The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-03
ARMIES IN THE FIELD
LAPS AND RUSSIANS ARE NOW
 CLOSE TOGETHER.
Czar's Soldiers Protecting Roads to sinmintfn, and Mikado,s Men are Guarding Highways Lead
 ing to Yalu.

General Kurokfs Headquarters, Dec. 31. via Tientsin, Jan. 2.--The positions of the Japanese and Russian armies south of Mukden have not been mate- rially changed during the past two months. In few places are the lines more than a mile apart, and they are so close before the Japanese left that loud talking in the Russian trenches can be plainly heard.
 Though the Russians became very quiet during the first half of December. | they have renewed the .bombardment of the Japanese centre and left in the past fortnight, and they have selected sew eral points to which they devote the most attention. The Japanese usually l lie low in their trenches and remain silent. Often several hundred shells will be fired in a day without doing any damage, although occasionally a 1 shell strikes an exposed group or kills some careless soldier.
 Almost every hour of the day or night artillery is booming or rifles are popping somewhere along the lines. The Russian bombardment usually begins before noon and continues un- til sunset. but 1t is often resumed from midnight to the breaking of day. Fre- quently sorties are made by the com panies or by attachments when the fighting becomes severe. Both armies are using the hand grenades as one of their regular weapons for close fight ing. Accommodating forces constantly patrol the country on both Hanks to guard against offensive movements and to protect the auxiliary lines of com- munications.
 Japs Guard the Yalu.
 Te Russians obtain quantities of supplies from Sinmintin, thirty miles
 west of Mukden, where the Chinese ,oranch railroad ends and they must
 protect the roads leading to the point,
 while the Japanese guard the highways ho the Yalu River. The barren surface tof the land and the remarkably clear
 atmosphere makes surprises almost inn possible. The fields are without shrub
 'bery or other cover for the troops and
 the hills are bare and rocky. There kare no forests within the area of ope-
 rations and trees are few and widely | scattered. The only cover for moving
 troops are the deep ravines which seam
 sthe country. There is seldom a cloud
 in the sky and the nights even when the moon Is not in evidence, are bright and star-1it.
 The weather continues to be evenly cold, with no sudden change.
 All the soldiers on the front line live
 in Underground hutaa which are heated with charcoaL Yield Marshal Oyamai l General Kodoma, his chief off staff and General Fukushime occupy an ordinary Chinese house in small village. Gen.
 eral KurokPs headquarters are in a similar establishment, while the at- taches live on a comparatively luXuri- ous scale in a foreign Russian building The soldiers beyond the first line are quartered in Chinese houses and in generous structures of corn stalks and earth. The Chinese share their dwell ings with the army and are paid rent
 for them besides receiving good prices
 for all produce and extraordinary wages for their labor. The transport
 department hires an army of carts,
 animals and coolies, paying four times
 the normal prices and skilled labor
 commands corresponding rates. The prices of coal and wood, however, have risen approximately.
 The Roads are Smooth
 The women and children who desert-
 ed their homes during the Russian oc- cupation have gradually returned until almost the entire normal population Is
 back. Although they at first re- garded the Japanese with distrust. good relationship has now been established
 and now the people and the soldiers are living on the best of terms. The
 roads are at their best in the winter
 time. being hard and smooth, and con- sequently the transport department is taking advantage of this condition to
 accumulate quantities of supplies. Charcoal burning is one of the army's chief activities and the sparse timber is being consumed at rate which
 is likely to leave the country almost
 bare in the spring. The Chinese do mt ohiect to this because the timber.
 is bought and not confscated. The smoke of kilns is seen everywhere. The Japanese soldiers are all clothed in furns and heavy overcoats and the equipment and supplying the army con
 tinue as it has since the Japanase land ed in Korea nearly a year ago, to be above criticism.