The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-10
Is Amazed to Learn That He
 Was Defeated
RUSSIAN PRAISES THE LAPS
Commander at Port Arthur Had Been Led to Believe That kuropatkn Was Within Twenty Miles of
 the Fortress.

Headquarters of the Third Japanese Army, at Port Arthur, January '. via Tien Tsin, January 9.-Captain Tsunoda, the Japanese staff officer who was sent to Port Arthur to inform General stoes- sel of the contents of the message of the Emperor of Japan, saying that the gar rison should be treated with the great est consideration, says:
 General Stoessers first inquiry was about the whereabouts of General Kuro- patkin. I said l did not know exactly, but understood he was somewhere about Mukden
 General Stoessel remarked that he had last heard from General Kuropatkin Oc- tober 6, saying he would come to relieve Port Arthur soon. General Stoessel added that he had sent out Chinese spies, who returned and reported that General Ku- ropatkin with a relieving army was at Kinchou, twenty miles north of Port Ar thur. General Stoessel was plainly in- credulous at my statement that General Kuropatkin had been defeated and driven back toward Mukden, so I produced maps showing him the position of the two armies near the Shakhe river, and gave Stoessel details of Kuropatkin's defeat with the loss of 50,OO0 to 60,000 men, at which the Russian general expressed amazement and quickly remarked that he had been misled. General Stoessel then asked where the Baltic fleet was, and I told him some of the ships had not passed the Cape of Good Hope.
 No Use to Come Further.
 with a hopeless expression General stoessel said: Now that Port Arthur has fallen there is no use for the fleet coming any further.'
 T then asked General Stoessel what had caused the most damage to the gar- rison during the siege and he replied:
 Your inch Howtzers. After they arrived cLr defensive work became use- less.
 General Stoessel then pointed out that he and Admiral Alexieff had been through the boxer trouble and had seer the work of the Japanese army. General Stoessel also said he had been associated with the Japanese Generals Yamaguchi and Fukishama at that time and expressed the opinion that the Russian and Jap anese forces had borne the lions share of the work. Since then he had high idea of the organization and fighting quali- ties of the Japanese army.
 Ignorance of Fighting Qualities.
 ''The real cause for the war, was, in General Stoessel's opinion the ignorance of the Russian people of the fighting qualities of the Japanese. The first at tack on Port Arthur In February by the Japanese fleet was a tremendous surprise. ha ha ai nr1v artlx U garrisoned by 2ooo troops.
 'At this point General Stoessel said he had always opposed the scheme of Gov ernor Sakerhoff of Port Dalny in spend ing money in building up Port Dalny in- stead of finishing the defences of Port Ar thur Sakerhoff who as an engineer of hcer died of dysentery during the siege. Continuing General Stoessel praised the ingenuity pluck and patience of the Jap anese infantry. especially in making siege parallels and trenches to the forts.
 Praises Artillery Practice.
 "Referring to the artillery, General Stoessel said at first he did not think the artillery practice good, but he was soon compelled to recognize how good 1t was. General Krontedako and a company of engineers General Stoessel pointed out, were killed in North Keolwan fort by a Japanese shell just prior to the explosion of December 1S General Stoessel felt their loss greatly as Kontedako was clever engineer.
 "General Stoessel further said that he had served his Emperor in three wars and had been thrice wounded, first in the Russia-TurlSish war; the second in the Boxer trouble, and the third at Port Arthur. Now he felt he had earned the right to return to Russia to live l. his old age with his family. The general add cd he was taking home with him five children of officers who had been killed during the siege.
 After his conference with General Nosi. General Stoessel expressed gratif- cation at meeting so pleasant gentle