Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-10
ELEVEN.INCH HOWITZERS
Made Most Havoc Before Port Arthur
An Interview With Stoesse.

Headquarters az thu Third Japanese
Army Before Port Arthur Jan. = Via
Ti,n Tsin. Jan. Capt. Thunoda. th.
Japanese staff officer who was sent to
Port Arthur to inform Cen Stoessel
Of the contents of message of the En-
perCr Of Japanese saying that the gar
rison should De treated with the great
est consideration. says:
Gen. Stoessel's inquiries was about
the whereabouts of Gen. Kuropatkin
! SAID I did not know exactly but un-
ders tcod he vas Somew:ler. about Muk-
den.
Gen. StoesselS inquiries was about
heard from Cen. X uroiatkin Oct. s
saying he would cone to relieve Port
Arthur soon. Ten. |toeSSel added tina
he had sent out chinese SPIES who re-
turned and reported that Gen. kuro-
r'tkin with a ,'tlie|ilg army was al
kinchou. miles north of Port Arthur
Gen. .1tncsscl was plainly increduluouS
al my statement that Cen. l<uropatkin
had be- u defeated ami driven back to
warts MukIen. 50 I produced maps.
showed him the position Of the two ar
mics Lear the Shakhe river and gave
with the loss If 10000 To $4,000 men at
which In" i.ussian general expressed
a.raZcment ana quickly remarked thai
| had been miSlnd. Gnr. StneSScl than
asked Whcr" the Balli" fleet Was and I
told him that some of the ships had
not passed the cap Of Good Hope.
With l hopeless nXpr Ssi"n Gen. Stocs-
sol said: Now that Port Arthur has
fallen there is no use for the fleet com
Ing ally further
Il then asked Gen. Stnessel what had
caused the most damage to the earri-
son during tn" siege ana he replied:
Your 1l-inch HoUitzcrs. After they
arrived our Lctensive works became
useless"
Gen. StocSScl said that he and Admiral
Alcxcff had been through the Boxer
trouble and had seen the work of tho
Jdiancse army Cen StocSS,l also said
II" had been associated with the Iapancs,
generals fHmieuchI and Fukushima 1T
tnht tlm''. and expressed the opinion that
ne Russian and Japamcsc forces had
horne Tie lions share OF the work Since
thcn lac had had high idea Of the organ
izat"n and lighting qualities OF the jap
antS"; The first attack on PorI Arthur
~ February by the japanese ile..t was :,
tr' ncndous surprise The forts. he cN-
i''HiliF'' WIZ '4ilN party S'TFlSHllcu ny
Al this point Gen. St".sS,I said h..
had always OPPOSED III" scheme Of GOV.
Shkl1roT "f Port Dalny. IN spending
nunrY in Building UP Port Dalny instead
of finishing the dcfcnocS OF Port Ar
thln'. SaklHr.ff twhn Was an .nginp"f,
oiiIccrl died ~ dNScntrry dUIing tn. siege
Continuing. Gen. Stoe>Srl praised III.
ingenuity. pluck aud patienc. of The ian
au"S" army. especially in making sics.,
parallels and trenches to the for;>
'k"tcrriTG to the artillery. Gcn. StorS-
s.. Siid that at frs h" did not think the
artillery practice good but he was soon
comp, He'd To recognize how good It was.
Gnn. kUndratenko and a colonel of enei-
rc"rS On mauI. Con. StooSSel pointed out
Wer.. killed in Nn:Ih k""kwau tort by a
Laplnes" shell just prior to tn" explosion
greatly at kundratcnko WAS a clever en-
Cinecr.
Gen. Storsscl further said h. had served
his Emperor i'm three wars md had been
thrice wounded. first in the Russo Turkish
war. s"cond in the Boxer trouble and
| third at Port Arthur Now ~ felt he
to live i'm his old age with his family.
III" general added that h. WAS taking
homo with him fly" children nt officers
who had been killed durin" the siege
After his conference with Cen. Nogi
zen. Stun~Sol pXureSSed satisfaction an
meeting so pleasant a Grrtcmai. He had
| lot cxro,tcG the c0flSTcra;c treat rrr,t
ACCORDED t. rim. Gen. Nosi appeared 10
Gen St,.> sel as an old friend rather than
| Is the commander Of an army which had
| to" "a him 70 surrender