The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-13

the Japanese broke through Flu pass
the Russians appeared to be holding
their own and even gaining a little
Preparations were being made to
launch a commensurate. The Japan
csc success was largely aided by the
weather conditions, which enabled
them to approach unobserved, but it
was chiefly due to the failure of some
of the organizations of the left flank
in the retirement from the Shakhe
river to occupy the positions marked
out for them The Japanese quickly
discovered the intervals. scouting
columns having followed the retreat
closely.
HopeIessIy Mixed.
a heavy column which had been held
in reserve for this eventuality was
quickly directed into the breach and
! burst aSunder the Russian line.
rendering retreat imperative. The
wonder is that the retreat did not de-
generate into a panicky flight. In con-
sequence of the rapid change of front
neCeSSitdted by the western attack.
the units of the army had become in
eXtricably confused. BattaliOns were
not in. their proper regiments; regi-
ments were not in their own divisions
and divisions wers not i'm the corps to
which they properly belonged. 1t is
easily to be com pretended that the
forced retirement became diSOrdered
to an extent by the sudden and I'M
! expected fire of u small detachment Of
japanese, probably not more than two
SquadTOuS of a mountain battery,
which had slipped far inside the Rus
| sian lines and opened on the retreat
| transport, causing a temporary panic.
/ The panic was chiefly confined, how
ever. to the drivers and some artillery
men, whose nerves had been weakened
! by the strain of the twelve days battle
: "a md Har ont he a, ,sAl
/ their wagons and guns. a further
/ detachment of the army, however,
/ came up and a portion of the wagons
| and guns were saved.
Brave Rennenkampff.
! In the retreat of the first army Cen
\ eral Rennenkampff. upon whose corps
! fell the brunt of the fighting in the
! Tsinkhetchen operations, is reported
/ to have displayed brilliant generalship,
/ causing considerable loss 10 the pur-
\ suing japanese.
! The decision of General Kuropatkin
/ to offer battle on the Shakhe was
! taken against his own best judgment
/ He had been constantly blamed, both
! in army circles and at home. for
| operating without decision, and the de-
/ mand that he take the initiative and
! abandon the policy of retirement was
/ voiced on all sides. L appears that
!
I opinion, which was that of many of
I his principal generals and decided to
! give battle, thereby losing the oppor-
/ tunity for a more successful retreat
( before the Japanese forces, which
4 largely Outnumbered the Russian
/ army.
Enemy Unseen.
! The last days battle presented a
! strange spectacle, affOrding material
for a new Verestchagin. A hurricane
! ragged, driving the dust in the faces of
the soldiers and closing their eyes and
! blotting out objects so that at a dis
/ lance of twenty PAGES men and horses
/ were mere gray silhouettes, now and
then disappearing in thicker clouds of
dust Long files of compact infantry
marched rapidly along the railway or
advanced across fields beyond which
/ they were swallowed up and mingled
in the clouds of dust and bullets. No
! enemy could be seen; not even the
| bursting of shrapnel was visible as the
! living stream of gray clad infantrymen
moved forward against the destroying
! unseen fire, leaving the ploughed
fields behind them thickly covered with
| wounded or dead.