Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-07-20

The highest praise that i<uropat-
kin has received has come from the
Japanese. It expressed itself III their
obvious delight when they heard the
name of his successor The old
Russian commander had strong
bold upon the sympathies Of the Jap
anese people, because he was reput-
ed to be opposed to the war; upon
the Japanese staff. because no one
one could appreciate as we'll as
these past masters of the profession
of arms the full meaning of his handi-
caps.
Their army was made; his army
he had to make in the field Against
what is perhaps the most thoroughly
prepared force for its object in history
whose organizer never enjoyed undis-
turbed authority in the execution of
his plans.
It has been said that kurOpatl<n
was a school master and not field
general That may be. 1t was his
misfortune that he had to teach his
troops in face of the enemy the things
which those who would win in war
against trained foe must learn in
peace. Since his downfall we have
had documentary proof of the peda-
eoeic phase of his work from his own
hand, which is in a sense pathetic
in its recognition of the shortcom-
ings of his own troops and the effici-
ency of the Japanese.
Before the battle Of Liao-Yang it
seems that he issued the first Of
series of letters to "Ofticers Above
thp Rank of Company Commanders"
with a view to correcting these er-
rors. Two Of these were picked UP
on the field of Mukden. The frs
more particularly dwells on Japan
csc methods Of fighting, while the sec
eud. with its ten articles, consists
more of definite instructions. Read
Ing them together one has series
of texts which helps to explain the
wonders which the japanese army
has accomplished.
.'rhe Japanese never follow the val
lev" he tells us under the head OF
sHill Fighting" ssbut with narrow
front they approach over the hills.
and, if possible. turn our flank. This
is good practice in Manchuria, where
the trend Of the hills is his way and
that. If they find that the line Of
their advance is cut, or that they have
to cross a river. a creek, or valley.
they stop and wait for the comm
Of night They are very quick AMI
skillful in the use of mountain guns
which accompany their infantry and
NEST unexpectedly appear on our
flank. On extraordinary occasions
they even appear on our firing line.
think that know of at Least one
Of these extraordinary occasions.
For hours one day | watched noun
tain battery which was in hiding on
a ridge quite in line with the Rus
slams. who We're waiting on our in
fantry to make its dispositions for
attack. Just before we charged the
battery received its cue and raked
the whole length Of the Russian
trench.
OF the work of his adversaries on
the plain kuropatkin SAYS: When
ever there are heights the Japanese
try to occupy these or any other
strategical points one by one. In
order to deceive us as to the object
Of their attack, they make demonstra-
tions at other points with many guns
and few troops. Sometimes this dem
onstration will continue tor da*s and
nights before thev come UP to their
objective with their main forcA. Us
ually they attack in the night. If
they gain the position. daybreak
finds them intrenched.'
BY such feints and their diabolical
lushes in the night the Japanese OK
pected to take Port Arthur IN August.
They did get 203-Metre Hill. as we
ncw know. and their failure to hold
it meant four months molv of terri
Bile work The strategy involved is
essentially that of the pitcher making
2 pretenee of throwing to one base
and then throwing to another. Not
upon the idea, but upon its execution
depends success The Japanese in
fantry in hiding in gullies. cornfields
and villages never betrays it's posit
ion The action of the guns and in
fantry who play the deceivers to the
right and the left is earnest to the
point of making heavy sacrifices if
IA No =; ~, hn nf In ~