The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-07-05

tina! they expected. icy had been III
able to reconnoiter the slopes approach
lLg the i.ussIan wO.k ). which were
sleeper than thy had anticipated. On
the 18th wGI.i:!eSS aud =. driving snow
storm R.iI them lack. On the 2Sth
taey suspended tier attack II scout
ed the positions before them, and for
seven days tue right was to make little
further progress. On the 9th the cur
tain was withdrawn, and NOgi took the
stage. The cavalry which had screened
him fell back on to the bank Of the
Lao river to protect his flank. On the
18th he made fifteen miles without op-
position Of account.
He was now up even with the center.
From end to end the Japanese line wal
a hundred miles long. Thus the dv0t
period Of the operation may be said b
have closed with February. Only the
right had been engaged as yet. Il had
felt Of the enemy and found him
strong, not even yet realizing bow TAR
his strength there was to prove to be
his s~trategical weakness. Nog1, peo-
eeeding across the plain. was not ut
opposed. The casualties were few ON
either side. On March / the issue was
fairly Joined.
There is an impression that the Japa-
nese army takes nc chances. That 10
because It always wins. Had Oyama
failed at Mukden all the world would
have marvelel how he had dared to
take such risks. which would then have
been pointed out as the reasons Of his
undoing.
Consider this one thing: When the re-
suit was still In doubt ami the battle At
its height every single man was fight
ing. The reserve consisted solely of a
supreme confidence that no portion Of
speak Of the value Of the trust OF
troops In their general. The significant
feature at Mukden was the trust Of Il
general in his troops and their com
manders.
With at least 100000 men engaged,
counting both sides, this was supreme
ly necessary.
The field Of Marengo or a Chancel-
louisville was as Il suburban yard be-
side a Dakota farm. That Napoleonic
genius Of Selling the moments advan-
tage, Of launching u brigade upon a
weak point OF marching 1t within an
afternoon from flank to flank, might
not be exerted here or II SO only by the
heads Of corps and divisions. To them
the grand staff had set each his task,
for Mukden was many battles inter-
woven into a gigantic movement. In
order to accomplish each his object,
which was in keeping with the whole
plan, the different generals were ex-
pected to make brilliant combinations,
and they did.
On the Russian side there was not
one army, but three. On the center IL
Bilderling, on the right Ito the west Is
Kaulbafs and on the left to the east Ia
Linevitch. with his Siberian r~eservfDs
and sharpshooters. who understand
mountain<work, facing Kuroki. Surviv-
ors Of the Yalu. who have never won,
face survivors Of the Yalu, who have
never lost.
Kuropatkin's plan. 20 far V we
know. was based on an entire misap-
prehension Of his enemy's. He thought
that Oyama was to throw all his
strength into a hanking movement to
the eastward. This conclusion he drew
from the advance Of the Yalu army
through the mountains, as I have al
ready explained. 1t was the conclusion
Oyama wanted him to draw.
From the vital railroad westward to
the Lao stretched the open plain, with
no defensive works and none possible
while the ground was still frozen. Thus
it was plain as day that the west was
the easiest direction from which to
0 In flank upon Mukden. Although
the Japanese have chosen the easiest
way in every battle they have fought,
Kuropatkin evidently thought that this
time they We're going to choose the DIFF
ficult way.
K%uropatkin's Great Mistake.
As against the plain Oh the west, it
was all hill work on the east. North
west of Mukden the mountains extend
farther westward and reach the rail-
road itself at Tiehling, forty miles
north of Mukden. Kuropatkin already
had Il strong force In the east to face
any flankins movement. which must
fight its way owe the slopes for twent,
miles before hi, center was endan-
gercd. Had he lost confidence In the
courage as well rs the intelligence Of
his troops? If 50 it seems that it was
without reason. We have a foeman's
testimony to the stubborn tenacity Of
the Russians when In trenches. Or was
he afflicted, rs some reports say, with
nervous prostitution?
While he marched his reserves to the
east Nogi was swinging in over the
plain from the west. On March ! he
met II regiment. which promptly fell
back. On the I'd he came up with only
a few detachments. Like frightened
rabbits by the wayside, they took a
good looA at his columns. Then, like
wise rabbits thav ran awov On %his