Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-14
-KUR0PATKIN'S
Shattered Forces May
Reach Tie Pass Safely.
The Japanese in Hot Pursuit
of Retreating Russians.
Russian General May Even Yet be
Surrounded-Lat ate News.

The Russian general staff reports
that The main body has already COM
lleted its retreat and the rear-guard
southwark are falling back slowly"
What either the 'main body or the
''rear-guard" consists of has not been
definitely fixed. but from the dispatches
from The Associated Press correspond
ents with the Japanese and Russians.
the two combined must be but small
portion of the army which General Ku-
ropa tltin had gathered along the banks
Of the Shakhe and Hun rivers. And yet
those who have reached Tie Pass. worn
ont from days of fighting and retreat
ing. are not out of danger the Japanese
it is reported. having already started
another turning movement which will
force the Russians onto the plains
n"it! OF Tie Pass where, in their dis
organized state. they would be easy
pray for the victory flushed soldiers Of
the Mikado. The men who escaped are
strengthening the Notifications in Tie
Pass. but it is hardly possible that the
pass can be held in face Of the over
whelming forces opposed to the Rus
slams. ana it is not likely that Oyama
will rest satisfied with his victory ut
Mukden as he did at 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 and every station on
the railway is a huge cOmmissarian de-
partment. The Russian soldier is al
ways we'll fed. the soup kitchens are
keeping in touch the men.
AS to he losses. General Kuropatkin
now admits that 10000 wounded We're
carried off the field, the 10000 prisoners
and the wounded left in the hospitals.
comes somewhat nearer the latest
Japanese estimates that the total Rus
sian losses were $4,000. At this rate
kuropatkin cannot have more than
100000 effective fighting men with him.
The army Of General Linevitch seems
to have made the best retreat but this
no doubt was due to the stubborn fight
made by General RennenkampT on his
extreme left. and the equally fierce re-
slstance of General Kaulbars on the
right. the latter general with $4,000
men. Neither the army Of Kaulbars nor
Of R"nnenkHmpn has yet been account
ed for by the dispatches. After his de-
bars. finding his retreat directly toward
the mort cut off, made n detour to the
eastward. where he was still fighting
at last accounts. Rennenkampff must
also still be in the hills to the eastward.
AZ il took The Associated Press couri-
er three days to reach Tie Pass. The
japanese report the capture of "a more
guns, sc in al. a rather small number
i,In mi, a .iyi1 lnf.
number OF men captured The Japanese
losses have been remarkably light in
view of the length and severity Of the
fighting.
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 maSsing his forces on tho Jap
:neSc right. found when too late that
his right was the objective of the Jap
aneSc.
III RI the speculation as to peace. the
one point that is coming to the front. is
that Russia would prefer to settle d.
rectly with Japan without the aid Of
any third nation. Ills is in line with
the dream of many leading russians
that the natural allies III the Far East
are Japan and Russia, they being the
only nations whose domains border on
Korea and Manchuria. both having
other interests there besides those OF
trade.
st. Petersburg. March 14.-12.30 \. NJ.
The Associated Press has received
from u correspondent with General
Eenncnkampf's headquarters descrip-
tons Of the 7snkhetchen operations.
The difficult retreat on Oubenepusa and
the stubborn defence of the positions
here by this hardy vanguard of the
First army.
The difficult nature of the country
through which the detachment is re- I
iling is shown by the fact that II
nok messenger three days TO reach
Tie Pass. The dispatch is as follows:
Continued on Page Three.)