The San Francisco call., 1905-03-07

corpSes as defenses. The Russian Held
batteries Immediately opened fire and
forced a cessation of the work.
At dawn yesterday the Japanese at
tackled the Russian positions near
Oubenepusa. The attackers were
scarcely recognizable as valiant Jap
anese, so mechanically did they move
forward and with undying persistence
attack only to be thrown back. They
repeated this at 10 o'clock in the morn
ing after a preparatory artillery bonn
bardment and reached the Russian
trenches, where a bayonet fight en-
sued. At the crucial moment General
Alieff, commanding the vanguard,
arrived on the scene with two COM
panies and turned the scale against the
japanese Among the wounded was
Lieutenant Colonel Hrostitsky of the
general staff, who nevertheless re-
mained at the front. Toward evening
the fight slackened.
The Japanese employed an ingenious
scheme TO deceive the Russian artIl-
lery, whose shells, though having the
ranges, appeared to be exploding
in the wrong The officers were about
to resort to experimental firing when
skirmishers reported that the Japanese
were exploding small mines and even
throwing dirt in the air with spades to
effect a deception.
ST. PETERSBURG, March Cit
has just been learned that General
Kuropatkin has launched blow at
Field Marshal Oyama's left center, just
east of the railroad. The fighting is
desperate along almost the entire line.
Kuropatkin's losses in killed and
wounded up to last night are placed
at 23,500. Oyama is thought to have
almost 10000 The Japanese, accord
ing to the prisoners, are greatly ex-
hausted. They repeat the statement
that some of General Ncgi's men have
not had any food for two days.
The result of the greatest battle of
modern times is expected to be deter
mined to-day or tomorrow. Two of
the largest armies of recent times,
both in men and guns, are now locked
in a death struggle, and although Gen
eral Kuropatkin has evidently made
every preparation to cover his retreat
by removing his accumulated stores
and munitions northward, it is now the
opinion of military men here that one
side or the other cannot escape an
overwhelming disaster. With both
wings bent backward Kuropatkin's s
position appears to be desperate, but
the issue is still in the balance. News
of a victory for him is only regarded
as possible by his breaking through
the enveloping lines and news of a con-
centrated offensive is hourly awaited
Unless Kuropatkin can strike and
strike hard 1t is realized that he must
lose.
OYAMA'S STRATEGY.
Field Marshal Oyama's strategy in
this bittle is now clear. He startled
and amazed the War Office by the
marvellous daring of General Kuroki's 8
advance against the extreme Russian
left and the series of blows delivered
at the center, where no less than thir-
teen separate attacks have been
launched by the Imperial Guards ten
miles east of Poutiloff Hill. But it is
now realized that the heavy blows
at the left were intended to mask the
real turning movement, which came
like a bolt from a clear sky out of
the west. Kuropatkin fell into the
trap. The situation seemed an exact
duplicate Of that at Liaoyang and the
Russian commander in chief hastened
to mass forces at meet Kuroki. Fri
day the whole situation was suddenly
reversed. when with lightning rapidity
the Japanese turning operation began
on the plain between the Hun and
Lao rivers.
In order to succeed Oyama threw
the neutrality of China to the winds.
General Nogi, with his Port Arthur
veterans, moved up the right bank or
the Hun River and fell like an avail
anche upon the weakened Russian
right, doubling it back in confusion,
the japanese advance being co-ordi-
mated with the advance straight from
the west Of a Japanese column of
10000 men, which circled around or
through Chinese neutral territory. AL
though rumors of the presence of the
latter column westward of Mukden
were circulated as long ago as Tues