The bee., 1905-03-09
KUROPATKIN ON
THE DEFENSIVE
The Japanese Are Now, Apparent.
ly, Masters of the Situation.
The RUSSIAN CENTER BROKEN
Kuropatkin Threw Away His OPP
portunity at "a Crucial Moment,
ment, and utter Defeat Now
Confronts Him.

In st. Petersburg, ID IN generally
believed that Gen. i<uropatiSin was
yesterday Fighting rear guard nc
ton TO cover his retreat. and that
the night viii have witnessed n
large withdrawal of troops toward
Tie Pass. All of the commandments
chiefs ability, IL is considered, VIII
be required to eNtricate his army
from its present predicnmcnt. The
issue, IL is expected, viii he decided
to-day, and great deal unquestiOn-
ably depends on the comparative
ability of the opposing armies to
resist the effect of hunger aud fn-
tigue, The limit of human endur-
nnce having evidently been nearly
reached ON both sides. beyond the
statement that the casualties ex-
ceeded those of the battle of Lao
Yang, there is little known as TO
the number killed or wounded.
Reports are current in Toxic that
the Russians are i'm retreat and pre-
pairing to destroy the railway north
of Mukden.
Gen. KurOpRtlSin is said to have.
gone to Fushan after holding a
council of war of 100 officers.
He left rear guard, consisting of
10000 picked troops, and is retir-
ing.
Chinese report that Mukdcn has
been completely evacuated, and
that it's great magazines were set
on fire by Japanese artillery.
st. Petersburg March Z. 10 p. NJ
The Russian center is broken. accord
ing to to-night's dispatches from the
east.
The messages are not official. but
rest on good authority, and are gen.
orally credited, even at the war office.
The officials admit that the latest It'd
ings, if confirmed. leave no doubt that
Gen. Kuropatkin has suffered an over
whelming defeat
That yesterdays offensive move
against the Japanese was an utter fail
ure was learned earlier in the day
Unconfirmed reports are in circulation
that the Russian retreat has already
BNStu anu Audl IL dulOulllS W = IOul.f
Russians Lose siege Gums.
The Russian army is declared to
have lost Is heavy siege guns in the
last few hours fighting. There seems
no doubt that Generals Nogi and Ku-
rolIi have united north of Tie pass and
that the ears force is completely sur
rounded.
Gen. kuropatkin is believed to have
lost his only opportunity yesterday.
He has no hope now but to fight his
way through the Japanese lines. With
his crushed and disorganized army no
one believes that he can accomplish |
this. At the best he can save but a |
remnant Of the body of nearly 100000 |
men with which he engaged the enemy |
ten days ago.
NOSi Turned the Tide.
Yesterday afternoon the tide of bat
tie undoubtedly swept favorably for |
he Russian arms. Forced marches, |
hort rations and IS hours of continu-
Gus fighting without sleep. had told |
IN Oyama's men, and the Russian at
ack on the left center of the Japanese
encountered but feeble resistance. The |
gay was open for Kuropatl1in to break
through. but as he was about to hurl |
MS reserves into tho breach he had
iucceeded in mailing, Gen. Nogi. the
lcro of Port Arthur. saved the day for
hi japanese.
Gen. Nogi's Foot Cavalry.
learning of Oyamas predicament.
TCgi aroused his foot cavalry as his
,wift-moying column has come to be
;nown, and made such a determined
attack on Gen Kaulbars, in command
# the crippled Russian right wing,
hat the latter's position became SO
,erilous and Kuropatkin was unable to
END his reserves against Oyama. for
ear their service might be necessary
o check the advances of Nogi.
Fatal Hesitancy.
The momentary hesitancy proved ia
al to Kuropatkin's hopes of breaking |
hn Japanese line. To-day the Japan
Use speedily recovered the ground that |
hey had lost. so that now Kuropatldn |
) again entirely on the defensive
THE BATTLE Oh MUIIDEN.