Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-03-17
JAPS TAKE
MUKDEN
Oyama's Victory Over Kurpat
kin's Army Seems
Complete.
R0UT IS MOST DISASTROUS
Predictions Are Freely Made That
the Entire Army Will Be Captured
Reverse May Be Fraught With
Grave Consequences.

Toxic, March 11.-Field Marshal
Oyama telegraphs as follows under
yesterdays date:
eve occupied Mukden at 10 o'clock
this morning.
Our surrounding movement, in
which we have been engaged for some
days past, has now completely sue
ceeded.
THE fiercest fighting continues at
several places in the vicinity of Muk-
den.
I'VE captured great number Of
prisoners, enormous quantities OF
arms, ammunition, provisions and
other war supplies. There is at pres.
ent no time to Investigate the number
Of these"
London, March 1.-THE fate OF the
Russian army Of upward of a quarter
of million men and the 1000 pieces
OF artillery with which it was ex-
pected confidently that General ku.
ropatkin and his lieutenants could pre-
vent the advance Of the Japanese be-
yond the Shakhe and Hun river posi-
tons, still is in the balance. They
have been driven from those positions
and now are rushing northward to-
ward Tie pass, around which are high
hills which were prepared for defense
after the battle OF Lao Yang in Sep
TENDER, there being no hope at that
time that the Japanese would allow
the defeated army to rest south OF
Tie pass. That the Russians have lost
many guns and large quantities OF
ammunition and supplies is certain,
.or with but s1ngle-track railway to
the north, it would be impossible to
remove the large stores which had
been gathered together at Mukden-
These, it seems certain, have been
destroyed.
The Japanese have not yet reported
the capture Of guns which they gen.
orally do almost Immediately, but it
seems hardly likely that Kuropatkin
coud have removed all of his ar
tillery. On the first of January. &C.
cording to correspondents who have
just returned from Mukden, the Rus
SLAMS had in position along the Shakhe
and Hun rivers $500 guns, including
a number of six and eight inch guns
on cement foundation straddling the
railway, just north of Shakhe sta
ton. In addition, many guns arrived
in Mukden during January and Febru-
airy so that the Russian artillery when
the big battle started, must have
numbered nearly 1000 pieces. 1t is
likely that Kuropatkin has sacrificed
some of these and is bending all his
energies to extricate his army. That
his task is a difficult one, all the dis
patches indicate, but Russian sympa-
thiZers point to his retreat from Lao
Yang, where conditions were opposed
to him.
The retreat from Lao Yang was
accomplished during a terrific rain
storm, over roads hub deep in mud,
while at the present time the Man
churian roads are frozen hard as
stone, and have been worn as smooth
as asphalt by the continual passage
Of the big wide tired commissariat
wagons.
The result of Oyama's great turn
ing movement depends almost entire
ly upon Kawamura's army, which has
not yet been located definitely, al
though supposed to be moving from
the east toward Kuropatkin's line of
retreat. Should he reach the mill
tary road, which runs almost in a
direct line from Fushun to Tie pass,
before the passage Of the Russian
army, the circle will be complete, as
Nogi's guns already command the
railway and should soon control the
Mandarin road, which is but a short
distance east Of the railway and runs
parallel with it.
The army of General Kaulbars.
which has been pressed back across
the western plain, fighting every
inch Of ground, is moving northward
to protect the line of retreat from
the attacks from the westward, while
General Bilderling is protecting the
rear against Generals Oku and Nod
III and Linevitch is doing his best to
hold the military road against XII
roki. They have numbers against
them but have succeeded against odds
in similar retreats before. The ap'
pearance of General Kawamura would
render futile all their efforts.
General Rennenkamrff's force OF
somewhat less than 10000 men which
has been operating on the extreme
left, is in a precarious position, but
the force is a mobile one and the Of
fcors know the mountains well. With
the exception of this latter force all
The Russian troops are now concen
trated on the roads leading north
ward, and it may take another TWEEN
ty-four hours before their fate is de-
cided.