The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-01-23

Tor the famous signaling position on
1s5-Meter Hill. When the first direct as
sauit on this position was ATTEMPTED.
on September 20. almost an entire jan
;inese regiment, the second Of the line,
was wiped out
Among the outlying hills of Port Ar
thur TWO now bear the name of jap
anese regiments which were practica ily
ahhlhliated while attempting to storm
poth names of the localities in Jauan
from which these regiments had been
recruits Akasala is the municipal dis
trict OF Tokyo, in which the American
legation stands
Only Showing of White Feather.
Some idea Of the severity of the
hghting around these hills can he
gained from the fact that they were the
scene OF the only fragrant instance of
disobedience and funking by Japanese
soldiers which ever came to my knowI-
edge The story. as it was tod me by
young japanese officer before Port
Arthur when his tongue had been mn
loosened by sake, was this:
A regiment of reserves was ordered
TO take the place of a regiment that
mad been cut to pieces while attempt
chlne ire The order TO renew the at
tack meant certain death Seeing the
hesitation OF hts men, the colonel, APP
pealing to taeir devotion To the Frn
peTOr and their country then ordered
the colorS forward and gave the order
Tor the buSler to sound the assault.
Not a man stirred. The colonel. in des-
peration, made another impassioned
speech, appealing to their sense of
honor and their courage as soldiers.
Waving his sword, he shouted:
Two Officers Charge Alone.
Il viii lead you on, and if you don't
come l win go alone
The colonel rushed forward. followed
only by his adjutant- Both officers fell,
riddled with bullets. All the officers OF
the regiment. headed by the major
made final passionate appeal TO the
men to do their duty. then rushed for
ward in body, with the men still hang
ing back. Iwo-thiFdS of the officers
We're stretched on the ground by bullets
At last, when some of the surviving
officers crept back, weeping with rage
and humiliation. the men suddenly pull
ed themselves together and made rush
forward, led by a few subaIterns. They
We're swiftly driven back by deadly
hail of the Russian machine fire. leaving
several hundred dead or wounded. and
could not De induced TO advance again.
IN truth. The Russian defense at this
point was too strong for human flesh.
Frightful Hand-to-Hend Fight
After the fight the Russian officers
who participated in it told me in Port
Arthur that it had been the worst fight
of the sieoe Their men. they said. mad
been forced TO grapple with the Japan
csc in hand-to-hand conflict bayonet-
ing clubbing their muSkeIS. hurting
hand grenades and stones before the as
sailants could be forced down One
officer had his eye torn out by a Jap
aneSe soldier VINO attempted TO strange
him. Another. while rolling over ara
over in fierce embrace with japanese,
whom he had. already run through with
his sword was bitten in the face so as
TO be disfigured for life
These sneres. | learned later, were re-
peated with ter fold ferocity during the
firal japanese assault on 20S-Meter Hill,
which resulted in Els capture early in
December Then the great strength OF
the Notifications was revealed more
Almost as strong as the huge guns
-rere the powerful searchlights played
from high positions, together with star
lights and rockets that effeCtually in
tcrfered with most Jananese night at
tacks During these night attacks the
russians covered positions were most Y
in total darkness, while The Japanese
had to move out into the open with
bHrding searchlishts in their eyes and
bursting starliehts in their rear. uncoy-
ering the positions of the machine guns
attempting to support
Stoessel's CHIEF Anxiety.
When I was in Port Arthur III Sep
TENDER anG October big shells from
NoSi's siege guns were constantly drop
ping into the harbor. and into the crowd
ed portions of the old and new city. The
mare fact that the Russians could reply
only at half-hour intervals to the jap
dnese fire from he big guns boomin o
every five or ten minutes was sufficiently
omnibus } was not surprised when a
Russian staff officer told me Genera |
StoesserS chief dread vas that he would
soon be reduced to no ammunition. Al
READY | noticed they We're short of am
m-Inition for their siX-inch guns
In the outer Qualifications the living
lay buried in trenches, and the dead
lay unburfed on the plain. Even in
the best-defendeG positions ii looked
as if the Japanese might get in at
any moment They had gained some
points which the Russians. had firmly
believed impregnable.
1t was when 1 had got out OF Port
Arthur and worked around to its rear
from the Japanese side that the full
strength of the place first impressed