The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-03
STOESSEL FIRM IN
HIS DETERMINATION
End Would Have Come Long
Ago But for Him
BEYOND MANS EN- DURANGO
Ammunition and Food Were Practi-
caly Exhausted Month Ago.
2o3 Metre Hill the Begin
ming of the End.
BEYOND MANS ENDURANCE

Che Foo, January 80 a. m.)-This
morning two Russian torpedo launches
arrived here. There are seven Japanese
torpedo boat destroyers in the harbor.
Che Foo, January 2 CMidnight) Com
mander Kartzow of the Russian torpedo
boat destroyer vlastni, in an interview
with the Associated Press correspondent
tonight, said:
Port Arthur falls of exhaustion-ex-
| haustion not only of ammunition, but of
men.
The remnant of the garrison left had
been doing the work of heroes for five
days and five nights but yesterday they
reached the limit of human endurance.
In the easements of the forts one saw
everywhere faces black with starvation,
exhaustion and nerve strain. You spoke
to them, but they did not give answer,
| only staring dumbly
| THE lack of ammunition alone would
not have suggested the seeking of terms.
Scant ammunition had long been com
mon in the fortress, and during the past
month many of the forts had nothing
with which to return the fire of the
enemy.
In DepIorabIe Condition.
"The Russians in the easements, firing
not more than once to the two hundred
shots sent by the Japanese, were in
| deplorable condition When the assault
! came. they repeed the enemy with bay
| onets. But the men themselves who have
| lived on reduced rations for three months
| 1t was marvellous they stood the strain
| so long, were bound to surrender.
General Stoessels wound which was
received early in the siege had been both
ering him, but his determination to fight
while one man stood, had not been di
minished.
/ but we cannot fight said his gener-
ais. Our men cannot move. They sleep
standing. They cannot see the .bayonets
at their breasts. We can order but they
cannot obey.
Then you, generals, fight said Stoes-
| sci, elinching his fists.
He seemd fanatical on the subject but
| finally he was brought to see reason by
the insistence of bis subordinates-Admi-
rails LochinsKy and Wirein, Generals
Smyrnoff and Fock and many others,
sometimes with broken voices urging the
| step which all dreaded so long.
Il am sure Port Arthur would have
sought terms a month ago, had 1t not
heen for General StoeSsel, who with bull
dog tenacty steadilC refused to permit
zach action to be ts8Sen. IL had told
the Emperor that he would never sur
render, and he meant to keep his word
1.-The greatest loss suffered by Port Ar
| thur occurred a fortnight ago, when
| Major General Kondratenko was killed
| Officers and men alike regarded him as
the brightest star in Port Arthurs fir
| mament. When his death became known
| the fall in the spirits of the soldiers was
| plainly visible.
! General Kondratenko was seated In
| the easement of a certain fort discussing
with seven other officers the best way OF
| countermining against the Japanese
when an 11-inch shell burst, killing every
| body in the easement
| General Nogi has taken Port Arthur
with his artillery and his tunnels. His
| rifle bullets were seldom found to be Of
| any use.
Calmly Resumed Bombardment.
| I'VE constantly endured a bonsard-
ment, iiercer than any in history. The
| Japanese periodically assaulted. and then,
| Il repulsed, they calmly resumed their
| bombardment.
| 1--WE who came here today do not know
| the terms of surrender suggested by Cen
| eral Stoessel to General Nogi, nor the
answer to them, having left Port Arthur
| even before the messenger had been dis
| patched The general impression, how
| ever, is that General Stoessel has pro-
posed that the army shall go free, and
| that he alone be made prisoner. Even
| that concession seemed to wrench out the
| sturdy old mans heart
| whether or not the negotiations term
| mate In an agreement on terms of sur
| render, 1t is certain that Port Arthur is
| doomed, as you say the Associated Press
| predicted two months ago.
1--WE still have some ammunition and
some guns on Liaot mountain, but that
mountain is not adapted for best defense
| from the land, and the Japanese will find
| its capture no easier than the tasks they
have attempted. Tigers Tail peninsula
| has to be similarly viewed and Golden
Hill has been without ammunition for
| three months.
StoesseI is the Hero.
"Since reaching Che Foo, have seen
| that attempts have been made to make
IT. appear that Stoessel alone wished to
| surrender. the other generals desiring to
continue the fight This is lie, and it
| is based solely on personal dislike of
| Stoessel.
1T is a simple story. Had the ammuni-
ton held out the fortress would have
| held out indefinitely. For months we
held Port Arthur by bayonets alone, un-
til flesh and blood could do no more.
| When a man fell dead. there were none
to replace him. Thus the garrison gradu-
| ally were down. 203-Meter hill cost us
was the beginning of the end.
1.-The Japanese artillery was excellently
served. They had 400 guns bearing on
| 203- Metre hill. They advanced their
trenches while the artillery was shelling
| the Russians out with a shower of metal,
! and then occupied the Russian positions.
"In personal combat the Japanese was
| greatly Inferior to the Muscovite. One
| Russian could take care of three japanese
| in bayonet fight, and some of our SOL
| diers have records vastly higher than
that. The Japanese are good, brave SOL
dlers, although ] have little liking for
| them.
ut cost the Japanese $4,000 men to take
| the fortress. while some say they have
lost over a hundred thousand. The num-
ber of our dead. is not known, even to
| the high officers.
Fighting Is MercIess.
''rhe fighting since August has been
merciless. When Rihlung mountain was
| taken 500 men who occupied easement
| were not able to emerge, so quickly came
the rush of the Japanese. The Russians
tried to emerge by the use Of their bay
| onets In the face of machine gun fire.
| Thus every man died-trying to resist
machine guns with bayonets alone. The
Japanese did not give them a chance to
become prisoners. but the men would
have preferred death anyway.
Realize this end! Picture fort strewn