Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-08
Kuropatkin's Position Desperate

kuropatkln'S Position desperate
By Associated Press.
ST. PETERSBURG, March s, 215 a..
m.-That the battle of Mukden will go
down in history with Lao Yang in the
long list of Russian defeats is the al
most universal belief in pessimistic st.
Petersburg, which has forgotten the
meaning of the word victory. The war
Office does not admit that the issue Of
the great battle, which already eX-
ceeds in magnitude of operations and
losses that of Shakhe, has been decided,
although it is positively stated in high
quarters that Kuropatkin has tele-
graphed to Emperor Nicholas that it
will be impossible to hold Mukden and
that the withdrawal of the army north
ward has already been begun.
Z Nothing from Gen. Kuropatkin later
than Monday has been given out, but
advices to st. Petersburg newspapers
and dispatches to the Associated Press
dated at o'clock last night indicate
that the position of the Russian army
after day of furious and unprece-
dented fighting is desperate, though
not absolutely hopeless, some Russian
correspondents even predicting Rus
that the extreme Japanese left has al
ready begun to retire southwark.
Everything probably now depends
on Gen. Kuropatkin's reserves.
Russians Change Front
While the Japanese hurled them
selves forward at every point yester-
day, their main energies were behind
the blow west and southwest in an
attempt to envelop the Russian right
and drive a wedge through the line at
Madyapu. Gen. Kuropatkin, however,
seems to have been able to success
fully change the front on the line of
his shattered right, aligning from
northeast to southwest to protect the
railroad to Mukden, and at nightfall
it was reported that he was practically
holding all his positions. At the same
time he was drawing in and shorten
ing his line to the southeast.
According to reports all the con-
centrated attacks of the Japanese to
the westward failed and the efforts
of Gems. Nogi and Oku to push their
encircling movement north and east
ward across Gen. Kuropatkin's line of
communication were blocked. Reports,
however, are conflicting. One cores
pondent telegraphs that firing was
heard northward toward Tie pass,
which may have been Cossacks and a
flying column of Japanese.
While some Russian correspondents
perhaps attach undue importance
to several minor Russian sue
cesses on the southern front,
which evidently were simply coun-
ter-attacks and In no sense real
offensive movements, it may be said
that if Kuropatkin has a plan for
the opinion of the experts, his saliva
ton depends-there is no indication
yet of such a purpose. The commander
in chief has been confining his strategy,
as at Lao Yang, to meeting the at
tacks of the Japanese and accepting
battle at places chosen by Field Mar
shall Oyama.
Both sides are terribly exhausted by
ten days of continuous fighting, and all
the correspondents at the front inti-
mate that the issue must be decided
definitely today.
Opinion Of the Military Clubs
At the military clubs here Gen.
Kuropatkin is already regarded as
beaten, the only question being his
ability to execute a retreat. Those
who believe there is still a chance OF
actual Russian victory are few and
far between. The majority regard the
fighting yesterday as in reality a rear
guard action, entertaining no doubt
that there will be heavy withdrawal
during the night. These Officers. how