rifle
brigades was driven pack toward
Changtan. Tie enemy's losses are es-
timated at 700. We witnessed the re-
dead already inferred after the battle
of Heikoutai, in the neighborhood of
Sumpao alone, number 900-"
StoesseI Defends Himself.
Colombo, Ceylon, Feb. 4.-General
Stoessel, the former commander OF
Port Arthur, and the Russian officers
and others accompanying him, ar
rived here today from Japan by way
of Shanghai on board the steamer
Australien.
spondent of the Associated Press, the
general denied the statements pub
Iished to the effect that Port Arthur
was surrendered prematurely. He
was especially indignant at the state
mentS made by London newspaper
January 25, in a dispatch from Pelzin,
that there were at the time of the
surrender $4,000 able bodied men in
Port Arthur capable of making
sortie, hundreds of officers all well
nourished, plenty of ammunition, the
largest magazine being untouched and
full to the roof and that there was an
amply supply of food for three months
even if no fresh supplies were re-
ceiVed- The general characterized
these statements as unjustified and not
supported by facts
Colonel Reiss, who was among the
negotiators of the surrender of the
fortress, said:
1.-THE garrison could not have held out
a moment longer. It would have been
murder Only Is roubles remained in
the military treasury out of million
and half at the commencement of the
siege. Four hundred men were dying
daily at the hospitals principally from
wounds and scurvy. General Kondra-
tenko was the hero of the siege"
Colonel Reiss further declared that
the Japanese were admirable soldiers
but poor in the use of the bayonet com
pared with the Russians and French.
General Stoessel and others of his
party will transship at Port Said for
Odessa.
An Estimate of Kuropatkin.
Berlin, Feb. 4.-Colonel Gaedeke
for the first time since his return from
the far east. where he was war cor
respondent for the Tageblatt, writes
his opinion of General Kuropatkin.
although a through and through
honora BILE man. benevolent, PERSONAL
" braves. simple in his tastes and an
lacks" Colonel Gaedeke says, that
glance that Denetrates the darkness OF
correlation Of means and before all the
unsympatheticw viii thatalone stIdn tEiumphs 1isas
the bodies and souls of his men in
taking their last and best to compass con
victory. Such men as kuropatk1n are
not few in the Russian army and
their qualities attach the soldier to hi his
flag, but they do not win victories;
Kuropatkin at Lao Yang burdened
his mind with placing individual regi--
ments, battalions and batteries and
lost thereby the conception of whole"
Colonel Gaedeke regards Kuropat-
kin as over-cautious ana concludes:
mo leader is so bad as he who will
not take a risk.