Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-04-27
TELLS STORY OF PLANNING AND
FIGHTING OF THE GREAE
BATTLE.
-OYAMA's GENERALsHIP
Work Of Japanese Field Marshal Is
Deserving Of Great Praise and Com
nands Admiration Mo News From
RoJestvensky Nor Togo Today Ne
bosatoff at Penang.

RoJestvensky Nor Togo Today Me-
bogatoff at Penang.
Island Of Penang, Straits Settle
ments, April 26. - The fourth d.
vision of the Russian second Paci-
flc squadron, commanded by Ad-
miral Nebogatoff is expected to
pass Penang and enter the Straits
OF Malacca today. British authori-
ties are on the alert and guard
boats are patrolling the ap-
proaches to Penang.
Hong Kong, April 26. - The
British steamer Calichas, which
arrived here today, reports having
sighted three Russian battleships
and two cruisers this morning
steaming southeast OFF Limiting Is
land, about 100 miles southwest
Of Hong Kong. Later however, it
developed that the three vessels
were British and not Russian war
ships.
London, April 2e.-The first compre-
hensive account of the battle Of Muk.
den has just reached Europe. 1t is a
clear, cold record, furnished by the
Japanese themselves, Of the greatest
combat at arms in the worlds history.
1t reveals feat Of combined intelli-
gence and physical endurance which,
as the Times exclaims today, com.
mands our almost despairing admira-
tion" The account is prefaced by an
outline of the Japanese chain OF rea.
soning on which their campaign was
based. Their strategy was concerned
as much with subtle psychology as
with actual dispositions on the battle
field What would General Kuropat
kin think? How would he act on con.
diHons presented to him? These were
the problems first in view of the Jap
anese staff, and, as the event proved
they solved them accurately.
Long Campaign of Deception.
The Japanese contrived to give the
Russian commander the impression
that soldiers trained in Japan and ac
customed to move among the noun
tains would fall when fighting on the
plains.
The whole course Of the campaign
tended to confirm this estimate The
success of Kuropatkin's first mastery
retreat from Liaoyang seemed to prove
It, for the japanese failed to, seize
obvious advantages for operations OF
the plains. 1t does not seem to have
occurred to Kuropatkn that the Japan
ese deliberately were fostering a delu
zion.
Everything conspired to persuade
The Russian staff that Field Marsha
Oyama would move through the noun
tains east of Mukden instead of ovel
the plains to the west.
As oyama Planned 1t.
That is precisely what the Japanes,
wished the Russians to infer, for thei
real plan was exactly the opposite.
Their plan did. indeed, include
march upon Fushun from the south
but this was to be an attacking an,
containing maneuver rather than
turning one. The true outf1ankin,
movement was to be one to the west
sweeping up through the broad plain
between the Hun and Lao rivers. /
was to push as far as Sinmintun, thi1
ty-three miles west of Mukden, thenc
turning east to be directed against tn
city and the railway north, until fina
ly, in the region northward of Mukdel
1t was to throw itself across the pat
Of the Russians, who m eanwhi1e woul
have beon dislodged from their strong
ly intrenched central lines and force
back towards the city.
Battle Front of 100 Miles.
In short, five Japanese armies wer
to form crescent whose cusps wer
to be more than ninety miles apart
At first 1t would gradually draw tt
gether, the western cusp, however
finally being thrown forward so as t
form closed curve with the eastern
This stupendous conception involve
the advance of 100000 men over
front of nearly 100 miles and require
that the movements of every unit g
the. five armies should be accuratel
coordinated.
The necessary element of the Japa1
ese scheme was to divine the measure
to which its development would prt
woke the enemy. 1t should be remen
bered that both sides had devoted th
long months of waiting In the vale
of the Sha river to strenuous labor
on fortifications.
Russia Behind Massive Defenses.
The Russian lines were stretche
back tier upon tier of defenses, arme
witsssaav.-e than 1900 guns, formin
south of Mukden barrier that wa
pronounced impregnable by foreig
military engineering experts.
The japanese position was scarcel