Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1905-02-16
ONE WEEK OF WAR.
RENEWAL OF HOSTILlTiES IN
THE ORIENT.
Hopes that the Fighting Might Cease
Seem Scattered to the Winds--Great
Loss of Life Continues in Battles On
the Hun River.

| the Hun River.
Hopes that fighting in the Orient
| might cease soon seem to have been
scattered to the winds. Ten days ago
1t was reported that Gen. KurOpatliin
had been ordered to open negotiations
with Field Marshal Oyama. If orders
were sent him, they were to attack in
force, and win if he could the victory
Of which Russia is III such need. a
| signal success would have done some
thing to restore the prestige of the
government at home and abroad.
Two weeks ago the Japanese noticed
concentration of forces on the Rus
sian right flank, and made their prep
lrauOns to meet it. Gen. Kuropatllin's
plan soon became apparent. 1t was to
capture strongly fortified positions
held by the japanese on the left bank
Of the Hun River. to turn their left
dank, and force them to a general en-
gagement. The Russians began the
attack on the 2Jth of last month and
met at first with considerable success.
They showed that they as well as the
! japanese could drive an enemy out Of
his Notifications. number Of villages
which the Japanese had surrounded
| with strong works were captured.
Then the Japanese rallied, and, after
| desperate fighting, succeeded. accord
| ing to their account, in rccapturing the
positions they had lost and driving
! the Russians back across the Hun
| River at the end of Il week. Sanguin-
ary fighting.
The fighting at Heikoutai and along
the Hun River from the 25th to the
! 10th Of January proves 10 have been
one Of the great battles of the war
a hundred thousand men were in ac-
ton on the Russian side and doubtless
at least that many on the japanese
side. Significant Of the vastn2ss OF
| these later opera lions OF the war is
| the fact that the Russian casualties
! some 13.CO1-aIone Outnumber the en-
tire army Russia had engaged at the
! battle of the Yalu.
There are no trustworthy reports Of
| the Loses, but both sides must have
suffered severely. The Russians admit
| that over 1000 officers and men were
killed or wounded during the fighting
| Of the first two days. Probably not
less than 10000 Russians and Japan
csc are dead or disabled as the result
Of the week furious fighting. During
most of the time the thermometer was
| below zero, but Gen. KuTOpatkin says
his soldiers did not suffer much from
! tie cold.
The victory was emphaticaIly with
the Japanese. Gen. KurOpatkin's plan,
! intrusted to Gen. Grippenbery for exc
cution, was to turn the Japanese left
! tank. In the earlier stages OF the war
| the Russians had apparently never
heard Or imagined that such thing
/ as a fanlling operation was possible.
! Now having by bitter experience
/ learned what it is to be Outtlankcd,
to crumple up one wing Of a compactly
posted army Of 100000 men as it
would be to treat similarly a single
division of the enemy. Once more
/ they are wiser.
| Far more unfortunate for Russia,
! however, than the mere failure to win
q success On the Hun is the fact that
| the battle has proved c0ncluSively
| that the new army organization from
! which so much WIS hoped is not eff
! cient. 1t will be remembered that
after the battle Of the Shakhe Gen.
! KurOpatkin initiated the Japanese or
| ganiZation by dividing his force into
J three armies. under the commands, re-
! spectively, Of Generals Grippenberg,
! Kaulbars and Linieyitch.
| Now, with the first test of the new
| organization. Gen. Gripp2nberg resigns
! his command. The rum0red reason fer
his resignation is his complaint that
| KurOpathin did not send him re-en-
| forcements during his attack and did
! not engage the japanese elsewhere
along the line. Whether the resigna-
ton is voluntary or involuntary.
! whether the fault is Kuropatllin's or
Grippcnbcrg's is Indifferent. The main
thing is that the organization has
| broken down, and that the Russian
generals once again show themselves
too small for their great task. d.
The Russians retain their original
lines and are strengthening their for
titicatiOrs. As 0yama has been rc-en-
forced by the Port Arthur army, it is
not unlikely that he will take the o.
fenSive in his turn. A direct attack
on the Russian position would be haz-
ardous. He could turn the Russian
right flank by moving troops through
the territory west Of the Lao River,
but that would be 4 violation of Chi
nese neutrality, which the Japanese
say they desire to respect Perhaps
Gen. kuro,,i the commander of the
right wing OF the Japanese army. who
made so many Attempts last fall to out