The Washington times., 1905-03-15
INTRIGUE, HUNGER
DESTROY RUSSIANS
Reorimination Among Off
GERS, Including Kuropatkin.
FIGHTING MEN STARVING
Few OF Them Sane-Army at the
Mercy of Japanese Attack
at Telling,

TIE PASS, March 15.-As a wounded
brute frenzied by pain. will turn and
rend atself, SO the prone and pulseless
wrecH OF the Cars army in Manchuria
Is craving at its own vitals
stoie deadly to the hope of a safe issue
from this amazing disaster than shrap-
mel md shells is the sitting niasma of
Ic1seust and intrigue that permeates the
stricken camp of Kuropatkin, bearing
away on the breath of fratricidal hate
theVestiges of army morale remaining
aftH a week OF panic and flight.
80 terrible have been the experiences
or the mass of hungry men here huddIed
between Japan's fighting lines that few
of item are sane today.
TIE Falstaf of February is the Me-
phaAopheles of March. The courtier
of dukden is the craven and the cor
spIator of Tie Pass
apan has been killing manhood as
wA as men
Inability of Kuropatkin to keep the
sap kettles full and hot has had much
tfdo with the degenerating of his army
yathln weeks span. The average Rus
san lighting man may be reached first,
trough his stomach. Starve him, and
le becomes fratricIdal. Impulses of pa
Tiotism go out with the fire in his pipe
Leadership Is Gone.
RecTimination among the officers, from
Ehuropatkin down, has reached such a
furious heat that there exists yir-
tually no leadership.
This spirit is reflected among the hun
CRY and grimy men of the rank and file.
These soldiers have listened too long %
/ the screaming of their wounded eompan-
ions IN the numbering carts, as the
dreary procession has gone forward, nc
one knows where, to harber any further
respect for the army system that viii
permit its torn and blistered members
to suffer days and days without the
meanest OF comforts or the crudest OF
medical and surgical attention
a terror that is really heart breaking
to behold has seized upon these strong
men, who at the crack of a rife or the
shout OF a japanese solder will cTinge
ers are docking to the Japanese COM
missariat guards OF defense there re-
mains absolutely no manifestation.
Under these conditions ii is not sur
prising that Oyan1ass s men are doing lit
tie fighting. They are resting. conten!
to increase the guard around the i'm
prisoned army, gathering strength for
the final blow that, all agree here, must
be struck before Russia will be in a
mood to consider proposal OF peace.
Could Crush Cars Army.
This apples to the main body of the
Russian army and TO the region imme-
diately south of Tie Pass. Farther out
the Japs are still engaged in rounding
up the scattered bands of fugitives that
scampered to the hills and mountains.
The main pursuing column Of the Jap
anese army is now reported to be within
seven miles of the Pass. Should it close
in suddenly. and in consonance with the
right and left wings, il Is not straining
probabilities TO say that not man OF
the. Cars fighting force in this bloody
pit would reach Hardin
For two days. internationally, three
japanese divisions have been in action
with the Third Russian Corps on the
line OF Fan river. between Hsientun. OF
the Mandarin road. and Tafanho. on the
railway.
Oku and Nogi's troops are pressing
west ward, following the road to Tie
Pass. Nodzu is marching along the
Mandarin. road Kuroki is pushing or
from Fushun.
Working on Defenses.
OfFlcers standing over them witt
swords and guns, hundreds of hungry
Russian soldiers are working night ans
day upon the construction of defense.
south of Tie Pass.
Kuropatkin seems now to realize tha
he must stake all on his ability to resis
the final closing in movement of oyans
at this point.
To attempt to march to Harbin, ever
after considerable portion OF the Rus
sian army had been taken safel,
through the -Ioophole' here. would be
desperate course.
On the whole long and difficult cours
northeastward there is not one Russian
supply depot. Kuropatkin must trans
port everything that his retreating arm!
will require f the march TO Harbin 4
attempted.
This does not take into consideration
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