New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-09
RUSSIANS FACE DISASTER.
Continued from first page.


Tuesday that Moukden must be abandoned. ana
they received details OF the beginning OF the
withdrawal in excised portions of the official
dispatches given out yesterday. Last evening
a newspaper contained a vague report Of Doubt
full origin. credited TO Chinese sources. but the
<-s+ nos,tive information was derived from The
Associated Press's dispatch from Generai
Kurolzfs headquarters the contents OF which
were quickly telegraphed to many Liberals from
friends abroad.
The report probably will not be printed in this
mornings papers, the government. true to It's
nolinv of breaking the news gently only pre-
paring the way by authorizing the publication
Of a number Of premonitory kilograms. The re-
treat has been generally expected since oyama
began his brilliant move westward.
From information in the possession Of The
Associated Press. it is known that General
Kuropatkin contemplated retirement before the
beginning of the battle and that he had hoped
to accomplish it without serious combat Inc
Japanese, however, forced him to accept battle.
The double turning movement compelled him to
send the major part of his reserves to the hght-
ing line and rendered an effective counterstroke
out of the question. The decision to retire was
taken on March g. withdrawal began that
night.
The great question now. and the one over
which the general staff burned its lights late
into the night, is whether Field Marshal oyama
has entangled the Russians in his strategic net
sufficiently to prevent a successful retreat TO
TIE Pass. General Rennenkampfs force to the
eastward admittedly is in great danger OF be-
ing cut off, and a considerable force of Japan
csc appears to be operating the Russian
right well toward Tie Pass.
rf the Japanese succeed in reaching the rail-
road and interrupting traffic. If only for a Few
hours it may have the greatest consequences
for General Kuropatkn who is now engaged IN
q literal race with the Japanese to reach
naturally defensible position forty miles north
ward Thus far he has stood off all attacks d.
rectIv against the TANKS OF his army. and holds
the way Of retreat Open He undoubtedly was
forced to abandon a number of siege guns on his
sbakhe position, but Il he succeeds in turning
over the army intact, with the principal part of
tts artillery train TO his successor the Russian
case will be by no means desperate. for COM
parativeiy barren victory will have been pur-
chased at enormous cost Of life.
: All reports indicate that the Japanese were
utterly reckless Of sacrifices, making attack
after attack, especially on the centre and west
ward against machine guns and infantry hre
which literally moved down the advancing col
umns, making human flesh so cheap that the
survivors could make bastions for themselves
out OF piles Of corpses-
The news OF the retreat Tie Pass is bound
TO revive talk of peace. though if Field Marshal
Ovama has failed TO crush General Kuropatkin
peace is no more imperative now than 1t was
last month. Peace advocates point out as a sig
nifcant fact the departure Of Vice-Admiral
Rojestvensky's squadron from Madagascar for
Djibutil simultaneously with the loss of the bat
lie of Moukden and intimate that perhaps the
recall Of the feet may have been adopted In
view of the latter event. The movement, the
other hand, may be in pursuance of plan for
a junction between Rojestvensky and the rein
forcing squadron preparatory to giving battle to
Admiral Togo's feet. The peace movement ad-
mittedIy has a strong following. even in the Min
istry but it cannot be stated now whether the
defeat at M0ukden has been effective enough to
turn the scale. No decision can be taken, at
least, until the extent Of the reverse is known.
More important, however, is the effect on the
internal affairs of Russia Defeat is not unwel-
come TO the Liberals who argue that the graver
the governments difficulties, the greater the
extent Of the reforms which it may be forced
10 concede.
In the present crisis the project of the reform
rescript of March has not been worked out
A commission is yet TO be appointed Whereas
yesterday the idea to have purely con-
sutative body, meeting. perhaps, separately ac-
cording to estates, the existing conditions may
force the commission TO propose long steps
toward a more influential body possessing initia-
tive in legislation. The strange spectacle is
thus presented Of who say they are pa
triotic Russians rejoicing over the defeat of
their country on foreign battlefelds. The
revolutionsts probably will use the defeat as a
pretext 10 renew demonstrations After this
action General Kuropatkn's deposition may be
regarded as certain. The Minister OF War, Cen
eral Sakharoff. is picked as his probable sue
cessor, though Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholao-
witch, or board OF strategists may have charge
Of the direction Of affairs