The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-03-17
Great Army Torn to Fragments
Flying in Disastrous
ROut
Japanese Operations Handicap
ped by Large Number OF
Prisoners

V0&I IA0 Ludl1 lDOuy has dlISduy CULT
pleted its retreat and the rearguard
southwark are falling back slowly
What either the "main body" or the
Srear guard" consists Of has not been
definitely fixed, but from the dis
patches from the Associated Press
correspondents with the Japanese and
Russians, the two combined must be
hut small portion of the army which
General kuropatkin had gathered
along the bank of the Shakhe and Hun
rivers. And yet those who have
reached Tie pass, worn out from 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 vic
ltory-fushsd soldiers of the mikado.
The men who escaped are strengthen
ing the Notifications in Tie pass, but
1t is hardly possible that the pass can
be held In the face of the overwhelm-
3ng forces opposed to the Russians and
1T is not likely that Oyama will rest
satisfied with his victory at Mukden
as he did after Liaoyang.
There will be no uneasiness as to
the food supply as long as commune
cations 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
Russian soldier is always we'll fed, the
soup kitchens on wheels always keep
ing In touch with the men.
More Than Half His Army Gone.
AS to the losses, General Kuropatkin
now admits that $4,000 wounded were
carried OF the field. This, with the
i26,500 dead left on the field, the 100000
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
5ate Kuropatkin cannot have more
than 100000 effective fighting men
with him. The army of General Line
witch seems to have made the best re-
treat. but this no doubt was due to the
stubborn fight made by General Rem
nenkampff on his extreme left, and the
equally fierce resistance of General
Kaulbars on the right, the latter gen
sral losing $4,000 men.
Neither the army of Kaulbars nor
Nsnnsnkampff has yet been accounted
for by the dispatches. After his de-
feat around the Western tombs, Kaul-
bars, finding his retreat directly north
ward cut off, made detour to the
eastward, where he was still fighting
at last accounts. Rennenkampff must
also still be in the hills to the east
ward. The Japanese report the cap
ture OF "a more guns. 65 In all, a rath-
or small number considering the de-
sisive defeat and the number OF men
captured. The Japanese losses have
been remarkably light In view Of the
Length and severity Of the fighting.
The Associated Press correspondent
With General iKuroki's army tells how
the battle of Mukden was won. The
Russian general was deceived as to
where the blow was to be struck, and
after massing his forces son the Japa-
eneso right found, when too late. that
1is right was the ebjectiyefof the Japa-
nose.
N I'll the speculatio as to peace.
Il the one point 8 that ID coming to the
h front Ii that Russia would prefer to
settle directly with Japan without the
did of any third nation.