The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-28
MUST FALL BACK.
KurOpatllin Wires Gar That He
Is Being Hard Pressed.
Immediate Withdrawal From
His Position Necessary.
MAY END THE WAR.
Probable Effect of a Decisive
Japanese Victory.
Russians Appear to Have Been
Again Outgeneraled.
ACROSS THE SHAKHE.
Gen. .KurOki Succeeds in Turning
the Russian Left.
Mukden and Line of Retreat Are
Endangered.

st. Petersburg, Feb. %. 6:55 p. NJ
The Associated Press hears from a
high scource that General Kuropatlin
considers his position on the Shahke
river to be menaced to such an extent
by General Kuroki's success on the
left flank as to necessitate the imme-
date withdrawal of his army to Tie
pass, and has SO advised Emperor
Nicholas No confirmation of this is
obtainable in military circles here,
where it is pointed out that with the
Japanese pressing the whole Russian
line such an operation must inevitably
end in disaster of the first magni-
tude.
1t May End the War.
St. Petersburg, Feb. 2S-1:15 P M
The fragmentary official and press re-
ports of the fresh reverse sustained by
General Kuropatkin are inadequate to
draw a conclusion of the magnitude of
General Kuroki's success against the
Russian left but the public as usual is
ready to believe the worst and the city
is already full of reports that a big
disaster has again overtaken the Rus
sian arms according to which Mukden
| has been outf1anked and is untenable
and Kuropatkin is withdrawing from
his strong position on the Shakhe river.
That such reports are exaggera ted is
beyond question but although reticent
and seeking to minimize the operations
of the last few days the officials of the
war office are plainly discouraged at
| the fashion in which Kuroki is able to
drive in and turn the Russian extreme
left, his advance columns actually
crossing the Slla khe river. It is admit
| ted that the fighting was desperate at
sevefa1 passes sunday and Monday
while the front was being involved, the
| purpose OF Field Marshal Oyama evil
/ IDENTIFY being to keep the center and
! from sending reinforcements to head off
Kuroki. Should Kurolxi cross the Hun
river the high road to Tie Pass 40 miles
north of Mukden, would be open and
Kuropatkin's retreat threatened. Fur
! ther news is awaited with great anxi-
ETY.. Anything like a decisive Japanese
victory would probably end the war.
Russians Lost 1000.
Toxic, Feb. 28.-It is reported that
/ when the japanese attacked and defeat
ed the Russians February %, at Tsink-
hetchen, 25 miles north of Simachi, on
| the extreme japanese right, the Rus
slams numbered 1900 men, Their losses
are estimated at 1000. The japanese
losses were slight.
KurolzTs Victory.
General Kurolzi's Headquarters, Feb.
26 via Fusan, Feb. 26.-The japanese
yesterday, Saturday, achieved signal
victory over the forces commanded by
Lieutenant General Rennenkampf.
While this victory is important in itself
it is more so because of the strategic
advantage gained by the Japanese. The
fighting was over a mountainous coun-
try between 80 and 45 miles east of
Yentai, which is about Is miles north
east of Lao Yang.
General Kuroki's infantry again dis
played remarkable qualities as hill fight
ers and proved their superiority to the
famous cavalry of the Russians
The right of the japanese winter
position has been near Ponchi, extend |
ing toward the southeast on the south
of the Shakhe river and west of the |
Taitse river. In yesterdays movement |
a body of Japanese troops, which had |
been advancing from Ponchi swung /
around toward the northeast and swept |
the Russians before them The Jap |
anese now hold strong lines, extending |
from southwest to northeast and partly |
eastward of the Taitse river, threaten |
ing the Russian left flank.
General RennenkaInpf commanded a |
division and a half of cavalry, a divis- t
ion of infantry and a body of sharp |
shooters, with full compliments of |
guns
The principal engagement was north
east of Chinhochen, where the Russians |
held strongly defended entertainments. |
The Russians left 203 dead on the field |
there and lost several machine guns. /
Their casualties are estimated at over
1000
on Friday night the japanese took
Tekiteki hill, which is south of the |
Shakhe river and a. short distance north /
west of Waita mountain.
Repuised 10 Attacks.
st. Petersburg. Feb. 2S.-General Kuro- !
patkin, in q dispatch to Emperor Nicho- |
las, dated today, says: Ten attacks made |
by two Japanese battalions and some cav
airy west of the village of Tansintong. |
have been repulsed. The Japanese renew
ed the attack in the morning of February
27 and were again repulsed. They left a
hundred corpSes in front of our positions.
The Russian loss was six men,.
Battle of Tsfnkhetchen.
Toxic, Feb. 2S.-6 P M.-Oficial reports
of the battle of Tsinkhetchen indicate
that severe fighting occurred. The JGpa-
nese attacking force began the occupation
of points on the left bank of the Taitse
river February 19, but the topography of
the country, steep hills. the river and the
heavy snow delayed the attack. The first
line attacked Tsinkhetchen at noon on
February q. assaulting fercely- The Rus
slams held strongly fortified positions with
obstructions protecting the mand resist
ed determinedIy. The fighting continued
February o and was resumed at dawn
FEBRUARY "a At 10 in the morning the two
lines closed and attackers and defenders
exchanged hand grenades- While contin-
uing their frontal attack the Japanese eX-
ecuted a flank attack with the result that
the Russians abandoned and burned the
town and fled northWard in confusion. The
Russians left $50 dead on the field. The
Chinese estimate the Russinn losses ut
Tsfnkhetchen at 1,oO0. The Japanese cap