The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1905-03-17
WITH REMNANT
OF HIS ARMY
Kuropatkin Is Struggling to
Reach Tie Pass
he MAY YET BE CUT OFF

Has Lost In Killed, Wounded
and Missing More Than n Third
of His Men - Overwhelming
Force of Japanese Pressing
Him Closely and May Cut Off
Line of Retreat--Departure
from Mukden COnduc ed In
Wonderful Manner--Oyama's
Promise to Take the City ON
Certain Day Was Carried Out
London, March 13.-While General
Kuropatkin has apparently succeeded
in saving more of his artillery than
seemed possible, his losses in men, AM
munitlon and commissarlat in the bat
tie of Mukden are far greater than
earlier reports indicated, and even that
portion of his army which he sue
ceeded in extricating from the posi-
tions around Mukden is still in serious
danger.
The japanese generals, realizing that
with little more speed they could
have inflicted crushing defeat on the
Russian army after the battle of Lao
yang, determined not to again allow
an opportunity to pass and are follow
ing after the defeated and sOrely tried
Russian forces.
While a small portion. of KurOpat-
kin's army has reached Tie pass, the
greater part Of those who escaped from
the battle of Mukden are still struggling
northward. being at last accounts be-
tween IL and Ii miles from their goal.
with the japanese, flushed with VIC
tory and reinforced by fresh men, har-
RAISING them from all sides.
Even should the remnant of the army
reach Tie pass. it is hardly possible for
it to make a stand there against the
overwhelming force opposing it, 'Spe-
cially as the Russians must be wOrn cut
and weakened by the loss of men. guns
and ammunition. 1t is more likely that
Kuropatkin will fall right back 10
Hardin with what he can save and wait
there for the achievements that ST.
Petersburg already has promised him.
A possible obstacle to this plan is
General kawamura' army, which has
not yet been located. and which may
also be heading for the northern cap
dtal.
General Kuropatkin admits that 1870 |
officers and 1881 men are not respond |
ing to rolcalls. This is rather vague.
1t may or may not include the thou
sands of wounded who have been sent
north and again it may not include the
losses suffered by the third army, with
which the COMMUNICATIVE was not |
in communication for some lime. The |
figures given by the japanese war Office |
appear more reasonable, namely. 10000 |
prisoners; 26.5O0 dead left on the field |
and 10000 killed or wounded. the lat |
ter figure of course including the dead |
found by the Japanese. The Russian
losses, therefore, total over 1OO.0OO |
men, or more than one-third of III.
whole army.
The fact that the japanese report
the capture of only 60 guns indicates
that Kuropatlin, at the last moment,
succeeded in sending considerable
portion of his artillery northward on
the railway. The Japanese losses IT.
to this morning were report ed a Al 300,
not including the army which pushed
north between Mukden and Fushun.
Official information from the Rus
sian headquarters in the field supple
lnented by dispatches from press corrr-
spondents with the army of the car,
show that Kuropatkin, after suffering
by far the most severe defeat of the
war, has succeeded, as he did after the
battle of Liaoyang, in eXtricating the
remnants of his army from a position
which military experts 2f hours before |
believed would result in its annihila- |
ton or surrender The retreat from |
Liaoyang has been considered the most |
mastery ever executed, but it is far |
overshadowed by this latest feat of the |
Russian general, who has taken per-
sonal command of the troops.
After hgnting Tor nearly three weeks. |
Kuropatkin gathered what was left tn
gether north of Mukden and is taking
them towards Tie pass, through a rain
of shrapnel, which is being thrown on
them from both right and left This he
seems to have been able 10 accomplish
by resortlng to the same tactics which
saved his army at Liaoyang.
-.