The San Francisco call., 1905-02-27
JAPANESE ARE ATTACKING
KUR0PATKIN'S LEFT FLANK
Russians Now Being Driven
From Their Positions.
LOSSES ARE BELIEVED TO BE HEAVY

ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 27.-An ac-
tion of no mean proportions is in pro-
gress on the Russian left flank The
advantage thus far is on the side of the
Japanese, though at heavy cost.
From advices from the front it is
difficult to say how severe the losses
have been or how decisive the reverse,
and whether the japanese are likely TO
attempt TO drive in the Russian left
much farther General Kuropatkin
evidently has been trying to establish
his left flank far in advance, to COM
mand the crossings Of the Taitse River.
the operation being a counterpart of
General Gripenberg's movement on the
right flank TO secure the fords of the
Hun River preparatory to the breaking
up Of the ice in the spring.
The scene of the operations is fifty
miles southeast Of Mukden, beyond
Da Pass, an important defile command
ing the road TO Fushun. Both armies
occupying apparently impregnable po
sitions on the center, General Kuropat-
kin evidently planned to inaugurate
widely sweeping operations on both
fianks,s but the Japanese countered
hard.
Press dispatches from the front in
dicate that the weather is fine and IA
vorable for operations and that all is
quiet on the Russian right wing.
General Kuropatkin telegraphed TO
the Emperor. under date of February
20. as follows:
al o'clock this morning the
enemy occupied Tsinkhetchen. Exact
reports OF our losses Yesterday have
not yet been received. There are
twelve officers and about 500 men
wounded in the hospitals at San Lun-
yu. The percentage of killed is very
large. The commander of the detach-
ment reports acts of bravery by many
detached bodies of troops"
General Kuropatkin instances many
cases of close fighting and bayonet
charges and concludes:
This morning a battalion of the
enemy advanced in the direction of
Papin Pass, six miles southwest of San
Lunyu, and this evening the enemy's
outposts commenced to approach the
passes occupied by u.s."
MUKDEN. Feb. 26.-Fighting con-
tinues in front of and west of Tie
Pass. On the extreme east the Jap
anese have taken the outlying posi-
tions and they now threaten the main
defenses. Owing TO their formidable
attack it is believed that the Japanese
artillerymen are veterans from Port
Arthur, commanded by General Nogi.
Forty wounded Russians arrived a.
Mukden to-day and 400 are expected
tomorrow. other indications point
10 an unusual struggle.
A clustering snowstorm all day is
ending in a bitter wind which may
modify the threatened conflict. The
region Of the japanese attack is in
lightly wooded and high mountains,
favora BILE TO the Russian operation. A
force of Japanese of unkonwn
strength, Joined with Chinese brigands
west of Kungchialin, is still menacing
the Russians in that region.
The cannonade along the Russian
center diminished in intensity to-day.
There is no evidence of activity on the
part Of the japanese, who are strong
~ strengthening the site of the Rus
sian operations toward Liaoyang in
the latter part of January.
TOXIC, Feb. 26.-Manchuria Army
Headquarters reports that two in
fantry attacks by the Russians in the
neighborhood of Nation mountain on
Friday night were repulsed.