The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1905-03-18
OF THE WEEK
WAR;.

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The Russian general staff reports
that "the main body has already COM
pleted its retreat and the rear guard
southwark is falling back slowly"
What either the main body" or the
rear 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
but a small portion Of the army which
General Kuropatkin had gathered
along the banks 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 d~isorganized state
they would be easy prey for the VIC
tory flushed soldiers of the mikado.
The men who escaped are strengthen
ing the Notifications in Tie pass, but
it is hardly possible that the pass can
be held in the face of the overwhelm-
ing forces opposed to the Russians and
it is not likely that Oyama will rest
satisfied with his victory at Mukden as
he did after Liaoyang. AS to the
losses General Kuropatkin now ad-
mits that $4,000. wounded were carried
of the field. This, with the 26.500
dead left on the field, the 100000 pris-
oners and the wounded left in the hos
pitfalls, comes somewhat nearer the
latest Japanese estimate that the total
Russian losses we're $4,000. At this
rate Kuropatkin cannot have more
than 100000 effective fighting men
with him. The army of General Line
witch cen to have made the best
retreat, but this n doubt was due to
the stubborn fight made by General
Rennenkampff on his extreme left and
the equally fierce resistance of Cen
eral Kaulbars on the right, the latter
general losing 10000 men. Neither
the army of Kaulbars nor Rennen-
kampf has yet been accounted for by
the dispatches.
Field Marshal Oyama, reporting on
the battle OF Mukden. says: Prison
ers, spells and the enemy's estimated
casualties against all our forces in the
Shakhe direction follow, but the pris-
oners, guns and spells are increasing
momentaEily. The prisoners number
over 100000, including General Max.
htmof. The killed and wounded are
estimated at 10000. The enemy's
dead left on the field number 26,50O.
The spoils include 2 flags, about 60
guns, $4,000 rifles, $50 ammunition
wagons, 1000 carts. 100000 shells
2 ,000,U00 rounds Of small arms am
munition, $4,000 bushels of cereals
275.000 bushels of fodder, As miles Of
light railway outfit. 1000 horses, %
carloads Of maps, 1000 carloads ol
clothing and accoutrements, 1,000,00(
E1tions of bread. 10000 tons of fue
and 10000 tons Of hay, besides tools
tents. bullocks. telegraph wire and
poles, timber. beds, stoves and numer
GUS other property. Reports from the
medical corps Of all the armies have
beea received from Feb. 26 to March
II. Our total casualties at that time
Were 41,222."
The immediate answer of the Rus
sian government to the defeat at Muk.
dea is the announcement that q new
army will be raised and the forces In
the Far East recognized; that Vice
Admiral Ro~jestveasky will be ordered
to sail ON and try conclusions with
Togo and that the war will be prose
Gated to the hitter end.
Count BenkeaAor1, the Russian am
nssador to Great Britain, has paid
1926 900 to Foreign Secretary Lans-
downe I'm settlement of the North sea
claims and the incident was thus
closed.
Since the war began Japan has
taken possession Of thirty.two steam
er3 carrying c~ontraband of war.