The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-14

HE Russian general staff reports
that the main body has already
completed its retreat, and the rear
guard southwark are falling back slow
What either the main body" or the
rear guard" consists of has not been
definitely fixed, but from the dispatches
from the Associated Press correspon-
dents with the Japanese and Russians
the two com bined must be but a small
portion OF the army which General Ku-
TOpatkin 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 retreat
ing. are not out of danger. the Japan
ese, it is reported, having already start
ed another turning movement which
Will force the Russians on to the plains
north Of Tie pass, where in their dis
organized state they would be easy
prey for the victory-flushed soldiers Of
the mikado.
Cannot Be Held.
The men who escaped are strenptban-
ing the Notifications in Tie pass but il
IS hardly possible that the pass can be
held in the face-of the overwhelming
forces opposed to the Russians. and it
Is not likely that Oyama. will rest salts
fed with his victory AT Nukden as he
did after Lao Yang. There will be no
uneasiness as to the food supply as long
as communications are maintained to
the nOrthward. as large bands of cattle
roam the plains under Cossack herders.
ana every station on the railway is a
huge commissariat department. The
Russian soldiers are aIways we'll fed
the soup kitchen on wheels always
keeping in touch with the men
Estimate of Losses.
As to the losses, General Kuropatkin
now admits that so, 600 wounded were
carried off the field This with the 90
500 dead left on the field. 10000 prison
erS and the wounded left in the hos
pitfalls. comes somewhat nearer the lat
est Japanese estima ties that the total
Russian losses were 100. 900. At this
rate Kuropatkin cannot have more
than 100000 effective fighting men with
him.
The army of General Liuevitch seems
TO have made the best retreat, but this
no doubt was due to the stubborn fight
made by General Rennenl<ampff on his
extreme left, and the equally fierce re-
sistance Of General KauIbars on the
right, the latter general Losing 2S, 600
men.
Russians in the Hills.
Neither the army of KauIbars nor of
Rennenkampff has not Yet been &C
counted for by the dispatches. After
his defeat around the western tombs
nOrthward cut off, made a detOur to the
eastward, where he was still fighting
ut last accounts. Rennenkampff must
also still be in the hills TO the east
ward. as it took the Associated Press
courier three days to reach Tie pass
que Japanese report the capture of
fWenty-fOur more guns, SiXty-siX in all
a rather small number considering the
decisive defeat and the number of men
captured. The japanese losses have
been remarkably light, in view of the
length and severity of the fighting.
How the Battle Was Won.
The Associated Press correspondent
with General KurOki's army tells how
the battle of Mukden was won. The
russian general was deceived as to
where the blow was to be struck and
after massinS his forces on the Japan
csc left found, when too late, that his
left was the objective of the japanese. |
In all the speculation as to peace the /
one point that is coming to the front is
that Russia would prefer to settle di-
Tectly with Japan without the aid Of
any third nation This is in line with
The dream of many leading Russians /
that the natural allies in the far east /
are Japan and Russia, they being the /
only nations whose domains border on |
Korea and Manchuria, both having in !
terests beside those of trade.