The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-06
KUROPATKIN HITS
JAPANESE CENTEl
=
Hurls Force Along Railroad in
Effort to Break oyamab 4
Line. Il,
FAILURE OF MOVE &,
MEANS HIS DEFEAT
Japanese Thanking Forces Seem
to Be Checked-Losses
Are Enormous. &:

Are Enormous.
st. Petersburg, March 6.-The Assoc
ciated Press has just learned that Gem
at Field Marshal Oyama 3 left center,
just west Of the railroad.
The fighting is desperats along al
most the entire line. ~ CO.
huropatkin' g losses in killed and
wounded up to last night are placed ct
23,5O0.,
Oyama is believed to have already.
lost fully 10000 men.
pr no1 Is sre sITy sserdaE e
repeat the statement that some of Gem /
eral Nogl's men have not had any food
for two days.
Battle Hangs in Balance. saS
The result Of the greatest battle OF
modern times is expected to be deter
mined today or tomorrow.
:, Two OF the largest armies of recent .
times both in men and guns are now
locked in death struggle, and, aitb6
General Kuropatkin has evidently made !.
every preparation to cover his retreat
Dy moving his accumulated stores and
munitions northward, it is now the opins
ion Of military men here that one side
or the other cannot escape an over
whelming disaster.
With both wings bent backward, Kuro-
patkin's position appears to be despeH
ate. But the issue is still in the bail
ance.
News of the victory by him is only ref
garded as possible by his breaking thru
the enveloping lines and news Of q COM
centrated offensive is hourly awaited.
11-14 -
strike hard it is realized that he must
lose.
oyama's Strategy.
Field Marshal Oyama's strategy in
this battle is now clear.
He startled and amazed the war office
by the marvellous daring of General
Kuroki's advance against the extreme
Russian left and the seriousness of the
blows delivered with the center where
no less than thirteen separate attacks
have been launched by the imperial
guards ten miles east Of Putilof hill.
But it is now realized that the heavy
blows at the left were intended to mask
1.-THE real turning movement. which came
like bolt from clear sky out of the
west.
Kuropatkin in Trap.
Kuropatkin fell into the trap. Tho
situation seemed an exact duplicate of
| that at Liao-yang and the Russian COM
handkerchief fastened to mass
forces to meet Kuroki.
Friday the whole situation was sud-
denly reversed when with lightning rap
idity the Japanese turning operation be-
gan on the plain between the Hun and
Liao rivers.
In order to succeed, Oyama threw the
neutrality of China to the winds.
Nog1 Falls upon Russian Right.
! General Nogi, with his Port Arthur
veterans, moved up the right bank OF
the Hun and fell like an avalanche
upon the weakened Russian right.
He doubled it back in confusion, the
Japanese advance being co-ordinated
| with the advance straight from the
: west Of Japanese column OF 10000
/ men, which circled around or thru Chi
nese neutral territory.
/ Altho rumors of the presence OF ths
3 latter column westward of Mukden wers
l circulated as long ago as Tuesday, Kw.
opatkin evidently was taken by sur,
, prise, possibly refusing to believe that
l the Japanese would thus openly h1na
! any rate, it was not until Sunday might
!, that he was able to shift sufficient 70
! Inducements west to stem the tide who's
+ the Japanese were within sight OF Muk
den.
Japs Said to Be Exhausted. y
But tho latest advices are to the q
!. feet that the japanese, exhausted b
L their tremendous efforts, have every
where stopped, and now il ever Kure
Ipatkin 3 hour has come.
The Japanese lines are extended Owe
sixty miles, while Kuropatkin Is are cor
stantly contracting. Besides, he has tn
r advantage for the offensive Of opera1
ing In the interior of his lines
1 Military critics declare oyama h
not got enough superiority to tai
risks. According to the war ofiee
" Oyama has not over 10000 men in "a
cess of Kuropatkin, whose forces tots
about 100000.
oyama's Chance for Fame.
Should Oyama succeed, the critic
declare that he viii prove himself
"A be Q. master of military science and q
II tablish reputation for military genaa
Il of the first magnitude. But unless
le can completely crush Kuropatkin
q right. they say Oyama is in imminep
it danger or having his cwn left cut o
and destroyed. s.
he Kuropatk1n's chance, the war ofnrss
n Esaxs, is an opportune offensive, as pal
~ l.sive resistance would be fatal.
ie. The official reports today only brin
e. r the battle; up to last night when Go
X ,eral Kiropafkin had :suceeededs in %
nilsresting theoadwanceb Of tile Japanei
assFleft wing, the. hardest fighting haydn
n oeenrsedf Ettsa-of Ala=chia= pu, while
was the pivot OF General Megi's NOV
e iment.
as The confidence placed in Kuropatkl
Sc was nreferteh hE an advance in Ra
esl sianSinlperial tours 3 quarter of poll
as' ton thee !5ourse TODAY.
~ General onatkin, in a. dispatt
from the front atra March 5,.savs:
loS On the left flank. on. the right bank
the9 san pu
sanesa this 1noriaA1i g ained the ofIensi'
with energy Two attacks were rsplllse
re The battle conti nuss sssfsll mort
&. ward OF Ndasef siaspu.i
.fs All are showing tlis greate bra very
.9l-FSs Night Attacks Repulsed. II
he In; the center our positions lora.ss g
hSSVl II Shak=he river so far as Slla- o-pao q