The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-26

men, however, men who had never been
beaten. The ne xt day his army swept
forward, overriding Changta and reach
ing Wukiatzu and Choukwanpau on March
>. Thenoeforth the rush continued, rolling
the enemy back from Suhupau, where large
quantities of arms and ammunition were
captured. The Russians confronted his
line from LikwGn pase by Shatasu and
Machiapu, to Paitapu, the line extending
from the southwest 10 the south of Mukden.
There this army threatened completely
to outhank the Russians in the Sha
River valley, but now from the night OF
March OlUu's progress was checked q.
The enemy had strengthened his position
with tier upon tier Of entertainments and
held them with a greatly superior force.
Again and again Okus attacks failed. Kuro-
patkin could now with truth report sue
cess!ul repulse Of the Japanese.
This very day saw the army in the east
sector also still held up" before Machuntun
and Tita aftsr assaults lasting seven days.
In fact at that moment Kuropatkin might
also have congratulated himself, bit in
truth Oku's task was achieved. Desisting
from further onsets he sat down 20 contain
the Russians pending the development
OF the great western fanling operation
which be now knew 10 be a success.
PORT ARTHUR VETERANS PLANK The ENEMY.
Not until Feb. n did tho west sector army
appear in the field. Then suddenly II was
found in the extreme southwesterly corner,
far. but direc tly behind the position
whence Oku's men we're sweeping forward
Its right rested on Shwangshu and its left
on Prenlima 40 that it lay between the
Hl and Lao rivers.
A march Of thirty miles in one day had
brought It there. The Russian scouts
might we'll he pardoned for failing TO detect
its presence, especially since to look for
il they must have passed through Oku's
lines. Nogi's forces, for it was the Port
Arthur army, marched in echelon Of col
umns, the left wing considerably in ad-
vance and covered by a screen Of cavalry.
Twenty miles we're covered the second
day and twenty-five on the third
When on March the cavalry van entered
Sinmintung, thirty-three miles west OF
Mukden no serious resistance had been
encountered. nor was there anything to
indicate that the enemy, though driven
from Sufangtai, imagined themselves in
touch with a new army. They seem to
have mistaken the Port Arthur men for
part Of Oku's forces and the mistake was
held until March 4, by which time Nogi's
veterans had swung round so that their
right came into line with Oku's left at
Likwanpau and their left extended due
north to Tashichiao, fifteen miles west Of
Mukden Oh the Sinmintung road.
During the next two days they assisted
Oku's attack against the enemy positions
I southwest Of Mukden, meanwh lie pushing
their own left still further north, and on
March 7, keeping their right still pivuted
on Lkwanpau, they swung eastward In an
arc shaped line with a frontal develop
/ ment Of fifteen miles.
! The fighting was now fierce, for not only
were the Russians resisting vigorously
at their intrenched positions northwest
I OF Mukden. but they also sent a division
: with seventy guns which fruit lessly at
tempt ed 20 drive a wedge into Nogi's line
| Nothing could stop the Port Arthur
battalions. They declared that this kind
! Of work was a mere picnic compared with
/ dashing against the stone and iron Of a
I permanent fort ress, and they knew. too ,
I that the final issue Of the great battle de-
/ panded largely upon their success. On
/ March s they carried position after posi-
! ton, Hsipokaitun, Pakiatzu and Sanchi-
! atzu. finally reaching a strongly fortified
/ line from Tapingchwan to the northern
nauaolca (Peilungl. A detachment was
| now sent 10 wreck the railway north Of
Mukden, which was accomplished most
/ completely.
| KuEoPATKtS FEELS cons IIoHrENING LSn
RETREATs.
Already however, the crisis Of the titanic
/ hRht had come, Kuropatkin has not yet laid
bare the workin r. Of his mind In the supreme
hour Of his military career Up TO March
! his reports were oouched in an optimistic
| tone He was oaptutng half a score Of
/ prisoners. here, coming into possession Of
! two or three machine guns there. and
repulsing the enemy's assault everywhere.
On March 7, however, he seems to have
/ realized that his intelligence had been
/ concentrated on taking one NJ his adj
yersarvs pawns, while all the time the
/ toils Of a checkmate we're closing round
! his own unconscious king Even then he
had not recognized that the troops opeTat-
I ing against bis right and rear were the
Port Arthur army, hut, at any rate, he saw
/ that he was efiectually outhanked.
| The order to retreat was given. and the
/ movement began on the night Of March 7.
| The japanese recognized the familiar
symptoms 81 once. Kuroh was In full
| pursuit by midnigla and NOdzu from