Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-04-07
ADMITS JAPS ARE
BETTER SOLDIERS
RUSSIAN WAR MINISTER SAYS
SUPERIOR GENERALsHIP WON
BATTLE OF MUKDEN.
MEN AND MATERIAL OF
ARMIES WERE EQUAL
Sakarof Denies He Ever Intrigued
Against Gen. Kuropatkin-Clash
Between Rojestvensky and Togo
Is Expected Soon.

81. PeLerSDurS, April 5.-War Minis
ter Sakaroff denied emphatically that
he ever intrigued against Gen. Kuro-
patkin, affirming that he gave the lat
ter the most loyal support. At the
same time in discussing the battle of
Mukden Sakaroff declared the men and
material of the Russian army were
equal to those of the Japanese, forcing
the reluctant conclusion that the jap
anese generalship was superior to the
Russian.
In denying the popular impression
that large proportion of army reserve
men were sent to the front, Sakaroff
made the important admission that re-
serve men were only sent in the early
stages of the war, before we had as
surances from Europe" which is inter-
,preted as confession that an arrange
rment was made with Germany for COW
tering the frontier of Poland.
!; Continue to Push War.
Sakaroff declares that the reports
of Russia's countermanding orders for
war material abroad are baseless and
grow out of the declination of foreign
offers with which the war Office and
admiralty have been swamped He
insists that there has been no relaxa-
ton in the preparations to continue
the war, but says there will be no new
mobilization at present, explaining, as
stated in these dispatches, that 100000
troops Of the last mobilization have
already started for the front and that
stead of mobilizing new troops these
will be followed by a portion Of this
years conscripts.
Clash Expected Soon.
News OF battle between Rojest-
vensky's and Togo's fleets is expected
any day There has been an air Of
suppressed excitement at the admiralty
for several days. This, it is learned
is caused by knowledge that Rojest-
yentsky's ships are approaching the
zone where their discovery by Togo s
scouts may be expected at any hour.
: 1t is no longer secret that the Rus
sian feet sailed from Madagascar on
March 16, under orders to proceed to
Vladivostok and to engage the Japan
csc squadron If it cannot elude them.
Rojestvensky has been IS days on his
voyage. His progress necessarily Is
slow. for he has great fleet Of Golfers
and supply boats and he must coal at
sea. But at the lowest calculation he
has steamed 1900 miles to 2,l00 miles
Of the distance between Madagascar
and the Malay straits.
Togo's scouts are known to be
watching outside Of Singapore anG
Sunda straits. It is assumed naturally
that they are cruising west and soutt
OF the island of Java.
!. It is not expected that Rojestvensky
will elude Togo's scouts. 1t is expect.
ed that battle will take place. All
the hopes Of Russia are conferred in
this battle.
The approaching battle is almost the
sole topic Of conversation in naval cir,
cles in the last day or 80. Therefor.
outsiders believe that the battle is i'm
minent.
Report Of Explosion Denied.
Harbin. April 5.-There is no trutl
IN the report that the explosion of ;
bomb on Monday in the artiller!
depot here killed Is men.
Position Unchanged.
Toxic. April 5.-The following has
been received from the Manchuriar
army headquarters: ION Sunday por
ton OF the force occupying Kaiyuar
drove north the enemy holding Aishen
kao, 26 miles northeast OF Kaiyuan
There was no change at other position
up to FIVE o'clock Saturday afternoon
One hundred Russian sanitary corp
men have been delivered to the Russian
army. They highly appreciate our kind
ness"
Much Suffering Among Chinese,
Gen. oku's Headquarters in tn,
Field, April 4, via Fusan.-There Il
much suffering among the Chinese ii
the vicinity of Mukden. Scores Of vii
1ages were destroyed in the recen
sighting. and 100000 people are home
less and destitute. The Chinese gov
srnmsnt is now feeding and housing
$4,000 refugees at Mukden, and alst
furnishing seed grain. There is littl
prospect for good crops this season
owing to . lack Of farm animals AMI
implements. The Japanese are EN-
ploying thousands Of Chinese and pay
}ns them literally.
Death Of Old Settler.
Chicago, April 6.-John Stanley, whit
settled in Downers Grove in 1886, tw,