The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-15
(By the Associated Press


The Russian General staff reports
that "the main body has already COM
pleted it's retreat and the rear guard
southwark are falling back slowly, :"
what either the "main body or the
rear guard" consists of has not been
patches from the Associated Press
correspondence with the Japanese
and Russians the two combined must
be but a small portion of the army
which General Kuropatkin had gath
cred along the banks of the Shakhe
and Hun rivers. And yet those who
have reached Tie Pass. worn out
from days of fighting and retreating,
are not out of danger. The Japan
csc are reported having already started
another turning movement which will
force the Russians on to the plains
north of Tie Pass, where, in their dis
organized state they would be easy
prey for the victoTy-fiushed soldiers
of the Mikado The men who es-
capped are Strengthening the fortifi-
cations in Tie Pass. but it is hardly
possible that the pass can be held in
face of the overwhelming forces OPP
posed to the Russians, and it is not
Nikely that Oyama will rest satisfied
with his victory at Mukden as he did
after Lao Yang.
There will be no uneasiness as to
the food supply as long as commune
cations are maintained to the north
ward as large bands of cattle roam
the plains under Gossack herders and
every station on the railway is a
huge commissariat department. The
Russian soldier is always we'll fed, the
soup kitchens on wheels always keep
ing in touch with the men.
Losses Probably $4,000.
AS to the losses, General Kuropat7
kin now admits that 5000 wounded
were carried off the field This, with
the 26.500 dead left on the field 40,-
900 prisoners and the wounded left
in the hospitals comes somewhat near,
er the latest Japanese estimate that
the total Russian losses were 155, 900.
At this rate Kuropatkin cannot have
more than 100, 600 effective fighting
men with him. The army of Gen
eral Linevitch seems to have made the
best retreat. but this no doubt was
due to the stubborn fight made by
General Rennenkampff on his extreme
left and the equally fierce resistance
of General Kaulbars on the right, the
latter general losing $4,000 men.
Neither the army of Kaulbars nor
of Rennenkampff has as yet been ac-
counted for by the dispatches. After
his defeat around the western tombs
Kaulbars finding his retreat directly
northward cut off, made detour to
the eastward, where he was still fight
ing at last accounts.
Rennenkampff must also still be in
the hills to the eastward, as it took
the Associated Press courier three
days to reach Tie Pass. The Japanese
report the capture of twenty-four
more guns, sixty-six in all, a rather
small number considering the decisive
defeat and the number of men cap
tured. The Japanese losses have
been remarkably light in view of the
length and severity of the fighting.
The Associated Press correspondent
with General Kuroki's army, tells how
the battle of Mukden was won. The
Russian general was deceived as to
where the blow was to be struck, and
after massing his force on the Jap
anese left found. when too late, that
his right was the objective of the Jap
anese.
In all the speculation as to peace
the one point that is coming to the
front is that Russia would prefer to
settle with Japan without the aid of
any third nation. This is in line with
the dream of many leading Russians
that the natural allies in the Far East
are Japan and Russia, they being the
only nations whose domains border
on Korea and Manchuria, both hav-
ing other interests there besides those
of trade.