Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-06
KUROPATK|N
AND HIS ARMY.
Their Fate Depends on the Result
OF the Fighting In the Out.
skirts Of MukJen.
JAPS PUT THEMSELVES IN PERIL
That is What Russian Military Critics
Say is the Result of Extending
Their Line.

st. Petersburg, March s, 1928 a. M
The fate of Gen. Ruropatkin and his
army hangs in the balance today, de-
pending on the result Of the fighting
almost In the outskirts Of Mukden. A.
cording to latest reports this morning,
the fighting went well for the Russians,
who beat back the wave that threat
ened TO roll over Mukden as It had over
the fortihcations Of Port Arthur; but
nothing Is known as to what is going
on beyond the line OF breakers; wheth-
er part OF Gen. Nogfs force Is In full
swing for Tie pass or whether the Jap
anese have staked all IN a cast against
Mukden.
west wing has withdrawn attention
from the operations on the center and
left, where the lighting has been ex-
tremely heavy, and on the left, es-
peclally where the japanese gains are
suii1cleatly great enough to cause APP
prehenslon.
Military critics here point out that
the Japanese have put themselves IN
critical position by the extreme extern
sion OF their lines, laying themselves
open, as they did at Lao Yang, TO the
possibility OF a most effective counter
stroke and probable defeat IL Gen. Kur-
opatkin should be able to launch
column against weak link IN the
chain.
In other respects the situation also
resembles that at Lao Yang the Japa-
nese making a costly demonstration TO
mold the Russians In their Notifications
on the center and throwing away the
lives OF thousands in order TO give the
nanking force an opportunity TO ad-
minister telling blow
A feature OF all accounts of the fight
ing reaching ST. Petersburg Is the en-
phasls laid on the awful carnage. There
is reference after reference to dead
piled nigh on the ground over which an
attack was delivered, strewing breast
works, almost hiding from sight and
even beino used by the Japanese to
construct hasty entertainments. The
Russian losses on both tanks are con.
eeded to be enormous, but Il Is claimed
that the defenders Of the center suf-
fered comparatively little by, the jap
anese bombardment and beating off the
Japanese attack.
The attacks delivered by Gen. Nogi's
soldiers were marvellous In view OF the
forced marches which they made for
nve or six days, recalling the records
OF Stonewall Jackson's foot cavalry
They entered the battle with the great
est dash and fought day after day with
vigor. but those of them who were
taken prisoners dropped to the ground
utterly exhausted and hardly able TO
speak. They had not eaten for two
days, which accounts In part for their
utter fatigue.
Gen. Kuropatkin's line OF commune
cations has not been touched though n
is In extreme jeopardy His right flank
is bent so sharply backward that Il
may necessltate the abandonment of
the Pouulon and Novgorod hills, to
which the Russians still firmly cling
the Japanese possibly are pushing
northward at Tangents with both
tanks
a hopeful sign Is the postponement
until tomorrow of the grand conn
Gil or war which was to have met at
Tsarskoe-Selo today. This lends color
to reports that the general situation
has somewhat improved. The council
was called TO discuss the retirement on
Tie pass, but the action OF the japan
csc has made successful retreat far
more difficult than that al Tiao Yang.
where but one flank was rolled back,
WORK OF JAPANESE ARMY.
Gen. Kurokrs Headquarters I'm Tho
Field Via Fusan, March 5-(Delayed in
transmission The Russians are TODAY
rising l6 guns placed IN position oppo-
site Witosan, and are Smelling the Ian
anese artillery positions; the villages
on the plains occupied by troops. ana
the roads wherein the supply trains are
passing TO the front, but with no re-
suits,
Among the telling work OF the Jan
anese army, done by its infantry i'm
fights, no episode OF the war sur.
passes the achievement OF the force
which on the night Of March 2. gained
a footing across the Shakhe river. and
Is now holding two miles Of the front,
after crawling up bare stony hills, like
leeches.
The Russian trenches are now plain
~ visible the soldiers moving, about
freely. Both sides suspend hostlltles
for three or four hours at midday. and
from midnight TO morning A terrific
uproar Is caused nv the sounds OF the
commanding and rifle FIRE.
The Japanese are proving as good
winter campaigners In every respect
as the Russians n question upon which
there was formerly considerable doubt.