The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-05-30

Headquarters of General Kuroki's
Army, near Tiehling, Mar. 25.-The
first realization of the. immensely of
the Japanese forces was brought I Q
the observation when the two central
armies rolled across the Shaho on
the morning of h eighth of March
in the rake of the retreating Rus
slams. Hitherto during the battle parts
of TWO or three brigades of infantry
with a few battalions of reserves, a
dozen or more batteries, with pack
trains and filed hospitals. were all
that n person could see in the
mountainous ountr of the great arm
les engaged. But when the whole array
moved ~northward with its impedi-
nents following it was an impressive
host. Looking from the heights whers
the Russians batteries had been n
could see many khaki colored process
Sions for miles on either hand emery
ing from the valleys and passes where
the Japanese had e. concentrating
since October, streaming across the
dry bed Of the river and the narrow
channels of ice and winding ava
among the bare hills and sandy plains
northward. 1t was a business like ar
my swathed in dark blue aud khaki
with no spectacular show of GOLD
braid, nor brass, and hardly a touch
OF o0lnr avcanf tho S0arlaf hlanEafE
worn over the shoulders Most of the
ranks were boys yet but they were
roughened by a year of campaigning
into hardy veterans. They plodded on
silently, as usual, with no show O.
rejoicing ver victory. without confu
minion over Manchuria was spreading
at the rate of two miles an hour. BY
the river banks were fields of koali-
ang which had stood u~nharvested
since fall between the lines OF hostile
cannop and through these were farm
'ng men, women and children reaping
and stacking their corps. The China.
nan ~fritters away no time gaping at
victorious armies when a few dollars
are to be gathered.
For ten days from that morning the
whole country within the area of the
fine dust stirred up by the feet of
over a million men and animals.
II neve settled for a minute. il chok-
ed the throat and blinded the eyes.
sifted under clothing, made God grit
~ and turned all water into mud. The
flames from burning houses and
stacks of grain showed through il in
the nights like b moon through the
fog. The sand storms which began
on the second day of the pursuit and
continued at intervals for a week
came from the north directly into
the faces of the Japanese and made
the discomfort and hardship worse.
There was great contrast betwt6l
he country south of the Shaho and
north OF 1t. The villages toward Muk-
len were larger and more prosperous,
%ith better buildings, and the pic
:;,resque temples and tombs surround
"A by graves of dark green frs made
\ welcome panorama TO the eyes OF
he men from beautiful Japan who
had spent months among the dreary
md monotonous hills. Chinese fafni-
les gathered in front of their houses
md greeted the Japanese with shouts
Doubtless they were equally ready to
acclaim the Russians, and denouRce
he Japanese. when Il was polite
outside the larger towns Chinese OH
ais wearing heir robes OF Office and
buttons on their caps with banners
and soldiers In gaudy uniforms re
ceived he japanese generals. aad
General Kuroki and his staff rode in
to the village where his headquarters
ire now through a double file of vii
layers kneeling on both sides OF the
road.
The beginning Of the Russian re
treat from the Shahe was orderly
md they left a clean field. None of
their portable effects worth taking
had been abandoned. except humid
reds of stacks of tin cases In the