New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-06
KUROPATKIN'S PERIL.
Both Russian Wings Bent Back
The Losses Enormous.

St Petersburg March 6.-The fate of General
Kuropatkin and his army hangs in the balance
to-day. depending on the -resuit Of the hghtihg
almost in the outskirts of Moukden. ACCORDING
to latest reports this morning the fighting went
we'll for the Russians, who beat back the wave
that threatened to roll over Moukden as 1t had
over the Notifications of Port Arthur; but moth
ing is known to what is going on beyond the
line of breakers, whether part of General Nogis
force is in full for Tie Pass whether the
Japanese have staked all in a move against
Moukden.
The imminence Of the peril the west wing
has withdrawn attention from the operations on
the centre and left, where the fighting has been
extremely heavy, and on the left especially
where the Japanese gains sufficiently great
to cause apprehension In themselves. Military
critics here point out that the Japanese have
put themselves in critical position by the ex-
IRENE extension of their lines. laying them
selves open. as they did at Liao-Yang to the
possibility OF most effective counterstroke and
probable defeat if General Kuropatkin should
be able to launch column against weak link
in the chain.
In other respects the situation also resembles
that at Iiao-Yang, the Japanese making
costly demonstration to hold the Russians
III their Notifications on the centre and throw
ing away the lives OF thousands in order
give the thanking force opportunity ad-
minister telling blow.
A feature Of all accounts of the fighting reach
Ing st. Petersburg is the emphasis laid on the
carnage. There is reference after reference to
dead piled high the ground over which an
attack was delivered, strewng breastworks al
most hiding abatis from sight, and even being
used by the Japanese to construct hasty in
trenchments. The Russian losses on both
TANKS conceded n ho lint &c
said that defenders OF the centre suffered COM
paratively little from the japanese lombard
ment and beating off the Japanese attack
The attacks delivered by General Nogfs SOL
diers were marvellous, in view of the forced
marches which they made for six days They
entered the battle with the greatest dash ana
fought day after day with vigor; but those of
them who taken prisoners dropped to the
ground utterly exhausted and hardly able to
speak. They had not eaten for two days.
General Kuropatkns line of communications
has not been touched. though It is in ,extreme
Jeopardy. His right flank is bent so sharply
backward that it may force the abandonment
Of the Poutiloff and Novgorod hills, to which
the Russians are still firmly clngng. The
Russian left also has been sharply repulsed
that 4 correspondent compares the entire posi-
ton to the letter &C" The Japanese possibly
pushing northward at tsngents with both
TANKS.
A hopeful sign is the postponement until to-
morrow of the grand council of war which was
to have met at Tsarskoe- Selo to-day This leads
color to reports that the general situation has
somewhat improved. The council was called to
discuss the retirement on Tie Pass; but the ac-
ton of the Japanese has made a successful re-
treat far more difficult than that at L.iao-Yang
where only flank was rolled back