The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-15
ADVANCE OF THE
JAPANESE SLOW
------
AT Tie Pass the Russians
Are ReOrganizing.
ORDER OUT OF CHAOS
A Wide Turning Movement BY Oyama
is Thought to Be in Progress and
the Advantage Seems to Be
Entirely With the lap
anese.
(By the Associated Press. )

Tie Pass, March 14.-As after the
ballet OF Liao Yang the advance of
the Japanese army against the new
positions of the Russians at Tie Pass
is very slow The leading columns
are eight or ten miles southwark and
in touch with the Russian van posts.
but the operations at present are not
serious. Field Marshal Oyama shows
slight intentions Of pressing his ad-
vantage in an Immediate attack on
Tie Pass. 1t is possible, however, that
"a wide turning movement of which
reports are current, is in ~rogress. In
such operations the Japanese have the
immediate advantage of several bases
and lines of supply to which is now
added the Sinmintin road. while the
Russian army necessarily is depend
ent on one base and on one line of
communication and therefore may
easily be outfianked.
In the grand army order is being
brought out of chaos with remarkable
celebrity. The plain in front of Tie
Pass which ON March 18th seethed
like a nest of ants with the dense and
confused mass of transport artillery
and troops, corps, divisions and regi-
ments being scattered and parties in
eXtricabiy mingled. has been cleared
the regiments re-organiZed. stragglers
sent to their respective commands
organizations taken their assigned po-
sitionS, and today the same soldiers
who March 10th became a terror
stricken, surging. disorganized mass of
grey at a few saots from a little de-
tachment OF JaManege, or who even
fled IN panic hring ihdiseriminateiy
in all directions as they ran at the
mere baseless cry of Japanese cav
airy are now gathered singing about
the camp fires with new courage
ready to oppose with stubborn resist
ance an attack on Tie Pass.
Linevitch's Men March in Singing.
1t is unfair TO accuse the entire army
of this panic. General Linevitch en-
tered Tie Pass with his regiments in
perfect order, with music playing and
the men singing and scarcely a strag-
gler was lost in the long. difficult
march. Other organizations made
equally praiseworthy retreats and es-
pecially the rear guards of all the
armies who performed their difficult
task steadily and resolutely There is
much to be said also in excuse for the
panic-stricken condition of the troops.
They We're largely composed of undis-
ciplined men and wagon drivers were
mingled with the soldier who for
fifteen days were under constant fire.
crowded into mass from which
egress was impossible.
1t is one of the odd facts of warfare
that the morale of the beaten Russian
army has been restored while the
Japanese, though the victors. appar-
emily are so broken and have incurred
such heavy losses that they are unable
to press the advantage Otherwise it
is inexpIicable why the Japanese have
not followed UP their vigorous pursuit
with an attack on Tie Pass when they
might have taken the position almost
without a struggle. 1t is now too late
for any easy attack.
The struggle for the possession of
Mukden csot both sides close upon
zoo, ,000 The Russian loss of officers.
includes a large proportion of the
regimental commanders and field Off
GERS.
All the newspaper correspondents,
with the exception of three or four
have left for the North because there
is here nowhere to live and nothing
to eat Whipped by defeat many of
the Russian officers are in a surly
mood.