The San Francisco call., 1905-03-14
OYAMA'S ARMIES
MAY YET CAP TURE
SLAV COMMANDER
KuPOpdtkin Left
| WITH Gda but 1907
900 Troops.
ESCAPE CUT OFF
RetPedting Force
Brought to Bay
at Tie Pass,
ESCAPE CUT OFF


The Russian general staff reports
that the main body has already com
pleted its retreat and the rear guard
southwark is falling back slowly
What either the main body or
the rear guard" consists of has not
been definitely fixed, but from the
dispatches from the press correspond
ents with the Japanese and Russians
the two combined must be but a small
portion of the army which General
Kuropatkin had gathered along the
banks of tbs EhalxiSe and Hun rivers.
And yet those who have reached Tie
Pass, worn out from many days of
fighting and retreating, are not out
of danger, the japanese, it is reported,
having already started another turn
ing movement, which will force the
Russians on to the plains north of
Tie Pass. where, in their disorganized
state, they would be easy prey for the
victory flushed soldiers of the Mikado.
The men who escaped are strengthens
ing the fortifications in Tie Pass, but
it is hardly possible that the pass can
be held in the face of the overwhelm-
ing forces opposed to the Russians,
and it is not likely that Oyama will
rest satisfied with his victory at Muk-
den, as he did after Liaoyang.
There will be no uneasiness as to
the food supply as long as communities
tions are maintained to the north
ward, as large bands of cattle roam
the plains, under Cossack herders, and
every station on the railway is a huge
commissariat department. The Rus
sian soldiers are always we'll fed, the
soup kitchen on wheels always keep
ing in touch with the men.
AS to the losses, General Kuropat-
kin now admits that $4,000 wounded
were carried off the field. This. with
the 26,500 dead left on the field, the
40, 1000 prisoners and the wounded left
in the hospitals comes somewhat
nearer the latest Japanese estimate
that the total Russian losses were
$4,000. At this rate Kuropatkin cam
not have more than 100000 effective
fighting men with him.
The army of General Linevitch seems
to have made the best retreat, but this
no doubt was due to the stubborn fight
made by General Rennenkampff on his
extreme left and the equally fierce re-
sistance of General Kaulbars on the
right, the latter general losing $4,000
men.
Neither the army of Kaulbars nor
that of RennenkamDff has yet been
his defeat around the Western tombs,
Kaulbars, finding his retreat directly
northward cut off, made a detour to
the eastward, where he was still fight
ing at last accounts. Rennenkampff
also must still be ip the hills to the
eastward, as 1t took a press courier
three days to reach Tie Pass
The Japanese report the capture of
twenty-four more guns-sixty-six in all
hoy =
the decisive defeat and the number of
men captured. The Japanese losses
have been remarkably light, in view of
the length and severity of the fighting
In all the speculation as to peace the
one point that is coming to the front
is that Russia would prefer to settle
directly with Japan without the aid of
any third nation. This is in line with
the dream of many leading Russians
that the natural allies in the Far East
are japan and Russia, they being the
only nations whose domains border on
Korea and Manchuria, both having in
terests besides those of trade.